Michelle Coon

By Kitty Lindsay

Michelle Coon prides herself on wearing multiple hats professionally. As president of Vandalia Health Network and vice president of managed care for Vandalia Health, her responsibilities cover everything from fostering connections between providers and the communities they serve to leading payer contracting and reimbursement strategy.

These dual roles not only work to ensure the delivery of coordinated and financially sustainable health care to care recipients but also provide long-term viability and competitive positioning for the health system. Focusing on population health in the Mountain State is a mission Coon takes seriously. 

“I love this state and have been here my whole life. The people we help are my neighbors. I see them at the store, in our schools and at church,” says Coon. “I’m thankful my career has given me a chance to serve them.”

A native West Virginian, Coon began her health care career as a receptionist at a health insurance company and learned firsthand the challenges rural communities face.

“Expanding access to preventative screenings is vital for early detection, but addressing social drivers of health is just as important,” says Coon. “A person’s ZIP code often predicts their health outcomes more accurately than their genetic code. Diabetes, for example, isn’t always about personal choice. It can stem from limited access to healthy foods, cooking knowledge or transportation to care. Tackling these real-life issues takes a village, but by building strong partnerships, we can make a difference for our neighbors.”

In addition to partnering with West Virginia Health Right, the American Cancer Society and the United Way to realize her community-focused vision, Vandalia Health—under Coon’s leadership—has launched a mobile fleet that brings screening services like mammography and low-dose lung computed tomography scans to rural areas, improving access to care which in turn leads to early identification.

What’s more, Vandalia Health’s Food as Medicine initiatives like FARMacy, a diabetes education program, and Healthy Neighborhood, a food assistance program, have produced measurable results in the populations they support, including a marked decrease in A1C and BMI among care recipients. 

According to Coon, these initiatives reflect her—and by extension, Vandalia’s— commitment to improving health outcomes and building stronger, healthier communities through partnership.

“Relationships matter. I am a relationship person, and today in the role I have, I am working daily with folks I worked with when I was in the insurance industry,” says Coon. “Now, we are working collaboratively for their members and our patients to ensure they have the resources needed to hopefully improve their health outcomes.”

Coon also stresses the importance of helping everyday folks connect the dots between managing their critical health needs and navigating the often complicated systems of care.

“Health care is a very confusing world, even for folks who work in it every day. So, in collaborating with our community partners, we can help our members in their local community by connecting them to resources,” says Coon. “We do not have to do it all. With all of us working together, keeping the patient in the center, it is a lighter load for all.”

For Coon, much of her professional success comes down to the joy of working with others and learning every day and her enduring admiration for the Mountain State and its people.

“West Virginia is home. My family is here, and I truly love this state,” says Coon. “What makes it special is the people. West Virginians care deeply about our neighbors and communities.”