Dr. Charissa Fotinos appointed state Medicaid director

Washington State Health Care Authority sent this bulletin at 05/16/2022 02:37 PM PDT

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News release

For immediate release

May 16, 2022

Dr. Charissa Fotinos appointed state Medicaid director

OLYMPIA – After a nationwide search, Health Care Authority (HCA) Director Sue Birch has selected Dr. Charissa Fotinos as the new state Medicaid director. Dr. Fotinos will also continue to serve as HCA behavioral health medical director, the position she held previously.

State Medicaid directors oversee Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which are programs governed by federal rules but administered by and tailored to the needs of each state.

Dr. Fotinos has been the interim state Medicaid director since August 2021.

“Charissa is uniquely positioned for this new position, with her years of clinical, public health, and leadership experience,” Birch said. “Over the past year in the interim role, Charissa has demonstrated how much she cares about offering high-quality, accessible health care coverage to the more than 2 million Apple Health (Medicaid) clients in Washington. Combining the state Medicaid director role with the behavioral health medical director will help our ongoing efforts to ensure integrated, whole-person health care coverage that treats both body and mind.”

Dr. Fotinos is a family doctor specializing in addiction medicine. She previously served as chief medical officer for Public Health-Seattle & King County and served as a physician faculty member at the Providence Family Medicine Residency Program.

HCA and partners have many major Medicaid-related initiatives under way that Dr. Fotinos will help lead, including:

Redetermining Medicaid eligibility after the public health emergency ends and supporting individuals in a seamless transition to other coverage as needed.
Two health care procurement efforts: our Medicaid managed care contracts and standing up a new health care product for those who are uninsured.
Renewing and enhancing our Medicaid Transformation Project.

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Media contact

Amy Blondin, Chief Communications Officer
360-688-0131 (cell)

About the Health Care Authority (HCA)

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) is committed to whole-person care, integrating physical health and behavioral health services for better results and healthier residents.

HCA purchases health care for more than 2.5 million Washington residents through Apple Health (Medicaid), the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program, the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) Program, and the COFA Islander Health Care Program. As the largest health care purchaser in the state, we lead the effort to transform health care, helping ensure Washington residents have access to better health and better care at a lower cost.

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