Lauryn Walker

Lauryn Walker, PhD, RN, is the chief strategy officer for the Virginia Center for Health Innovation (VCHI), a public-private partnership established to develop innovative solutions to complex healthcare needs. Prior to joining VCHI, Ms. Walker served as the interim chief of population health and senior advisor to the chief actuary and chief strategy officer for North Carolina Medicaid, where she supported efforts aimed at integrating behavioral health and physical health. She also served as the senior economic advisor for Virginia Medicaid, where she led the development of the Division of Health Economics and Economic Policy, which included the Office of Value-Based Purchasing, the Office of Quality and Population Health, and the Office of Data Analytics. Prior to working directly with states, Ms. Walker conducted research on the effectiveness of various health care incentives and Medicaid Section 1115 evaluations. She also served as a health fellow for the House Minority Leader for the US House of Representatives. Ms. Walker is a registered nurse and member of the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps. She earned her Nursing degree and master’s in public health from Johns Hopkins University. She received her PhD in Health Policy and Research from Virginia Commonwealth University.