Meghan Correia, Highlighted By Influential Women, Designs Human-Centered Healthcare Experiences Rooted In Deep Empathy

BELLINGHAM, MA, UNITED STATES, October 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Senior Lead UX Designer at Optum Brings Together Art, Behavioral Psychology, and Collaborative Design to Simplify Technology for Healthcare Professionals and Patients

Bellingham, Massachusetts – Meghan Correia is a Senior Lead UX Designer at Optum who specializes in healthcare and life sciences, with a particular focus on medical device design and human-centered digital experiences. She combines training in art with an understanding of behavioral psychology, placing usability, accessibility, and meaningful user interactions at the center of her work. Her strengths include collaboration and team building, simplifying complex information and designs, and applying behavioral psychology to user experience so that tools are intuitive for both healthcare professionals and patients.

Meghan’s career has followed a path of steady discovery. She began in interior design, moved into graphic design, and then found her way to UX. Her experiences helping family members navigate the healthcare system played a key role in that shift, inspiring her to design tools that improve how people interact with technology and care environments. That personal connection continues to inform the empathy she brings to every project. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art with a minor in Behavioral Psychology from Framingham State University and later completed UX Design training through General Assembly. She has also earned certifications in Leading and Managing Successful UX Teams and in Generative AI UX Design.

One of the projects that reflects her impact took place at Dräger, where she contributed to the design of a transport patient monitor that supports continuous patient data flow. The device is now used in hospitals around the world, helping clinical teams keep track of patient information as patients move between care settings. For Meghan, the project shows how thoughtful design can support clinicians in demanding moments and, in turn, support the patients they care for.

Meghan attributes her success to persistence, determination, and strong soft skills, especially empathy and active listening. She has learned the value of knowing when to step back, stay quiet, and notice what people leave unsaid. Her genuine interest in people’s experiences and perspectives helps her build connections and offer meaningful support. She also makes a point of celebrating the successes of others, understanding their struggles, and approaching every conversation with curiosity and compassion. These qualities make her an effective collaborator on teams where designers, engineers, clinicians, and business partners must work closely together. In healthcare design, where the people using a product may be under pressure or managing a difficult diagnosis, that kind of attentive listening helps uncover needs that might otherwise be missed. Meghan sees it as one of the most important tools a designer can bring to the table, alongside research and testing.

Her advice to young women entering UX design is to stay open to unexpected opportunities. She notes that the path a person starts on may change, and that this is perfectly fine. Education and early goals matter, but they do not define an entire career. She encourages young women to see changes in direction as growth rather than failure, to stay curious and adaptable, to treat people with kindness and respect, and to make thoughtful choices. Her own move from interior design to UX is a clear example of how varied experience can lead to meaningful work.

Meghan believes the biggest challenge and opportunity in her field is demonstrating the real value of UX design. Much of the work happens behind the scenes, and many people assume it is limited to visual design. In reality, it involves research, problem-solving, collaboration, and repeated iteration. She sees an opportunity to keep educating others about how thoughtful design can change the way people interact with technology and with the world around them, especially in healthcare, where clarity and ease of use can make a real difference.

Her outlook is shaped by resilience. She believes disappointment is temporary while the strength gained from it lasts, and she encourages others to treat setbacks as lessons rather than final verdicts and to keep moving forward. Empathy, curiosity, kindness, respect, and adaptability run through the way she works and the way she leads. Those values also guide how she supports her colleagues, encouraging a team culture in which ideas are shared openly, and each person’s contribution is recognized.

Meghan also gives her time to her local community. She serves on the board of the Bellingham Business Association, which supports scholarships for local high school students and programs that benefit the Senior Center. She is involved with the IxDF and the UXPA Boston Chapter, and she advocates for thoughtful, research-driven design that connects technology, healthcare, and human needs. Outside of work, she is currently learning Korean.

Through her design work, her community service, and her commitment to listening first, Meghan Correia continues to show how empathy and careful design can make healthcare technology clearer, more accessible, and more human for the people who depend on it.

Learn More about Meghan Correia:

Through her Influential Women profile: https://influentialwomen.com/connect/meghan-correia

Influential Women

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