NASHP Expands State Health Policy Expertise with New Academy Members

WASHINGTON, March 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) today announced 19 new members will join its prestigious Academy of state health policy leaders and the establishment of a new steering committee to focus on child and family health. The new Academy members bring representation from 10 additional states (Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Vermont) and include three Medicaid Directors, two Health and Human Services Secretaries, and one state legislator. Ten of the new members represent states with Republican governors, with the remaining nine representing states with Democratic governors.

"I am delighted to welcome such a strong group of new Academy members, and look forward to serving with each of them in the coming year as we work to support states in the development of new policies and programs, sharing best practices, and strengthening partnerships across state agencies and branches of government," said Jane Beyer, Chair of the NASHP Academy's Executive Committee and Senior Health Policy Advisor, Office of the Washington State Insurance Commissioner.

Academy members serve three-year terms with no term limits. In total, there are 62 Academy members representing 34 states, the District of Columbia, and every region of the country. NASHP's work is guided by the Academy's executive committee and four steering committees focused on developing state policy strategies in the following areas:

• Behavioral Health, Aging, and Disability: Systems of care for older adults and people with complex care or behavioral health needs, including substance use disorders, behavioral health systems, and behavioral health integration.
• Child and Family Health: Maternal and child health (MCH) systems, payment and delivery reform; children and youth with special needs; maternal and women's health; and MCH benefits and coverage.
• Coverage, Cost, and Value: Coverage across populations and payers; state employee health plans; prescription drug costs; hospital and health system costs and hospital community benefit investments; and payment and delivery reform.
• Population and Public Health: COVID-19 response and mitigation, immunizations, public health modernization, state approaches to addressing health equity, addressing social determinants of health, and oral health.

"We're excited to expand our Academy with new members who bring diverse expertise and insight to our work," said Hemi Tewarson, NASHP's Executive Director. "We have worked diligently to ensure the Academy represents a variety of experts from across the country, across the field of state health policy, and both the legislative and executive branches."

The new Academy members are:

Behavioral Health, Aging, and Disability Steering Committee

• Allen Brenzel, Medical Director, Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities
• Annie Ramniceanu, Systems Director, Department of Corrections, Addictions and Mental Health, Vermont
• Dave Richard, Deputy Secretary for North Carolina Medicaid

Child and Family Health Steering Committee

• Hannah Bonsu, Treatment and Recovery Division Manager, South Carolina Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services
• Jeffrey Brosco, Director of Title V CYSHCN program and Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Pediatrics, University of Miami
• Nicole Comeaux, Director, Medical Assistance Division, New Mexico Department of Human Services
• Lisa Lee, Commissioner, Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services
• Shin-Yi Lin, Policy Officer, New Jersey Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services
• Edie Mayeshiro, Medical Assistance Program Officer, Policy and Program Development Office, Hawaii Department of Human Services
• Shirley Payne, Assistant Commissioner, Indiana Public Health Protection Commission
• Wendy Tiegreen, Director, Office of Medicaid Coordination and System Innovation, Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities
• Charlene Wong, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families at North Carolina Dept of Health and Human Services; Executive Director, NC Integrated Care for Kids Model, Duke University

Cost, Coverage, and Value Steering Committee

• Cindy Gillespie, Secretary, Arkansas Department of Human Services
• Adam Meier, Director, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
• Shabnam Salih, Director, New Jersey Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency

Population and Public Health Steering Committee

• Karrah Herring, Chief Equity, Inclusion & Opportunity Officer, Governor Eric Holcomb's Administration, Indiana
• Caprice Knapp, Director, North Dakota Human Services' Medical Services Division
• Joseline Peña-Melnyk, Maryland State Delegate
• Ian Yaffe, Director, Office of Population Health Equity, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention

See a complete list of Academy members: https://www.nashp.org/academy-members/

For over 35 years, NASHP has been a nonpartisan organization of, by, and for state policymakers, committed to developing and advancing health policy innovations and solutions. NASHP provides a unique forum for the productive exchange of strategies across state government, including the legislative and executive branches.

SOURCE National Academy for State Health Policy