What is the OSU Health Plan?

The OSU Health Plan administers the healthcare benefits and services offered to faculty and staff at The Ohio State University. By overseeing the many health and wellness resources available to members and giving them a single point of contact for all of their health plan needs, The OSU Health Plan makes staying healthy a little bit easier.

For more than 25 years, the OSU Health Plan has served The Ohio State University.

The university is uniquely situated to build on the partnership between OHR (the employer/payer), the OSUWMC (provider), and the Health Plan (whose reporting line is through the Medical Center) to more effectively manage the university’s population.

  • Incorporated in 1991, OSUHP is the Ohio State-owned Health Plan for faculty, staff, and dependents.
  • Administers medical/pharmacy self-funded benefit plans for 69,000 Ohio State lives.
  • Utilizes Ohio PPO Connect as our wrap network.
  • Code of Regulations
  • Ohio not-for-profit organization and taxable for federal purposes
  • Focuses on Ohio State population
  • Supports strategic goals of the university and the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
  • Supports Ohio State’s healthcare facilities, research, etc.
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Become part of the OSU Health Plan family.

Are you a benefits-eligible faculty or staff member at The Ohio State University or Wexner Medical Center and want to enroll in OSU Health Plan? Contact us to learn how.

Core Services Provided by the OSU Health Plan

  • Provider Network Contracting and Management
  • Wellness Prevention Services
  • Medical Management
  • Pharmacy Benefit Management Oversight
  • Customer Service
  • Data Analytics 

Senior Leadership Team

Kelly joined the OSU Health Plan in 2011 as the Chief Financial/Administrative Officer and was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in 2015. She has the overall responsibility for directing the strategic and operational practices of the Health Plan. Kelly began her career at KPMG, a big four public accounting firm. After KPMG, Kelly joined Nationwide where she held multiple leadership roles in Finance and Audit. Kelly received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from The Ohio State University. She lives in Powell with her husband, Chris, and their three daughters.

Amanda Bain, PharmD, MPH, MBA is the Director of Pharmacy and Care Management for The Ohio State University Health Plan. In her role, she is responsible for design, implementation, and evaluation of pharmacy benefits, information systems, and clinical programs created to impact population health. Dr. Bain supervises pharmacists and nurses in medication therapy management, care coordination/disease management, enhanced case management, and utilization management. She is also the director for the managed care pharmacy residency at The Ohio State University. She has had the pleasure of chairing and/or serving numerous Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) committees including Membership, Organizational Affairs, Professional Practice, and the Schools of Pharmacy Relations and has represented AMCP on the Primary Medication Non-Adherence Measurement Development Team and Diabetes Medication Dosing Measure Technical Expert Panel as well as the following Pharmacy Quality Alliance workgroups: Communications & Education, MTM Part D, and Adherence. Dr. Bain has also represented AMCP at PCORI’s workshop on second-line treatment of diabetes, participated in the AMCP diabetes partnership forum, and served as AMCP’s representative for the Center for the Advancement of Pharmacy Education 2013 Educational Outcomes Panel. She is a past president of The Ohio State University AMCP chapter and a past Secretary/Treasurer of the Ohio-Kentucky Affiliate. Additionally, she has served on the ASHP Section Advisory Group on Ambulatory Care Informatics.

Laura Correale, RN, BSN is the Senior Director of Clinical Operations and leads teams that encompass, Utilization Management, Enhanced Case Management, Care Coordination, Pharmacy, Health Coaching, Wellness, Quality Improvement and Data Analytics. In her role, she also works collaboratively with providers and facilities on population health and value based initiatives. Laura began her career in Hospital and Home Health Nursing. After several years, she decided to make the switch to health insurance and has been in this arena for over 25 years now. She has participated in all aspects of health plan strategy and operations through the years including NCQA and URAC accreditation status. Laura has also served on IBM Watson Health’s innovation council for several years now. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Akron.

Dr. Robert Cooper serves as Medical Director for the OSU Health Plan. Dr. Cooper helps manage the physician advisor program for Dr. Moseley and is a former Chief Resident in Emergency Medicine at Ohio State. He recently completed an Administrative Fellowship in the Emergency Department and his MBA at the Fisher College of Business. His primary responsibility is to oversee quality review, denials, and appeals, and he serves on the Health Plan Quality Improvement Committee. Dr. Cooper is responsible for the monthly review of credentialed and re-credentialed providers. In 2018, he was named among the “40 Under 40” by Business First.

Kim Frericks has served the OSU Health Plan in a number of key roles for the past 17 years. Currently, she operates as the Director, Client and Member Services where her principal responsibility is to serve as the primary liaison between the university/external clients and OSU HP to ensure all needs are met as far as delivery of service in the health plan and wellness spaces. In addition, she provides oversight of the university’s relationship with its Third-Party Administrator, works collaboratively on benefit and plan design, and serves on several constituency-based advisory groups. Prior to joining OSU HP, Kim gained experience in the insurance industry by spending nine years in claims/customer service management and business analytics at an insurance firm and a leading Third-Party Administrator. Kim earned her Bachelor of Arts from Franklin College in Franklin, Indiana.

Tom Gessells is the Director of Information Technology. Tom is responsible for the Health Plan’s technology strategy, operations and oversees a variety of technology initiatives in collaboration with OSU Wexner Medical Center IT, the Office of Chief Information Officer (OCIO) and the Office of Human Resources IT. Tom has over 30 years of IT experience in various industries (i.e. Health Care, Consulting, Manufacturing, Retail and Distribution) with specialties in leading Applications Development, Project Management Office (PMO’s), Mergers and Acquisitions and Business Partner teams. Tom came to us from Cardinal Health where he worked for 15 years in varying leadership roles. Tom has a Bachelor of Business degree in Computer Systems in Business and Business Statistics from Ohio University. Tom also serves on two boards within Ohio University’s College of Business, is an adjunct professor with OSU’s Fisher College of Business and serves as an OSU Staff Senator.

Susan Meyer is Director of Marketing, Communications and Customer Service. She has been with the Health Plan for eight years, and she is responsible for all print and electronic communications, social and digital media, and the OSU Health Plan Concierge Service. Prior to arriving at the Health Plan, Susan worked at WOSU Public Media for 10 years. She graduated from Wittenberg University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and The Ohio State University with a Master’s degree and a Ph.D. in English (American Literature).

Stefanie has been with the OSU Health Plan since 2013. She serves on OSU’s One University Health and Wellness Council that develops, assesses, plans, implements and analyzes outcomes of the comprehensive wellness strategic plan focusing on Ohio State’s population health initiatives. Prior to joining the OSU Health Plan, Stefanie served as Sequent, Inc.’s Director of Business Development & Professional Relations within the Professional Practice Group. In addition, Stefanie was the Administrator of Knightsbridge Surgery Center where she was responsible for completing the build, design, occupancy, and operations of the multi-specialty center. As a RN clinician, Stefanie also brings a strong background in nursing and healthcare management to her position at the OSU Health Plan. While at Riverside Methodist Hospitals and OhioHealth, she served as a Critical Care Nurse, Critical Care Fellowship Manager, Trauma Unit Nurse Manager, Clinical Program Manager for Inpatient and Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation for the Riverside Methodist Hospital and Grant Medical Center campuses, Product Manager for OhioHealth’s Radiology & Imaging Services, and Regional Director of Radiology & Imaging Services which included operational responsibilities for Riverside, Grant, and four ambulatory locations. Stefanie holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Nursing from The Ohio State University and maintains active licensure in the state of Ohio.

Greg Wilson is the Director, Pharmacy Benefit Services/Data Analytics for the OSU Health Plan. He has worked for over 20 years in the area of pharmacy and pharmacy benefit management. His prior experience has included work in the private sector for several pharmacy benefit management organizations and public sector for the State of Ohio and State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio.

Katie Heitz is the Director of Business Development for the OSU Health Plan. She is responsible for leading external growth initiatives across key business segments such as Rx Ohio Collaborative (RxOC), Ohio PPO Connect (OPPOC), Care Management, Wellness, and Network Solutions. Partnering with internal and external stakeholders, Katie has a history of successfully navigating complex industry challenges to develop innovative solutions for employers. Her previous experience includes roles in insurance, employee benefits, and health administration, providing her a comprehensive understanding of the intricate healthcare landscape. Katie’s most recent role was leading Strategy and Business Development at The Christ Hospital Health Network in Cincinnati, Ohio. She holds a Master of Health Services Administration degree from Xavier University as well as an Ohio Life and Health insurance license.

Jodie Leister serves as the Director of the Employee Assistance Program and Behavioral Health having been a part of the OSU Health Plan team since 2015. She has been a practicing behavioral health provider in Central Ohio since 2006. In her role she leverages her 17 years of experience in the healthcare industry, specializing in Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), Clinical Counseling, and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM).

Her responsibilities as Director of EAP and Behavioral Health at The OSU Health Plan include strategic program development and oversight, evaluating network provider issues, and addressing member needs, and monitoring data and demographic trends to enhance the value of EAP offerings. Helping to ensure the well-being of all Buckeyes. With a track record of exceptional service in program development, and quality improvement, Jodie’s skills in team-collaboration, workflow delegation, and relationship building underscore her as valuable asset for any organization aiming for sustained growth and excellence. Demonstrating a love for developing others, Jodie is a sought-after resource for mentorship, consultation, crisis response, and workshops/lectures concerning organizational and staff development.

Beyond her role at the OSU Health Plan her contributions and impact to the field of Mental Health can be found in her partnership with The National Counsel of Behavioral Health and Mental Health America of Ohio as a Trainer in Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) and active participation with the Ohio State Suicide Prevention Program (OSUSPP).

She currently resides in central Ohio with her family and is an active member of her community. 

Wendy Hamilton is the Business Operations and Compliance Director for The Ohio State University Health Plan. Wendy has responsibility for Business Operations and Compliance as well as providing strategy and execution support for all growth and continuous improvement programs and initiatives. Wendy joined the OSU Health Plan in May 2022 most recently from Cardinal Health where she spent 10 years leading their Clinical Innovations and Insights function. In this role, Wendy and her team were responsible for developing and delivering strategically differentiated clinical data services to Cardinal Health’s external client base which included Acute and Non-Acute Health systems and Integrated Delivery Networks.

Wendy began her career at Fiserv, an American multinational company headquartered in Brookfield, Wisconsin that provides financial technology services to clients across the financial services sector. During her twenty-two-year tenure Wendy served in a variety of leadership capacities including Customer Operations, Sales & Account Management, Product Development, Enterprise Program Management and Business Transformation. Wendy was serving as VP, Client Strategy and Group Operations when she made the decision in 2012 to leave Fiserv to transition to healthcare. A change driven by a true passion to give back to the industry and community that worked so tirelessly to serve her family and save her son, who was born perfectly healthy but experienced a stroke at 6 months old, that threatened his life.

Wendy obtained her Executive Management Certification from The Ohio State University Fischer College of Business. She is also PMP certified through the Project Management Institute and has obtained her Greenbelt certification in Six Sigma Statistical Excellence.

Wendy is an active member of the American Heart Association and National Eating Disorders Association. Two causes that are extremely near and dear to her heart. She lives in Delaware, Ohio with her husband Ken and her two children Kennedy and Kayden.