Ghita Worcester

Ghita Worcester is Executive Vice President, Public Affairs and Chief Growth Officer at UCare, an independent, nonprofit health plan providing health coverage and services to more than 630,000 members in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. Ghita brings more than 40 years of health care management experience to her role. She provides strategic direction for government and provider relations, product management and business development, marketing, public relations, member experience, legislative and community outreach activities. Ghita also leads the organization’s federal and state health care reform efforts and policy formulation related to national and state health policy issues. She is instrumental in the development and implementation of UCare’s strategic plans.

Prior to UCare, Ghita served as Director of Policy and Operations for Minneapolis-based University Affiliated Family Physicians (UAFP), which founded UCare in 1984. She directed development of new HMO products and policies and helped develop and implement HMO strategic and operational plans. Before that, Ghita worked for 13 years in a community-based family medicine residency program operated by the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. 

Ghita has significant legislative and public policy experience at both the state and federal level and serves as a national expert and speaker on Medicaid, Medicare, and Special Needs dual eligible programs. In 2015, she received the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Women in Business Award, and in 2018 was named a Woman of Courage by the Women’s Health Leadership TRUST.

Ghita’s extensive community involvement includes serving on the Children’s Defense Fund Advisory Board, Portico Healthnet Board and Minnesota Council of Health Plans Board; participating on the MNsure Health Industry Advisory Committee and Minnesota Community Measurement Finance Committee; and co-chairing the Minnesota Council of Health Plans Policy and Health Reform Committee.