KHI NEWS SERVICE
TOPEKA, April 13 – Andrew Allison has been named permanent director of the Kansas Medical Assistance (Medicaid and HealthWave) Program and Christiane Swartz will serve as its deputy director.
“Kansas Medicaid and HealthWave programs have seen significant challenges in the past year, and as we rise up to meet them, it requires effective leadership,” said Marcia Nielsen, executive director of the Kansas Health Policy Authority, which oversees the assistance program. “Taken together, Andy and Christiane”s vast knowledge and experience with Medicaid will prove to be helpful as they address issues, such as the enrollment process, outreach efforts, resource needs and payment reforms, for these vital programs.”
Allison, Topeka, has been deputy director of the health policy authority since December 2005.
He has also been acting director of Kansas Medical Assistance Program since October 2006.
Prior to joining the health policy authority, Allison spent six years at the Kansas Health Institute as a researcher and director of health care finance and organization.
From 1992 to 1995, he worked as a budget analyst for the Medicaid program at the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C. He earned a bachelor”s degree in history from Ouachita Baptist University, a master”s in public policy from Duke University and completed his doctorate in economics at Vanderbilt University.
Swartz, Topeka, currently directs the health policy authority”s Medicaid Operations Division. Now, she will also serve as the deputy director of the assistance program.
Swartz has held various management positions in the public and private sectors. At the health policy authority she recently oversaw the Medicaid managed care transition while also managing multi-million dollar contracts and directing implementation of various federal mandates and new policy initiatives. Swartz earned her bachelor”s and master”s degrees in liberal arts from the Universite d”Aix-en-Provence, France.