Dr. Imelda Dacones, the Washington market president for Optum, never imagined she'd pursue leadership roles in health care.
The youngest of nine children, she'd been interested in STEM since she was a child, after immigrating to the U.S. from the Philippines, first living in Hawaii and then Los Angeles.
In high school, she set her sights on gaining admission to the University of Chicago because, "I wanted to cure diabetes," she said.
That's where she stayed for her undergraduate studies, medical…
