Amy Shin is a seasoned healthcare executive with thirty years of experience in the private and public sectors and a passionate advocate for equitable healthcare, especially for vulnerable populations. She is the Chief Mission Officer for WelbeHealth, a high-quality, hyper-growth PACE organization ensuring life and healthcare with dignity for frail seniors.

Prior to WelbeHealth, she was the Chief Executive Officer of Health Plan of San Joaquin, where she oversaw health care delivery for underserved areas of California, insuring 350,000 residents. Amy has deep Medicare, Medicaid, dual-eligible, long-term care, and commercial health care experiences in managed care settings. She enjoys strategic planning, improving operational efficiencies, transforming data into information, and innovating to advance comprehensive quality care.  
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What first sparked your interest in working in healthcare?

As immigrants who did not have proficiency in English, my parents cobbled together several manual labor jobs to provide for our family. This meant that we did not have access to healthcare other than occasional visits to the free clinic to get vaccinations for school. I didn’t realize this until I was informed of the availability of student health when I started my undergraduate schooling at UC Berkeley.

The lack of care weighed on my mind when my mother became very ill and knowingly avoided treatment for fear of costs. So, I feel like it was my destiny to pursue a career in healthcare. I’ve been very mindful of choosing roles that support the underserved, marginalized, and/or those who experience health disparities.

You’ve spent many years in leadership positions at nonprofits, both as an executive and a board member. How has the experience you’ve gained in both types of roles influenced your current approach to driving impact within these organizations?

Throughout my career, I strengthened skill sets that I had affinities for – strategic planning, fiduciary mindset, clarity of governance, and quality as the highest focus of any operations. I found the best way to extend my contribution to improved health quality and equity was to put these skills to use through board service. My many years in not-for-profit, where funds are often very limited, helped me develop a creative, solutions-focused mindset when planning fiscally responsible stretch strategies and goals at the board level. I’ve also recognized the importance of an “it takes a village” approach to driving impact, which guides my leadership style whether I’m a board member or executive.

WelbeHealth focuses on improving care for seniors. What trend or innovation within our industry do you think can make the biggest difference for senior care in the near future?

WelbeHealth provides Program of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) throughout California with operations to begin in other states next year. PACE provides comprehensive care for frail elders (those needing a nursing home level of care) as a provider and a payor, which includes all traditional healthcare coverage that a Medicare Advantage plan would provide (with the caveat the PACE operates its own primary care clinic, employing all clinic staff including physicians) and all the long term support services such as transportation, rehabilitation, meals, home care, and more.

Our country’s long-term care services are disjointed and are very limited geographically. Add that coordinating care is difficult enough when you’re young and healthy, let alone when needing nursing home level of care. PACE is the undisputed premier care model for frail seniors, and expanding its access can make a huge impact on senior care.

Personally or professionally, what might the WBL network be surprised to know about you?

I’m an avid traveler. In 2024 alone, I was able to visit Chile, Nepal, Bhutan, and Mexico City. I got to see both the Andes and the Himalayas in the same year!