In addition to our fun facts about new staff story each month, we also feature our long-time co-workers. This month we’re featuring:
Minette Vaccariello, Product Manager – Digital Enterprises Team
How did you get into the industry?
After receiving my masters in product development from CMU, I started working for a design firm in Pittsburgh. There my focus was on working with materials companies like Alcoa with their new market strategies. Through this work, I leveraged design-thinking and user research to understand stakeholders needs and challenges, translating them into new opportunities, and creative ways that Alcoa could evolve their products. When an opportunity came up for an Experience Design Manager at UPMC Health Plan’s Consumer Innovation team, it was those same design and research skill sets that I was able to reapply, to focus on the member experience, and inform the technology strategy of our member-facing products. The four years I spent with the Consumer Innovation team lead me to a design strategy position at UPMC Enterprises (then the TDC).
How long have you been working at UPMCE?
I started at UPMC Enterprises in the fall of 2014 (when it was still the Technology Development Center – TDC) when I joined the Design Strategy team.
What’s changed the most since you started here?
When I started working at UPMCE, many of the projects I worked on were mainly focused on internal UPMC problems. Since then, we’ve have grown our network and engagement with outside hospitals to better understand what challenges they experience. This has allowed us to think more broadly about challenges in the health care market and to ensure that the companies we invest in and the products we develop address not only the internal needs of UPMC but other hospitals as well.
Thinking about your work, what is the funniest thing you used to use tech-wise that you don’t use anymore?
I studied mechanical engineering as an undergrad. For exams, I used to use a TI 89 “advanced” graphing calculator. My 5-year-old plays with it now and pretends it’s a phone.
As technology has evolved throughout the years, what stands out to you the most?
The importance of human interaction.
What’s your favorite part about working here?
My favorite part of working at UPMCE has been the exposure I’ve had to clinicians and learning more about the challenges they experience within health care. I have met some amazing people who are doing incredible work and it inspires me to continue to work on hard problems that can help improve their jobs.
Do you have an unusual talent or hobby?
I play the accordion.
Share any fun fact:
I was in a Bee Gees cover band called the Bee Gentles. My husband played guitar and I played the accordion. We played mostly the early songs (pre-disco) with one disco hit exception.
