All:

It is with great pleasure that I announce the appointment of the Department of Health Care Finance’s (DHCF) next Medicaid Director, Melisa Byrd. Melisa, as you no doubt recall, is a former employee of DHCF, arriving in 2008, just prior to when the agency was extricated from the Department of Health and formed as the entity responsible for the management of the District’s public health care insurance program.

Melisa joined the agency after having served in the Office of the Secretary for the Louisiana Department of Health and earlier as a health policy analyst for the National Governors’ Association. Upon joining DHCF in 2008, as the Public Provider Liaison, Melisa worked in all areas of Medicaid and Alliance policy, gaining special knowledge of every broad policy area of those programs, all while mastering the District’s budget and regulatory process.

Almost three years after working in this role, I asked Melisa to consider serving as my chief of staff. Melisa accepted this role and became a major force in helping turn the fortunes of this agency. Displaying an abundant and historical knowledge of the District’s Medicaid and Alliance programs, remarkable analytical skills, sound judgment, a unique understanding of DHCF’s sometimes challenging agency rhythms, and top flight administrative skills that evinced her years of public governance experience, Melisa was a quiet, but unquestioned, force in the evolution of DHCF. I simply have never known a more conscientious, transparent, and responsible administrator

By accepting this role, Melisa returns to DHCF from the private sector. In her return, she will find a more mature agency, but one that greatly needs her respectful and steady hand of leadership in managing the many challenges that attend to the often-vexing problems of public health insurance programs for low-income residents and persons with disabilities. In addition, she will be expected to directly address the difficult task of ensuring that the talented staff under her stewardship work in a coordinated and collaborative fashion to advance the policies of DHCF in a fully transparent manner. While, I am especially proud of the talent level at DHCF, on the issue of internal transparency, staff collaboration, and effective project management, we have much progress to make.

Melisa will assume the role of Medicaid Director on October 22, 2018. In the interim between now and then, Angelique Martin will continue to expertly serve as acting Medicaid director. When Melisa arrives on October 22, she will be imbued with the full authority to establish program operating priorities, and guide the activities of her staff, while providing them with a vital nexus to the planning and focus of DHCF’s Executive Management Team.

I have no doubt that Melisa will emerge as one the most capable Medicaid Directors in the country. On her behalf, allow me to say that she very much looks forward to working with each of you. If you would like to personally reach out and welcome Melisa to her new role, she can be reached at MelisaByrd@yahoo.com.

 

 

Wayne Turnage

Director

Department of Health Care Finance

202-821-9673 – cell

202-442-5995 – office