Q&A with Dee Yocum, Treasurer of OAHP Board of Directors

Ohio’s healthcare landscape is shaped by the people who lead its health plans, and OAHP is pleased to keep introducing you to them. This time, our president and CEO, Kelly O’Reilly, is joined by OAHP Board Treasurer Dee Yocum, who also serves as COO, Ohio Market, at CareSource. In their conversation, Dee reflects on why collaboration across health plans matters to her, the community-focused work at CareSource she’s most excited about and, outside the office, the passion she brings to everything from the Buckeyes to a soccer-loving household. 

Kelly O’Reilly: Why is the association important to you, and why have you volunteered to help lead it as board treasurer?

Dee Yocum:

The association is important to me because it brings together health plans around a shared commitment to improving healthcare for Ohioans. It gives us an opportunity to come together on the issues that affect the broader healthcare system, and to share perspectives and work collaboratively with our members, policymakers, providers, regulators and community partners.

I volunteered to serve in a leadership role, including as board treasurer, because I believe it’s important to contribute beyond my own organization and help strengthen the industry as a whole. It also lets me bring a strategic perspective to the board while helping ensure the association stays well positioned to advance its mission. For me, it’s about giving back, building strong partnerships, and helping shape solutions that ultimately improve access, quality and outcomes for the people and communities we serve.

Kelly O’Reilly: What are you excited that CareSource is doing right now?

Dee Yocum:

What excites me most about CareSource right now is that we meet the immediate healthcare needs in front of us while also creating solutions that can have a lasting impact on the health of the people and communities we serve.

We recognize that health is influenced by so much more than what happens in a doctor’s office. Our work in areas such as housing is a great example. Without safe, stable housing, it’s incredibly difficult for individuals and families to focus on their health. Through investments and partnerships, we’re helping address those broader barriers and create stronger foundations for healthier communities.

I’m equally excited about the collaborative partnerships we’ve built across Ohio. We know we can’t solve complex challenges alone. Our relationships with community organizations, providers, health systems, food banks, schools and other local partners let us bring together different perspectives and resources to develop solutions that are meaningful to each community. These partners provide the local knowledge, trust and connections that allow us to reach people in ways a health plan cannot do alone. When we combine that community expertise with CareSource’s resources, data, innovation and mission, we have an opportunity to create solutions that are both impactful today and sustainable for the future.

Innovation is also an important part of who we are. We’re constantly asking not only, “How do we solve the problem in front of us?” but also, “What’s coming next, and how can we prepare for it?” That mindset allows us to be proactive, test new approaches, and look for opportunities to improve how we serve our members.

Kelly O’Reilly: What do you love about your job — and what’s something readers would be surprised to learn about you?

Dee Yocum:

Anyone who knows me knows I bring a lot of passion to the things I care about. I’m an avid Ohio State fan and follow the Buckeyes passionately, and we’re also very much a soccer family. I have two sons — one recently graduated from Capital University and the other is attending The Ohio State University — so there’s always a game, or a friendly rivalry, to follow in our house.

That same passion carries into my work at CareSource. I love being part of an organization where what we do has a meaningful impact on people and communities. I lead with passion and strategic vision, always looking beyond the challenge in front of us to where we need to go next and how we can make a greater difference.

Whether it’s my family, my teams, or the communities we serve, I believe in showing up, being fully invested, and working together toward something bigger. I feel incredibly fortunate to do work I care deeply about, alongside people who share that same commitment — and to have a family that keeps me grounded, cheering, and enjoying every moment along the way.