James Mele Connects His Career and His Passion at MetroPlus Health

James Mele recalls an often-told story about President John F. Kennedy’s visit to NASA headquarters in 1962. The story goes that the president saw a custodian on the premises and introduced himself. He asked the custodian what he did at NASA, and the custodian allegedly replied, “I’m helping to put a man on the moon!”

That was a man who understood his own personal contribution to the greater mission at hand. As VP of core systems operations at MetroPlusHealth, Mele may not be operating on patients, but he has a hand in saving lives.

Since 1985, MetroPlusHealth has built a reputation for providing access to affordable, quality healthcare for the people in New York City, particularly those who may not have the financial stability to pay for their treatment. The challenge of MetroPlusHealth’s mission is what drew Mele to the organization in the first place.

“I found from an early age that I really enjoyed helping others and contributing to something bigger than myself,” Mele says. “There is the paycheck, but what about the purpose? I found healthcare the most fulfilling industry because I’m contributing to patients meeting their healthcare needs. And there’s a second purpose I’ve found in helping others with their career development.”

Mele is working on a multiyear transformation program that is transitioning from core process claim systems, as well as medical management systems. These legacy systems have been online for nearly three decades, and the fifty-some other additional impacted systems that have been integrated over the years are all in the mix.

But for the VP, this massive transformation is only technical in the literal sense. It’s an enterprise transformation in real-time.

“The entire business is changing,” Mele says. “Processes are changing this outcome, and this is going to help with employees being upskilled. They’re going to learn new things, new systems, new technologies. We’re going to improve the outcomes for our members, for our providers, and our employees.”

At the same time, a proof-of-concept project was launched late in 2023 with Intuition Robotics’s ElliQ AI. The device acts as a virtual care partner for homebound individuals with chronic care needs. They may not have the family or support system to regularly check in with, and ElliQ is able to engage with patients on a variety of levels. It can remind patients to take their medication, suggest food that aligns with a consistent diet, call family and friends, play games, tell jokes, and help with the loneliness that can accompany homebound life.

“Through this device, we’re looking to measure improved health outcomes for our members,” Mele says. “You have to be careful that AI doesn’t just get treated like the latest fad, and we’ve been both embracing the changes that are coming while still keeping necessary checks and balances.”

Mele says he seeks out opportunities to be transformative. But that doesn’t come at the expense of backing up that transformation with data-driven decision-making. And that certainly doesn’t mean focusing on technology instead of people.

Whether it’s a byproduct of his devout Catholic faith, his long-established desire to help others, or something else entirely, Mele advocates for the betterment of those around him. His guidance is not meant as a primer, but the result of mentoring, investing in his own career development, and finding ways to help his own teams grow and flourish.

“My advice is always to have an entrepreneurial approach to everything that you do, because you are the CEO of you,” Mele says. “There’s a task and then there’s the purpose. If you can align what you’re doing with that purpose, that strengthens your drive. People will notice, I promise.”

It doesn’t matter if someone is an intern or an executive, the VP says. If that person takes the time to invest in their own career growth, it’s going to pay off. It may not be the way they envisioned, but by sticking to their north star, whatever that may be, it will find a way to align with their values and their purpose.

“Finally, you can’t lose sight of what else is important in your life,” Mele says. “For me, it’s my faith, my family, and my community. Always leave that time out for yourself. It’s what makes you who you are.”

Mele is at MetroPlusHealth because he knows the organization is willing to take on the complex health challenges its members are facing and work with them to improve their health outcomes. Mele helping residents of New York City live better, healthier lives and get access to critical and life-saving medical care.