Rosemount Resident Named UCare's Quality Management Director

UCare has hired Russell Sinkler as the organization’s Quality Management Director. Sinkler previously was Director, Client Management, with OptumInsight(formerly known as Ingenix) in Eden Prairie.

In his new position at UCare, Sinkler leads the development, implementation, evaluation, and reporting of UCare’s clinical quality improvement efforts in collaboration with UCare’s clinical services leaders. He steers and evaluates UCare’s member-focused clinical quality improvement efforts, and oversees the analysis of key customer and clinical ratings and health plan performance reports. Sinkler also ensures that UCare’s clinical quality performance meets or exceeds requirements of regulatory agencies.

Sinkler reports to Russel Kuzel, M.D., M.M.M., UCare’s Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.

Sinkler has more than 25 years of experience in quality oversight, customer service, process improvement, and strategic planning and technology advances. Prior to his client management position at OptumInsight, Sinkler spent several years as principal and executive consultant with The Clarity Group, which helped business and government groups manage and improve their strategies, processes, and performance. He also worked with Wilson Learning Corporation in Minneapolis, Minn., as Regional Vice President, National Account Sales, and Herrick Douglass Consulting in St. Paul as Vice President of Telecom & Call Center Markets. Sinkler also spent a decade in strategic and process improvement positions at US West Communications, Inc., in Minnesota and Colorado, after serving as the first civilian Director of Emergency Communications for the City of Minneapolis.

“Russ brings a rich set of management skills and experience to UCare, along with a proven ability to align people and quality processes with business strategies,” said Dr. Kuzel. “High-quality health care for our Minnesota Health Care Program and Medicare members is paramount to UCare. We look forward to Russ’ leadership as we expand and refine our innovative quality activities and work to improve the health of our more than 235,000 members in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.”

Sinkler has also been an adjunct instructor in the MBA Program at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., since 2007. He holds an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Global Business and Culture from the University of Denver. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an Associate of Arts degree from the William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, Ill.

Sinkler and his family live in Rosemount, Minn.

About UCare

UCare (www.ucare.org) is an independent, nonprofit health plan providing health care and administrative services to more than 235,000 members. UCare partners with health care providers, counties, and community organizations to create and deliver innovative health coverage products for:

• Individuals and families enrolled in income-based Minnesota Health Care Programs, such as MinnesotaCare and Prepaid Medical Assistance Program.
• Adults with disabilities and Medicare beneficiaries with chronic health conditions.
• Minnesotans dually eligible for Medical Assistance and Medicare.
• Medicare-eligible individuals throughout Minnesota and in western Wisconsin.

UCare addresses health care disparities and care access issues through its UCare Fund grants and a broad array of community initiatives. The health plan received Top 100 Workplace honors in 2010 and 2011 from the Star Tribune.