Archelle Georgiou

Archelle Georgiou Speaker Biography

Dr. Archelle Georgiou is an experienced director, advisor, speaker, and author – who also happens to be a physician. But colleagues think of her as a lightning rod for change. Between 1995 and 2007, she was a senior executive and the Chief Medical Officer of UnitedHealthcare where she dismantled the company’s “mother may I” policies that hassled patients and physicians. Launching this disruptive strategy fueled an industry sea change and consequently, launched Archelle into public and policy spotlights.

From 2008-2010, Archelle served as a senior fellow in the Center for Health Transformation, a bipartisan think-tank established by former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. In 2008, Archelle also launched Georgiou Consulting – a business platform she uses to coordinate a portfolio of relationships, clients, and projects that ultimately improve health and the healthcare system. By 2014, Archelle’s work and impact were recognized by the business community and she received the Champion Award among Minnesota Business Healthcare Leaders for being “an individual who has focused their efforts to elevate the profile/status of the state’s health care industry.” Over the last eleven years, she has worked as a strategic advisor to a diverse group of companies that range from education to analytics and financial services to mining. Her untraditional client base reflects a belief that fresh ideas will come from companies outside the fortress of healthcare and diffuse into the system through cross-industry collaboration. In addition to maintaining an active client base, Archelle is adjunct faculty at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and also serves as an Executive in Residence and Industry Advisor for the school’s Medical Industry Leadership Institute. The strategy: infuse a culture of patient-centric care into the thinking of future industry leaders. She has also served on the Board of Directors of private, public and non-profit companies. In 2019, she was appointed to the Board of CaringBridge, a safe and secure communication and support platform for individuals experiencing a health event.

One of Archelle’s greatest passions is using the media to educate consumers. Since 2007, she has been an on-air medical expert and covered more than 1200 different topics: from research, technology and clinical care to health insurance and healthcare policy. The underlying no-nonsense message to viewers in every segment is “doctors and patients are on an equal playing field…so use your voice and advocate for yourself.” Currently, she has a weekly news segment on KSTP, the ABC affiliate in the Twin Cities. As an innovator on consumerism and health reform, she has been asked to speak at the White House, the World Bank and the Surgeon Generals of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. She has also appeared on FOX Business Network, CNN, Good Morning America, and Katie’s Take with Katie Couric.

Drawing on 20+ years of experience in patient care, managed care, media, and business, Archelle developed the CARES℠ Model, a five-step approach that consumers can use to make healthcare decisions that balance the best medical care with their personal, professional, social, and economic preferences. In February 2017, she published her first book, “Health Care Choices: 5 Steps to Getting the Medical Care You Want and Need” (Rowman & Littlefield).

Archelle’s diverse experiences mean she sees healthcare through multiple lenses: as a physician, insurance insider, consumer advocate, and journalist. As a public speaker, she is invited to offer thought-provoking insights to a wide range of audiences: entrepreneurs, investors, business executives, clinicians, and, of course, consumers.

Dr. Georgiou graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and was board-certified in Internal Medicine before pivoting her career to managed care. She lives in Wayzata, Minnesota and is head over heels about husband, three girls, and diva-like dog, Isabella.