Kate Masino, MBA, Video Interview | 2025 Emerging Leaders in Healthcare

Kate Masino, MBA, is a vice president and market executive at Highmark Health, a national health and wellness organization serving nearly 50 million Americans. As one of this year’s Managing Healthcare Executive Emerging Leaders in Healthcare, she recently sat down with us to discuss a turning point in her career, what she would change about U.S. healthcare and her personal goal for this year.

Masino’s career turning point occurred while watching her chronically ill, aging parents navigate the traditional fee-for-service care model. She said that their fragmented access to care and lack of a designated care coordinator made them rely on urgent care and emergency departments.

“It made me realize there was a critical need for stronger provider partnerships, more efficient care management systems and a shift toward value-based care,” Masino said in her video interview. “This strengthened my resolve to develop innovative solutions that empower providers to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care and be incentivized to effectively manage patients’ health. It also shaped my current focus on building collaborative relationships and driving transformative change within the healthcare industry.”

Masino wishes she could reengineer how providers manage their populations so that patients are not lost in the shuffle, which she said requires a proactive, coordinated approach. She also said that patient outcomes can be improved if providers are empowered with the right resources and tools.

This year, Masino plans to get better at mahjong, which she recently learned how to do. She also plans to read more—specifically, a book a week. She believes these activities help keep her focused, motivated and balanced professionally.