Diane Ligman
Healthcare Data Leader with over 20 years of experience, motivated by real-world challenges.
About me
Strategic healthcare and technology executive with over 20 years of experience in payer-provider partnerships, value-based care design, analytics, product strategy, and enterprise implementation. Proven leader in aligning operational initiatives with data-informed decisions, managing multimillion-dollar client relationships, and driving scalable product and service delivery in SaaS and digital health. Fellow of the American College of Health Data Management with expertise in EHR/EMR integration, care model innovation, and strategic consulting
My Skills
Healthcare Strategy and Value-Based Care
Expert in designing and executing strategic initiatives that align clinical, financial, and operational goals through value-based care models, bundled payments, and payer-provider integration.
Product and Implementation Leadership
Led end-to-end product lifecycle management and large-scale implementations across enterprise healthcare and SaaS environments, ensuring on-time delivery, stakeholder alignment, and adoption.
Data Analytics and Insights
Skilled in transforming complex healthcare data into actionable insights using SQL, Python, Tableau, and Power BI to support cost modeling, predictive analytics, and regulatory reporting.
Cross-Functional Team Collaboration
Skilled in transforming complex healthcare data into actionable insights using SQL, Python, Tableau, and Power BI to support cost modeling, predictive analytics, and regulatory reporting.
Work Experience
Polus Consulting Solutions
Founder / Present
As founder of Polus Consulting Solutions, I partner with healthcare and technology organizations to lead transformation initiatives that span strategy, analytics, and operations. My work includes:
Designing scalable onboarding and implementation frameworks
Advising on payer-provider models and value-based care alignment
Building health data strategies to support regulatory compliance and strategic growth
Delivering custom analytics dashboards and performance frameworks using SQL, Tableau, Power BI, and Python
Enlace (formerly Aver)
Vice President, Network Strategy Manager (2018 – 2021)
Across multiple leadership roles, I helped expand Enlace's bundled payment and value-based care offerings while strengthening client delivery.
Vice President, Provider Strategy & Market Development (Vice President, Provider Solutions), 2021
· Partnered with an international distribution channel to design and launch a provider-facing market entry strategy, including technical and operational infrastructure
· Acted as client-facing solutions consultant on sales calls, translating provider needs into platform capabilities and delivery models
· Co-led internal and external efforts to architect the supporting data and analytics platform, aligning product features with market expectations
· Created sales enablement materials and strategic pitch decks to support partner-led growth initiatives and solution positioning
Manager, Network Strategy & Analytics Design, 2018 - 2020
· Built prototype analytics models that served as blueprints for engineering, directly influencing product development and delivery
· Designed 11 new episodes of care by gathering business requirements and collaborating with clinical and payer stakeholders
· Led client-facing strategy sessions, managed implementation projects, and collaborated with clients on contract structure and reimbursement presentations to their partners.
· Improved turnaround time for multiple client initiatives by up to two months through process redesign and service alignment
· Collaborated across clinical, technical, and business teams to enhance product functionality and delivery consistency
Nuna
Director of Product Strategy, Principal Data Researcher, Solutions Lead / 2021-2024
At Nuna, I played strategic roles driving product development, data research, and enterprise implementation. I:
Strategic Solutions Architect (Principal Data Researcher), 2023 - 2024
· Led persona research to inform a comprehensive product restructure, aligning new development with user behavior, clinical needs, and health plan expectations.
· Defined the core requirements and functional specifications for a new product build, serving as the cross-functional subject matter expert across the product, engineering, and delivery teams.
· Developed and implemented a comprehensive end-to-end QA plan tailored to a customized enterprise client solution
· Developed internal and external training materials, which included a self-service educational library to support onboarding and adoption.
· Acted as a strategic connector between departments, ensuring alignment across implementation, operations, product design, and account management.
Senior Product Strategist (Director of Product Strategy), 2022 - 2023
· Developed Nuna’s first comprehensive 2-year product roadmap, integrating both contractual obligations and long-term product vision
· Partnered with at-risk clients to identify systemic product issues, build tailored resolution plans, and restore account health
· Served as a cross-functional SME, supporting design, delivery, and operations teams across data structure, QA design, and user workflows
· Collaborated with engineering and analytics to design scalable data flows and QA validation checkpoints across the platform
· Advised internal stakeholders on aligning product development with market needs, client feedback, and regulatory context
· Partnered with actuarial and engineering to overhauled data integration process design, improving delivery time by 122% and cutting 4 FTE from the process.
Client Solutions Strategist (Solutions Lead), 2021 - 2022
· Successfully turned around a high-risk $76M client within 3 months by renegotiating the delivery timeline and simplifying the implementation approach for both internal and external teams
· Redefined and streamlined a 3-year client roadmap to align expectations, reduce friction, and improve collaboration across stakeholder groups
· Wrote comprehensive business requirements and established build priorities for feature delivery, ensuring alignment with client goals and internal capabilities
· Collaborated on year-over-year analytics platform design, influencing product direction and improving user-facing insights
· Supported QA planning, testing, and refinement cycles for client-specific features, ensuring high-quality delivery across iterative builds
IBM Watson Health (Explorys)
Product Owner, Delivery Manager, Senior Project Manager (2015 – 2018)
At IBM, I led high-impact delivery efforts and product innovation for Watson Health. Highlights include:
Product Owner – Platform Integration & Data Strategy, 2018
· Consolidated product development tickets and requirements across multiple acquired companies within the Watson Health pillar to build an integrated platform roadmap
· Served as product SME across departments to guide design, integration, and delivery decisions during company-wide platform unification
· Partnered with engineering to design foundational data architecture supporting the merging of multiple legacy platforms into a cohesive provider solution
· Supported Sales by scoping product features, timelines, and resource needs for clients receiving customized or bespoke solutions
Manager, Product Delivery & Integration Strategy, 2017 - 2018
· Led a team of 14 across delivery operations supporting a portfolio of enterprise healthcare clients with over $200M in revenue
· Served as a senior escalation point for client concerns, facilitating resolutions and realignment across products and services.
· Oversaw departmental budgeting, resource planning, and operational reporting
· Initiated and drove the creation of standardized delivery playbooks and documentation to ensure consistent client engagement across teams
· Partnered with newly acquired companies to integrate delivery functions, unify internal practices, and align cross-departmental workflows
Senior Project Manager – Enterprise Implementation & VBC Strategy, 2015 - 2017
· Managed and expanded a key enterprise client account that generated over $27M in referral revenue, becoming a primary growth driver
· Delivered a four-month pilot project on time despite a two-month data delay, directly resulting in the signing of a long-term enterprise contract
· Acted as a consultant to payer and provider clients on value-based care (VBC) strategy, helping optimize contract structure and negotiation
· Served as a subject matter expert across internal teams, advising on project planning, scope definition, and client communication
Cleveland Clinic
Pricing Strategy & Project Lead (2014 – 2015)
As part of the Clinic’s strategic pricing team, I developed:
· Built payment and reimbursement models for direct-to-employer, direct-to-embassy, and direct-to-fellowship offerings
· Evaluated and executed pricing strategies to align chargemaster, care pillar costs, and payer contracts across specialties
· Partnered with business development and sales teams to create new care delivery channels and pricing structures
· Conducted contract optimization analyses and identified areas for improved financial performance and negotiation leverage
· Developed ROI models and reporting for internal initiatives to guide investment and reimbursement planning
Additional Experience:
Medical Mutual of Ohio
Cigna Healthcare
Certificates
Fellow of American College of Healthcare Data Management
Certifications
Education
MBA - Focus in Data Analytics
Ohio University / 2017
BS - Business Administration - Finance
University of Colorado at Boulder / 2009
Capabilities & Specializations
Technical Skills
SQL, Python, Tableau, Power BI, Excel, Snowflake, Salesforce, Jira, Smartsheets, Click-up, RWD/RWE Analysis, Data Modeling, Claims Analysis, A/B Testing, Dashboard Design, Epic, Cerner, Allscripts, Athena
Soft Skills
Cross-Functional Leadership, Strategic Communication, Stakeholder Engagement, Team Mentorship, Operational Strategy, Technical Translation, Policy Interpretation, Data-Driven Decision Making
Expertise Areas
Healthcare Strategy, Product Development, Client Services, Value-Based Care, Analytics Consulting, Payer-Provider Integration, Regulatory Compliance, EHR/EMR Integration, Interoperability, Implementation Leadership, Financial Modeling