Nevada Medicaid Administrator Selected for Leadership Institute

CARSON CITY — Suzanne Bierman, administrator of the Nevada Division of Health Care Financing and Policy, has been announced as one of six state-level directors chosen to participate in the Medicaid Leadership Institute, a national initiative directed by the Center for Health Care Strategies and made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The program offers an opportunity for Medicaid directors nationwide to develop the skills needed to successfully lead and improve their state programs and impact health outcomes. During the 10-month-long program, fellows will gain skills in key areas, including fostering delivery system innovation, leading effective multi-sector collaboration, engaging key stakeholders, communicating the impact of their programs, and developing leaders of the future.

“Suzanne has dedicated her professional career to improving health care and has a wealth of knowledge on the Medicaid program,” said Richard Whitley, director of the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. “She has shown a commitment to public health and this opportunity will be valuable as she serves our state.”

Bierman was competitively selected to participate in the leadership development program along with Medicaid directors from Maine, Ohio, Oregon, Tennessee, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“I am honored to be chosen to participate in the Medicaid Leadership Institute and I look forward to working with my colleagues to better support our state programs,” said Bierman. “Nevada Medicaid provides coverage for about 20% of Nevadans and more than half of all births. This institute is a chance to learn valuable skills to support our clients.”

“Medicaid directors oversee the delivery of vital health care services for nearly a quarter of the U.S. population, including individuals who are most vulnerable to social and economic factors that negatively impact health,” said Donald Schwarz, senior vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Our investment in leadership development of these state officials helps promote innovative thinking to strengthen health equity, person-centered care, and cross-sector collaboration, all fundamental components of building a culture of health.”

This class is the ninth group of directors chosen for the Medicaid Leadership Institute since 2009, and with this class, 53 directors in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands will have participated in the program. It is directed by Mark Larson, senior vice president at CHCS, former Medicaid director, and class of 2014 MLI Fellow.

“Medicaid directors are uniquely positioned to drive positive change across our health care systems,” said Larson. “We are excited to support this year’s class of six dedicated Medicaid leaders in their efforts to maximize the quality and impact of state programs that are so critical to the well-being of millions of people in America.”

“The National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) has been honored to partner with MLI since 2009 to invest in state leaders who are integral to the health of the nation,” says Kate McEvoy, NAMD Board president; director of the Division of Health Services at the Connecticut Department of Social Services, and class of 2016 MLI Fellow. “Many of those in NAMD leadership roles, myself included, are MLI alumni and tremendously value both the spot-on skills development as well as the enduring relationships fostered through MLI. We look forward to working with this next class of Fellows.”

For more information about the Medicaid Leadership Institute, visit www.chcs.org/medicaid-leadership.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
For more than 45 years the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has worked to improve health and health care. The Foundation works alongside others to build a national culture of health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org.
About the Center for Health Care Strategies

The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is a nonprofit policy center dedicated to improving the health of low-income Americans. It works with state and federal agencies, health plans, providers, and community-based organizations to develop innovative programs that better serve beneficiaries of publicly financed care, especially those with complex, high‐cost needs. Learn more at www.chcs.org.