Regina Bergh was placed as the vice president of finance for Sanford Health Plan in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. With $4.2 billion in annual net operating revenues, Sanford Health System is the largest rural, not-for-profit healthcare system in the nation, including 43 hospitals, 45 long-term care facilities, 250 clinic locations, and 1,433 physicians in more than 80 subspecialty areas of medicine, with a presence in 132 communities in nine states, as well as international sites in Ghana, China, and Germany. It is also the largest employer in the Dakotas, served by more than 27,000 employees. Sanford Health Plan is a community-based, non-profit health insurance organization that was formed by Sanford Health in 1998, offering product lines for individuals, families, and businesses in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. The health plan’s network encompasses 18,000 providers, and covers more than 180,000 lives. In her role, Regina oversees financial accounting and reporting for the health plan companies. She works closely with the president to continually assess and evaluate trends in healthcare reform and other economic changes in the healthcare environment, in order to set the short-term and long-term strategic direction of the health plan. Regina is also responsible for the role of the controller of the organization, as well as the daily operations of the organization, including such areas as actuarial services, underwriting, and enrollment and billing. She has accountability for budget planning and analysis, and for the realization of results that are consistent with the budget.
Before joining Sanford, Regina served as the chief financial officer of Upper Peninsula Health Plan in Marquette, Michigan, an HMO owned by 13 hospitals, with over 47,000 Medicaid and Medicare members and annual revenues of over $280 million. In this capacity, she successfully negotiated capitated payment arrangements to transfer financial risk to behavioral health and long-term support agencies; implemented procedures to enhance member risk scores; implemented “Connected Communities for Health,” a resource database to respond to the socioeconomic needs of UPHP members; and successfully executed the Healthy Michigan Medicaid Expansion program and MI Health Link Dual Demonstration Project for her organization. Regina also led the Value-Based Purchasing Committee, resulting in additional Patient Centered Medical Homes in the Upper Peninsula, further integration of behavioral health and physical health services, incentives for providers to connect to the Health Insurance Exchange, and the provision of pay-for-performance for certain initiatives. She served on the Executive Leadership Council for the formation of a clinically integrated network under Lifepoint Health, one of UPHP’s owner hospitals, and played an integral part in the construction of a new, $12 million office building.
Previously, Regina served as the controller for DLP Marquette General Hospital and DLP Marquette General Physician Practices, LLC; as the vice president of finance and director of finance for Marquette General Hospital; and as the assistant controller for Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad Company. She began her career as a manager in a CPA firm, performing and managing audits in a broad range of industries.
Regina is originally from Marquette, Michigan. She earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and computer information systems from Northern Michigan University, and is a member of the American Association of Certified Public Accountants and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Regina has two grown children; outside of work, she enjoys playing tennis, running, and biking.
QLK’s Roger Quick, Jake Barto, and Jamie Cassedy led the search to recruit Regina to Sanford Health Plan, where her duties began on March 27, 2017.
