Leading like a shepherd: Coreen Dicus-Johnson leverages her Marquette-nurtured communication skills and sense of mission to put people first in healthcare

Coreen Dicus-Johnson wanted to be the next Barbara Walters.

That ambition carried her from a childhood in Las Vegas to Marquette's Diederich College of Communication - the only school she applied to, sight unseen. Her parents had talked about college but were too busy with a large family to walk her through the process. The financial aid forms, the applications, the logistics of becoming one of the very few in her family to earn a degree - she figured it out herself.

At Marquette, she found mentors who shaped both the leader and the person she would become. One of her favorite professors, Dick Leonard, who also served during his career as editor of The Milwaukee Journal, said to her once that "there is always a job for the best," and that standard has defined her career. While journalism wasn't where her passion ultimately stayed, the communication skills she built shaped everything that followed.

At DePaul University College of Law, and later as an attorney at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin, she discovered that her formidable advocacy skills belonged in healthcare - a complex system that too often neglects the very people it's built to serve. The ability to listen, translate, and persuade became the through line of a career spent making that system more humane.

Today, as CEO of Network Health, the insurance arm of Wisconsin's Froedtert ThedaCare healthcare system, Dicus-Johnson, Comm '93, leads from beside people with a sense of empathy. As the oldest of 11 children, she learned early what it meant to offer support. "When we'd split chores as children, I always said, 'I will help you.'"

That instinct continues to shape her work. "My dream is to have my members go through the healthcare journey and say, 'They thought of everything, so I don't have to,'" she says.

A key aspect of your approach to healthcare is equal access for all. Why is that so important to you?

It's very personal. When I was still a lawyer, in the middle of a trial, my mother was rushed to the hospital for hernia surgery and died. My parents couldn't afford health insurance. They made too much for Medicaid but not enough to buy coverage. When I went through my mother's medical records, every provider had written "indigent." It made me wonder: Are you looking at her as a patient, or as someone who couldn't pay? Did that affect the care she received?

Your loss happened while you were still practicing healthcare law. What drew you to the business side of the industry?

As a young lawyer sitting on [insurance] appeals committees, one of the biggest problems I wanted to solve was how to bring compassion to this work. My calling was, and is, to help those who are disenfranchised, better access and understand the healthcare system.

That led me to Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - a not-for-profit, Catholic healthcare system. My initial job as vice president of payer contracting was to ensure that our contract rates would support Wheaton's mission to provide care to all who came to our system, regardless of ability to pay. That work refined my mission to make healthcare accessible.

You've emphasized transparency and clarity in your leadership at Network Health. How did your journalism education shape your understanding of effective communication?

My journalism courses taught me how to take something complicated and simplify it. The Diederich College gave me the skills to determine what's important and write at an inclusive level. As a lawyer and healthcare leader, I've relied on these skills to manage relationships, address controversy and support people through difficult times. Today, I'm known as a direct communicator because I value clear expectations, transparency and compassionate dialogue.

During your senior year at Marquette, you were married and navigating a high-risk pregnancy while finishing your degree. How did that shape your understanding of what people need from their leaders?

That was a very scary time. I was this woman who thought she could do anything, and suddenly I was pregnant and on required bedrest. It created real humility in me and taught me what it means to meet people where they are. I was able to arrange for exams at different times so I didn't have to drop out and could have a healthy baby.

I understand that people need to be cared for the way Marquette cared for me. People want to rise to the occasion. Helping them know they're not alone is what's life changing.

You've described yourself as a servant leader. What does that look like in practice?

I believe there are two ways to get people to a certain destination: the wrangler and the shepherd. Wranglers hoot and holler. You get to the destination, but think about the animals - their hearts are probably racing! A shepherd is someone you want to follow. I think of a shepherd like Jesus. I try to develop people's knowledge, skills and ability, so they don't need me to succeed, but they know I am still working beside them.

You've stayed deeply connected to Marquette. What keeps you tied to the community?

"Be the Difference" means a lot to me. When I was in school, I had no family nearby and Marquette became my family. My daughter, who I was pregnant with my senior year, is a double Marquette alum - undergrad and dental school. She now lives nearby with her husband and 14-month-old daughter. Marquette shaped both of our lives.