Leadership Profiles

Karen S. Kyle, RN, formed her company because she knew she could do utilization review better. Better than what she had seen during her years at other companies. Better than what customers expected. And better than what was required by law. Karen parlayed her passion for doing things right into building a better utilization review company, and UniMed Direct was born.

“My parents used to say, ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself,’” Karen said, “and today I am proud to have built a company on that ideal. At UniMed, we are doing things the right way.”

Karen is a registered nurse by trade but has spent the majority of her career supporting managed care operations in clinical and insurance settings. She was an early inventor of return-to-work programs in a hospital setting and subsequently managed large scale utilization review and case management operations. She has vast experience in managing effective teams in building compliant processes and outstanding customer satisfaction.

Co-owner Lisa G. Hannusch shares a similar passion, with a focus on leadership and technology. Lisa has always loved the medical field and has spent her career in a variety of roles, from her introduction to the clinical world as an EMT through her current role pioneering regulatory and technology areas within managed care. Lisa dedicated herself to helping reform the Texas workers' comp medical system and later moved into the insurance world where she created model medical management and claims technology processes.

Lisa is known as an innovator focused on compliance and efficiency. Her detailed knowledge has made her a frequently requested consultant and expert witness.

Her success is noted in a letter of commendation from Louis Freeh, FBI Director, after conviction of a medical provider in the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association's Investigation of the Year. FBI Director Freeh states that Lisa's role was “crucial in imparting her extensive knowledge and guidance about health care billing and subsequently proved to be an outstanding witness using her expertise to withstand exhaustive cross-examination by multiple defense attorneys.”

Partnership

Karen and Lisa's visions for better medical management came together as co-CEOs to build UniMed Direct into an excellent choice for insurance carriers and employers who want top tier medical review services.

“When you start with sound values and principles, it’s a lot easier to make the important decisions you have to make,” Lisa offers, “Whenever we face a tough situation, we go back to the passion that drives us, and we find our answer.”

Together with their team of dedicated professionals, Lisa and Karen have carefully crafted their company mission, vision and values. In addition to fundamental themes like integrity and customer service, UniMed Direct committed itself to a vision that reaches much further. Values like “mastery” and “passion” set UniMed Direct apart, and we encourage our customers, vendors and other stakeholders to take a moment to review our summary of these philosophies.