Oregon Capital Chronicle names North Carolina lady to lead Medicaid

A North Carolina deputy director of Medicaid policy is coming to Oregon to lead the state’s Medicaid program.

On July 24, Emma Sandoe will become director of the Oregon Capital Chronicle Medicaid program, which provides medical, dental and mental health care to 1.4 million low-income people, Oregon Health Authority officials said in a release. The Medicaid program has a biennial budget of $28 billion, or roughly $14 billion a year, to provide care to more than one in four Oregonians.

Sandoe has worked in North Carolina’s Medicaid program since 2019. In that role, she served as the states’ liaison to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and oversaw work to develop and implement policies to improve health equity in the North Carolina health care system. Sandoe also worked as a Medicaid liaison with tribal nations in North Carolina.

Oregon officials said Sandoe worked on North Carolina’s Medicaid expansion, which began in December and will provide health care benefits to more than 450,000 people.

Her arrival comes at a critical time for Oregon’s Medicaid system. The states’ new five-year Medicaid plan received federal approval and an additional $1.1 billion in federal funding to provide shelter, food and climate support by distributing air conditioners to improve overall well-being.

In a statement, the director of OHA, Dr. Sejal Hathi said Sandoe’s track record of expertise and innovation in health equity is a good fit for Oregon.

She brings both vision and pragmatism to this role, as well as strong relationships with our federal partners, which will enable Oregon to continue to set the pace in implementing pioneering Medicaid coverage and benefits that address key health issues with that our communities face, such as homelessness. and climate change, Hathi said.

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Sandoe was hired after a national search. Her salary will be $171,312 per year.

She said in a statement that she looks forward to starting her work in Oregon.

I am excited to collaborate with Medicaid staff and partners to expand access to care, improve people’s lives and eliminate health disparities, said Sandoe.

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Vivian Levy, Oregon Capital Chronicle Interim Medicaid Director, will continue to serve as deputy director for Medicaid, Hathi said, crediting Levy’s work overseeing the system after Medicaid Director Dana Hittle left her post in October.

Before working for North Carolina, Sandoe worked as a press secretary at CMS and a budget analyst at the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Sandoe has also taught health policy classes at Harvard University and Duke University. She received a doctoral degree in health policy and political analysis from Harvard University in 2019 and a master’s in public health from George Washington University in 2010. She also earned two bachelor’s degrees in general biology and political science from the University of Southern California in San Diego, graduated in 2008. And now A North Carolina deputy director of Medicaid  Oregon to lead the state’s Medicaid program.