Managed Care Resource Alliance Strengthens Commitment to Health Plan Intelligence and Strategic Collaboration
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hauppauge, NY — February 18, 2026
The Managed Care Resource Alliance (MCRA), the premier consortium for managed care leaders and organizations, today announced the appointment of Desiree Vuocolo as Director of Programs and Partnerships. This strategic investment reflects MCRA's deepened commitment to serving as an exclusive space where health plan partners gain unfiltered health plan intelligence, critical industry insight, and the collaborative framework to drive real-world impact.
MCRA exists to connect, collaborate, and learn—bringing managed care leaders and the organizations that support them into a facilitated forum where shared insight and real-world perspectives translate into collective action. As health plans navigate accelerating value-based care models, evolving regulatory demands, and rising cost pressures, MCRA's role becomes increasingly vital: serving as the trusted source of timely health plan priorities, the catalyst for peer-to-peer learning, and the connector between health plans and the vendor partners who support their success.
Vuocolo joins MCRA at a pivotal moment for the industry. A recognized healthcare transformation leader, she brings extensive experience across payer strategy, provider alignment, and complex program deployment. Her career has been defined by helping organizations move from strategy to execution—translating ambitious ideas into aligned, operational outcomes.
Proven Leadership Across Payer Strategy and Transformation
Prior to joining MCRA, Vuocolo founded Bridgespan Strategy, advising healthcare innovators on growth and execution while guiding health plans in operationalizing innovation. She previously served as Director of Provider Deployment and Strategy at Highmark Health, where she led enterprise-wide provider transformation initiatives, advanced value-based care readiness, and built operating structures that supported long-term clinical and organizational alignment. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at GEHA, Argus Health Systems, and DST Systems, specializing in business process improvement, audit, and operational excellence.
She holds the Certified Health Insurance Executive (CHIE) designation through AHIP’s Executive Leadership Program, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kansas, and is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Vuocolo is widely recognized for bringing clarity to complex challenges, building trust among diverse stakeholders, and fostering the collaborative environments necessary to drive sustainable, mission-aligned outcomes.
In her role as Director of Programs and Partnerships, Vuocolo will lead the design and execution of initiatives that deepen engagement between health plans and the organizations committed to supporting them. Her work will focus on ensuring MCRA programs translate real health plan priorities into structured dialogue, shared learning, and actionable opportunities for alignment.
“Desiree’s appointment signals our commitment to deepening the intelligence and collaborative opportunities we provide to MCRA Members,” said Gary Bolnick, CEO and Founder of MCRA. “She embodies the collaborative spirit that defines our Alliance. Her ability to bridge strategy and execution will strengthen the experience we create for our Members and the impact we help them achieve.”
Bridging Health Plans and Their Partners Through Strategic Collaboration
MCRA's strength lies in its ability to facilitate candid dialogue between health plans and the organizations committed to serving them. Vuocolo will lead the design and execution of initiatives that deepen this collaboration—creating forums where vendors, consultants, and solution providers gain direct insight into health plan priorities, while health plans access expertise and innovation shaped by their actual operational needs.
Her work will ensure that every MCRA program translates real health plan challenges into collaborative opportunities—moving beyond generic industry discussion to tackle specific operational priorities. Through facilitated peer collaboration, shared expertise, and strategic vendor partnerships, MCRA Members will gain the unfiltered intelligence and actionable insights necessary to drive impact.
An Exclusive Forum for Real-World Impact
MCRA membership means exclusive access to a curated community of managed care leaders and the insight they generate. It means understanding timely health plan priorities directly from the source. It means building relationships grounded in shared challenges and real-world perspectives—relationships that create mutual value and drive sustainable outcomes.
With Vuocolo's leadership, MCRA continues to evolve as the collaborative forum where managed care ecosystem leaders connect, exchange knowledge, and turn shared insight into collective impact.
"Health plan partners need unfiltered access to health plan thinking—what's keeping leaders up at night, what they're prioritizing, how they're approaching transformation," Vuocolo said. "MCRA's commitment to creating that space, where collaboration is authentic and impact is real, is why I'm excited to join the Alliance."
ABOUT MCRA
The Managed Care Resource Alliance (MCRA) is the premier consortium for managed care leaders and organizations seeking real-time health plan intelligence, strategic peer collaboration, and actionable insights. MCRA brings together industry leaders and subject matter experts to exchange insight, strengthen relationships, and tackle complex managed care challenges—turning shared knowledge into collective impact.
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