LTG Patricia (Patty) D. Horoho, Retired, is the Chief Executive Officer of Optum Serve and Optum Health Solutions.
Patty joined UnitedHealth Group in 2017 to establish the Optum Serve brand, the end-to-end federal business of both Optum and UnitedHealth Group. At the commencement of this establishment, she was able to unite three legacy businesses. Under her leadership, Patty has built a dynamic senior leadership team and grown both Optum Serve’s employee population and business. This growth includes securing the $55 billion Veterans Affairs Community Care Network Third Party Administrator contract. Today Optum Serve continues to grow and expand its support of technology, health services, data analytics and consulting initiatives in both federal and commercial markets. In the last two years, Optum Serve has entered into new markets, grew the top line by 300%, improved bottom line performance by 1250 base points, and grown into a multi-billion dollar organization.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Patty’s agility and ability to effectively leverage resources resulted in Optum Serve rapidly standing up new business models to support both COVID-19 testing and vaccine distribution. Under her leadership, Optum Serve implemented both the Priority Identification Vaccine Operating Tool (PIVOT), which informs and monitors equitable COVID-19 vaccine administration, and Vaccine Outreach – Implementing Community Engagement (VOICE), which provides customized community engagement and collaboration to address the vaccine hesitancy and difficult-to-reach consumers.
In 2023, Patty expanded her role to include leading Optum Health Solutions, an integrated direct care delivery platform. Health Solutions valued mission is to re-engineer the health care delivery system for those who need care the most, removing the complexities of the health care industry versus layering new solutions on top of them. Providing holistic condition-care management for oncology, kidney, rare diseases, and transplant.
Additionally, in 2023, Patty established the 2Serve Together Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring our military women. Inspired by her late father, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) Frank J. Dallas, a Veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. She often recalls the pride she saw within her dad when he would be recognized wearing a ball cap with the three war insignias and thanked for his service. It truly showed the power of a thank you. In collaboration with renowned jeweler, Ann Hand, Founder and CEO of one of the most distinctive and prominent jewelry companies in America, Patty’s design idea came to fruition. This symbol could be worn or displayed, empowering women who are serving or have served in the United States Military and to honor them with opportunities to tell their individual story or simply told – Thank you for your Service.
Patty is a values-based servant leader whose life’s calling is to improve the U.S. health care system, focused in the areas of health care delivery, health readiness and health disparities. Patty continues to maintain a laser focus on championing health equity, inclusion and diversity efforts, and Veteran-focused initiatives at UnitedHealth Group.
Patty is a frequently sought after speaker, leader and adviser in these areas.
Patty’s distinguished professional career also includes 33 years with the U.S. Army, where she retired as a Lieutenant General, the 43rd Army Surgeon General and Commander of the U.S. Army Medical Command. She made history being the first woman, first nurse and non-physician to hold these posts. In these roles, Patty led the third largest health care system in the world, a global logistics, research and care network across five continents, with a multibillion-dollar budget and staff of more than 156,000. An expert in health care transformation, Patty moved the entire Army Medicine organization from a disease model of care to a system for health. She implemented groundbreaking and long-lasting initiatives around behavioral health, while improving health care considerations and force protection measures for military women.
Patty has been humbled to serve and lead during pivotal moments in Army Medicine and in defense of the nation, including serving as the head nurse in the emergency room during the Green Ramp Disaster in 1994; standing up triage at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001; transforming care at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center from 2006 to 2008; and serving as the Special Assistant to the Commander, International Security Assistance Force Joint Command, Afghanistan.
Prior to joining Optum, Patty led Accenture’s military health business as the client account lead and managing director for military health.
Currently, Patty is a member of the following boards: Connected Communities – Military, Veteran & Spouses and Women in Leadership Executive Advisory Council; American Association of Nurse Executives; Home Base Honorary Board and Leadership Council; University of North Carolina School of Nursing Board of Visitors; Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) Commission for Strengthening America’s Health Security; Gary Sinise Foundation; Women of Impact; International Women’s Forum, D.C.; Women’s Business Leaders; and the Tiffany Circle/American Red Cross. Patty is also a Senior Fellow in the Association of the United States Army and the American Academy of Nursing. Patty formerly served as the Chair of the Optum Maternal Health Board, on the Schultz Family Foundation Board of Trustees, UnitedHealth Group’s Equity Advancement Board, United Through Resilience, Optum Care Solutions Return Better to Work Steering Committee, The Institute for Nursing Leadership Advisory Council, Boulder Crest Foundation Advisory Council the Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare Advisory Board, Wounded Warrior Project Board of Directors, former member of the Finance and Investment Committee, and the University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees and formerly the Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Patty is a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her Master of Science degree as a clinical trauma nurse specialist from the University of Pittsburgh. Patty has served as a Distinguished Professor at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Graduate School of Nursing and holds a Master of Science degree in national resource strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. Patty holds five honorary doctorates and has received numerous recognitions from the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina, including a distinguished alumni and fellow award and a scholarship in her name.
Patty’s military awards and citations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, France’s National Order of the Legion of Honour Chevalier (Knight), Japan’s Defense Cooperation Award Second Class, and the President’s Lifetime Achievement award.
Additional recognition: Honored by Time Life Publications for her actions at the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001; the American Red Cross and Nursing Spectrum National “Nurse Hero;” 2009 USO Woman of the Year; 2010 Margaret Cochran Corbin Award; Tiffany Circle Distinguished Woman Warrior; voted in as a Family Circle Top Ten Most Influential Mom; the New York Institute of Technology’s Riland Public Service Award (first military Service member and nurse to receive this award); 2014 Honorary Rock of the Year award; the Helen Manzen Award from the New York University College of Nursing for exemplary leadership on behalf of the health of the nation; a Jonas Center for Nursing and Military leadership honoree; the American Red Cross Women Who Care Humanitarian Award; Inducted — 2016 Women of Impact in Healthcare award; the 2016 Woman’s Memorial Hall of Fame; the 2018 FedHealthIT Women in Leadership Impact Award; the 2019 EagleForce Warrior Foundation’s Health Hero Award; the 2021 FedHealthIT100 Award; 2023 FedHealthIT100 Hall of Fame; and 2024 GOVTECH Pinnacle Award.
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