New Medicaid leadership program is taking shape
New Medicaid leadership program is taking shape
Helping Medicaid directors to pursue innovation, while delivering higher-quality, more cost-effective health care services: this is the goal of a new Medicaid leadership program launched by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Six Medicaid directors, from California, New Mexico, Washington, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Colorado, have been chosen to participate in the inaugural class of the Medicaid Leadership Institute, a 12-month program to be run by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) in Hamilton, NJ. The curriculum will focus on broad macroeconomic and political issues, data and analytical topics, and leadership and organizational development.
"I am thrilled to be part of the inaugural class. Some of us are very seasoned Medicaid directors, while others are brand new to Medicaid," says Carolyn Ingram, New Mexico's Medicaid director.
"As a Medicaid director, you are juggling balls every day and trying to keep things in the air. Sometimes changing a big program like Medicaid on a dime is a challenge. This is an opportunity for us to work through some big policy issues and get the technical assistance we need to implement change," says Ms. Ingram.
Initiative helps 'weak bench'
Ms. Ingram adds that the initiative will help to solve the problem of the "weak bench" that many state Medicaid programs currently have, and help to "build up that bench nationally."
"People don't tend to go into Medicaid as a career choice, and it is so complex. We don't have a lot of folks to turn to in our state who can pick up the ball and start running with it to come up with new ideas and initiatives," says Ms. Ingram.
In New Mexico, more than 500,000 people are enrolled in Medicaid, out of a population of 1.9 million. "Medicaid is one of the biggest players in health care," says Ms. Ingram. "We want to be on the forefront of making decisions and effecting change, especially with health care reform on the horizon."
Leadership required
Toby Douglas , chief deputy director of the California Department of Health Care Services and the state's Medi-Cal director, says as director of a program serving 7 million Californians with a budget of more than $40 billion, he feels "it's incumbent on myself to continue to build my leadership skills and be a more effective manager of the program, to be an effective change agent in implementing the interventions we want to do."
Medicaid directors, as a group, are "continuing to address and tackle very tough problems and having to implement very tough decisions," says Mr. Douglas.
Mr. Douglas says that he wants good strategies for Medi-Cal's small population of chronically ill adults and children. "I would like to better coordinate systems of care to improve outcomes and reduce costs over time," he says. Another possible area of focus for Medi-Cal is the financing of the state's nursing facilities, and how to incorporate measures of quality and invest in facilities to improve quality of service while utilizing a pay-for-performance methodology.
Carol Steckel, MPH, Commissioner of Alabama's Medicaid Agency, sees the initiative as an invaluable opportunity not only to fine-tune her own management skills, but also a chance to bring the resources of CHCS and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Alabama Medicaid.
"These are some of the most challenging times Medicaid has ever experienced," says Ms. Steckel. "We need all the resources we can muster, to not only survive but to continue to innovate and improve the provision of vital services to the Medicaid recipients of our state."
SoonerCare ideas
Oklahoma's Medicaid director, Lynn Mitchell, MD, says she hopes to be able to take some ideas from her state's SoonerCare program and gather input on them from other leaders in Medicaid. "I hope they will help me explore the feasibility of these ideas, and potential for operability to enhance the quality services delivered to our members as well as the ability to do that in an efficient and cost-appropriate manner for our providers," says Dr. Mitchell.
Dr. Mitchell adds that she hopes to explore a project relating to comparative effectiveness research. "Having these resources and knowledge leaders available to address and consult on issues all Medicaid programs deal with, such as health disparities, rate methodologies, and appropriate utilization of care management, will be at the top of my wish list," says Dr. Mitchell.
Health care in general, and Medicaid specifically, is at a juncture of "great opportunity that currently is coupled with issues of uncertainty" says Dr. Mitchell. "The more we position ourselves with knowledge and resources, the greater the likelihood that we will be poised to make good decisions in the months to come," she says.
Contact Mr. Douglas at [email protected], Dr. Mitchell at (405) 522-7365 or [email protected], and Ms. Steckel at (334) 242-5600 or [email protected].
Helping Medicaid directors to pursue innovation, while delivering higher-quality, more cost-effective health care services: this is the goal of a new Medicaid leadership program launched by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.Subscribe Now for Access
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