Deborah Donovan serves as the Vice President of Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) Strategy & Operations for Highmark Health, a $21 billion national, blended health organization that includes one of America’s largest Blue Cross Blue Shield insurers and a growing regional hospital and physician network. Based in Pittsburgh, Pa., Highmark Health’s 37,000 employees serve millions of customers nationwide through the nonprofit organization’s affiliated businesses including Highmark Inc., Allegheny Health Network, HM Insurance Group, United Concordia Dental, HM Health Solutions and Helion.
Her responsibilities include the development of an enterprise SDOH strategy and the implementation framework designed to create social and physical environments that promote good health for all. Highmark Health’s focus is on the confluence of medical and non-medical drivers of poor health outcomes – with a primary goal to identify and effectively address barriers to health.
Ms. Donovan currently serves on the Executive Steering Committee and Co-Chair of the Strategic Advisory Committee for The Gravity Project, a national organization focused on the development of consensus-driven structured data standards to support use and exchange of social determinants of health data within the health care sector and between the health care sector and other sectors.
Prior to joining Highmark, Ms. Donovan was the Chief Quality Officer for a multi-hospital health system in southwestern Pennsylvania. She has more than 30 years of healthcare experience, with a focus on health care quality improvement, patient safety and health information management.
Ms. Donovan received her Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management from the University of Pittsburgh and her Master of Arts in Leadership and Liberal Studies from Duquesne University.
Current Professional Affiliations:
• Northside Christian Health Center – FQHC
• The Gravity Project: Member, Executive Steering Committee and Co-Chair Strategic Advisory Committee

Thought Leadership Topics:
Social Determinants of Health
• Improving health and well-being by improving the conditions in which members and patients are live, work and play. These conditions include housing and financial stability, nutrition, transportation, environmental conditions, safety and health literacy.
• Strengthening partnerships between the medical system, community-based organizations and government to positively influence health and well-being.
Health Information Management
• Developing a standardized assessment used during the collection of SDOH data for members and patients.
• Utilizing digital tools to break down social barriers and bridge gaps in health equity.
• Analyzing data derived from digital tools to continue to adapt and better serve members and patients.