Explores the importance of member experience advisory councils, and how implementing these groups can help programs streamline operations, foster inclusivity and equality, and promote perspectives that can improve Medicaid for community members.

The post How Do Members Experience Medicaid? appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Offers insight into atypical cross-sector partnerships that offer great potential to align for better outcomes, such as state budget offices and legislators.

The post Aligning for the Good of Medicaid Members appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

This episode explores the complexities of rethinking policies created during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

The post Unwinding Pandemic-Era Medicaid Policies Requires Teamwork appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

This episode explores how Medicaid leaders can use the recent spotlight on home- and community-based services to drive improvements in care and delivery.

The post Big Stakes in Home- and Community-Based Services appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Medicaid, like nearly every other sector, is facing staff burnout following two-plus years of the pandemic. Recruiting Medicaid staff, however, presents unique challenges since it can be highly technical work. This new episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast explores the inner workings of Medicaid’s workforce recovery and the opportunity to build a more diverse,... Read more »

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Medicaid leaders explore what a commitment to equity means for Medicaid and how to put it into action.

The post Medicaid’s Ongoing Equity Commitment appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Three Medicaid leaders discuss the behavioral health needs of children and opportunities for Medicaid to better support those needs.

The post Meeting the Behavioral Health Needs of Children appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Three former Medicaid directors explore what they would prioritize now and into the future when the public health emergency unwinds — and where blind spots may lie.

The post Leading Medicaid Out of Emergency and Into Its Future appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Critical conversations about health equity can be productive when there is a shared and agreed-upon language amongst Medicaid agencies. In this episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, Tekisha Everette, executive director, Health Equity Solutions, Lisa Lee, commissioner, at the Kentucky Department of Medicaid Services, and Jim Jones, Medicaid Director, at the Wisconsin Department of... Read more »

The post Talking about Anti-Racism and Health Equity: A Conversation with Tekisha Everette, Jim Jones, and Lisa Lee appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

The past year has seen many sectors of health care increasingly pursue diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts as health equity become a more prominent topic. In this episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, Ivory Banks, chief of staff at the Department of Medical Assistance Services, Commonwealth of Virginia, and Marlia Mattke, assistant administrator at... Read more »

The post Implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Efforts to Better Support Staff of Color appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Effective data measurement is critical for Medicaid programs seeking to advance health equity and better understand different experiences of populations served by the program. In this episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, Ben Shaffer, Medicaid Director at the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and Kelly Cunningham, Interim Medicaid Administrator at... Read more »

The post Using Data to Empower Medicaid to Support Health Equity appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

The COVID-19 pandemic, ensuing recession, and amplification of issues related to health equity have forced state Medicaid agencies to evaluate their budgets and investments to better serve Medicaid enrollees. In this episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, Tracy Johnson, Medicaid director at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and Caprice Knapp,... Read more »

The post Building Health Equity into Medicaid Budgeting appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

People who live in rural areas often experience health disparities caused by barriers to health care, such as lack of transportation, a shortage of providers, and closures of rural hospitals. In this episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, Michelle Probert, director at the Office of MaineCare Services, and Stephanie Stephens, associate commissioner of the... Read more »

The post Addressing Barriers to Care for Rural Medicaid Enrollees in Maine and Texas appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

As COVID-19 vaccines become broadly available in the U.S., state Medicaid leaders face ongoing challenges around equitable vaccine distribution and access for Medicaid enrollees, particularly for individuals from historically marginalized communities. In this episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, Lynnette Rhodes, executive director of medical assistance plans at the Georgia Department of Community Health,... Read more »

The post Vaccine Equity Strategies: Perspectives from Georgia and West Virginia appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

As you continue to lead through the crisis from home, it is necessary to develop some new routines. One of the best ways to adapt to your new professional setting is to make time for your own development. In this episode of Quick-Takes for Medicaid Leaders Amid COVID-19, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert,... Read more »

The post Developing While Working Remotely appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, most of us remain sheltered at home. Many people are becoming fatigued by the loss of boundaries between work and personal time — especially as summer is often a time to recharge. In this episode of Quick-Takes for Medicaid Leaders Amid COVID-19, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert,... Read more »

The post Dealing with Extended Sheltering During COVID-19 appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

An effective leader needs to know how to enlist others to achieve goals, but this can be a new challenge when everyone is working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode of Quick-Takes for Medicaid Leaders Amid COVID-19, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert, and Hilary Kennedy, program director for Medicaid leadership at the... Read more »

The post Enlisting Others to Achieve Goals appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Once past coping with immediate needs during difficult times, Medicaid leaders must be able to pivot to develop strategies that can guide the organizational response in the coming months. In this episode of Quick-Takes for Medicaid Leaders Amid COVID-19, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert, and Hilary Kennedy, program director for Medicaid leadership... Read more »

The post Pivoting to Strategy During COVID-19 and Beyond appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

To ensure all levels of an organization have a leadership vision, Medicaid leaders must be able to provide coherence to those around them. In this episode of Quick-Takes for Medicaid Leaders Amid COVID-19, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert, and Hilary Kennedy, program director for Medicaid leadership at the National Association of Medicaid Directors, discuss... Read more »

The post Using Vision as Coherence During Unsettling Times appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

The COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainties, and the racial injustices left unaddressed for generations have led to the volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment we are all working within today. In this episode of Quick-Takes for Medicaid Leaders Amid COVID-19, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert, and Hilary Kennedy, program director for Medicaid leadership at the... Read more »

The post Addressing VUCA as a Leader appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Underperformance in any situation is a complex and challenging issue for leaders to address whether working in-person or virtually. In this episode, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert, speaks with Hilary Kennedy, program director for Medicaid leadership at the National Association of Medicaid Directors, about tips to address employee underperformance while working virtually... Read more »

The post Addressing Employee Underperformance appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

One of the greatest challenges for those in leadership roles is learning how to influence without formal authority. In this episode of Quick-Takes for Medicaid Leaders Amid COVID-19, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert speaks with Hilary Kennedy, program director for Medicaid leadership at the National Association of Medicaid Directors, about how state leaders can... Read more »

The post Using Emotional Intelligence to Influence appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Working remotely during COVID-19 can make relationship building a challenge. In this episode of Quick-Takes for Medicaid Leaders Amid COVID-19, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert, speaks with Hilary Kennedy, program director for Medicaid leadership at the National Association of Medicaid Directors, about opportunities for state leaders to create and foster relationships virtually. View accompanying... Read more »

The post Building and Using Relationships During COVID-19 appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Delegating projects or tasks during a pandemic means doing so virtually, which creates obstacles that would not be there if it were in person. In this episode of Quick-Takes for Medicaid Leaders Amid COVID-19, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert, speaks with Hilary Kennedy, program director for Medicaid leadership at the National Association of Medicaid... Read more »

The post Delegating While Working Remotely appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

With COVID-19 forcing organizations to work from home to flatten the curve, developing others has become a challenge. In this episode, Ed O’Neil, PhD, MPA, a leadership development expert speaks with Hilary Kennedy, program director for Medicaid leadership at the National Association of Medicaid Directors about strategies Medicaid leaders can use to continue developing their... Read more »

The post Developing Others When No One is Around appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

The heartbreaking statistics on maternal and infant mortality have motivated Medicaid and public health agencies across the country to partner in developing strategies that increase the likelihood of healthy outcomes before, during, and following birth. In this Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, staff from New Jersey, Ohio, and Virginia Medicaid, and the Association of State and... Read more »

The post Moving the Needle on Maternal and Infant Mortality: A Conversation with New Jersey, Ohio, and Virginia appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Medicaid programs serve millions of Americans across the country. One important component of serving consumers well is ensuring that they have a voice in program design and operations. In this Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, MaryAnne Lindeblad, BSN, MPH, Washington State Medicaid director, and Tracy Johnson, PhD, Colorado Medicaid director, discuss the strategies and challenges they... Read more »

The post Creating Meaningful Consumer Engagement in Medicaid: Perspectives from Colorado and Washington State appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Holding a leadership role in a Medicaid agency means that the days are busy and often pulled in multiple directions. In this dynamic environment, it can be challenging to find the time to focus on staff, their bandwidth, and their understanding of the agency’s vision. Making a commitment to staff morale and finding time for... Read more »

The post Staying on Mission in Wisconsin Medicaid: Strategies for Engaging Staff appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Medicaid often represents one of the largest portions of a state budget and is a critical resource for individuals and families when state economies are struggling. With growing speculation about the timing of the next recession, planning for financial sustainability is on the minds of many Medicaid leaders. In this Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, Connecticut’s... Read more »

The post Ensuring Strategic Program Sustainability in Medicaid appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Nearly all children in foster care are eligible for Medicaid. Building strong relationships between state Medicaid and child welfare agencies can help ensure that the needs of children and families in the child welfare system are met. In this Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, West Virginia Medicaid director Cindy Beane and Kentucky Medicaid director Carol Steckel... Read more »

The post Developing Cross-Agency Collaboration to Better Serve Children in Foster Care appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

It’s been a long time since Medicaid agencies simply paid claims for services delivered. In many states, Medicaid is a key driver of broader delivery system and payment reforms, and often works in partnership with other agencies to innovate the way states address social determinants of health and gaps in health equity. Join Gretchen Hammer,... Read more »

The post Facilitating Cross-Agency Collaboration Involving Medicaid appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

A highly-functioning executive team is an invaluable asset to a Medicaid director. But highly-functioning teams don’t just happen by magic. It takes effort and a conscious commitment to identify the right mix of skills, expertise, responsibilities, and personalities. Join Gretchen Hammer, MPH, former Colorado Medicaid director and senior strategic advisor for the National Association of... Read more »

The post Developing Medicaid Agency Executive Teams appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

Medicaid is an ever-evolving terrain, requiring program leaders to adapt, while simultaneously maintaining predictability for agency staff. One way to walk that tightrope is to build authentic relationships, establishing trust internally and externally. Join this conversation with Gretchen Hammer, former Colorado Medicaid director and senior strategic advisor for the National Association of Medicaid Directors, and... Read more »

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