Aligning for the Good of Medicaid Members

When programs are aligned across sectors, they can better serve community members. In this new season of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast, guests from all corners of the public sector — behavioral health, criminal justice, and housing, among others — sit down to discuss how resources can be more impactful and efficient when everyone rows in the same direction.

This initial episode offers insight into atypical cross-sector partnerships that offer great potential to align for better outcomes, such as state budget offices and legislators. The episode is hosted by Karen Seaver Hill, director of leadership development, National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD). She is joined by Gretchen Hammer, MPH, principal, Public Leadership Group and consultant, National Association of Medicaid Directors; Kate McEvoy, executive director, National Association of Medicaid Directors; and Mark Larson, senior vice president, Leadership and Capacity Building, Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS).

The Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast explores priority topics for Medicaid leaders and is developed in partnership by NAMD and CHCS through support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

State leaders across health, human services, and other agencies — including Medicaid, early childhood, public health, child welfare, among others — are uniquely positioned to develop programs and services that support the health and well-being of people in their state. Despite the shared goal of helping individuals and communities to thrive, however, agencies often operate in siloes or in misaligned ways that create challenges for the people they serve.

The Aligning State Systems for Improved Health and Well-Being Outcomes framework can serve as a practical guide for state leaders looking to better align state systems and improve health and well-being outcomes.