State Health Policy Leadership

North Carolina’s Healthy Opportunities Pilots (HOP) program, which was paused in July 2025 due to state funding constraints, tested whether providing evidence-based services to address upstream drivers of health for eligible Medicaid members could improve health outcomes, reduce costs, and address disparities in three predominantly rural regions of the state. More

As states brace for federal funding cuts and potentially large disenrollments in Medicaid, this report assesses the extent to which Medicaid managed care delivers value across its core functions: reducing financial risk for states; utilization management; network formation; care management; quality improvement; and paying for claims. More

Physician workforce shortages are limiting access to health care in nearly every state, with underserved and rural areas facing the greatest shortfalls. More

My second job at CDC was running policy for the chronic disease center. More

This Spotlight Brief demonstrates the health and economic impacts of heat emergencies, using a summer heat wave as a case study. More

In this interview about managing executive branch transitions in state government, Debra Farrington, Deputy Secretary for Health in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, emphasized identifying priorities, engaging with legislators, and documenting relationships with community partners, so that important initiatives are understood as shared commitments. More

In this edited Q&A and video with Milbank’s Morgan McDonald, MD, Jeff Lunardi—then interim Medicaid director at Virginia’s Department of Medical Assistance Services (Cardinal Care)—shares practical lessons on prioritization, nonpartisan leadership, and agency stability during a gubernatorial handoff. More

One year ago in April, I walked off CDC’s campus for the last time, after spending over 20 years in the agency. More

Amidst rapid changes to the federal, state, and local health policy landscape, the Milbank Memorial Fund is committed to equipping leaders with the necessary skills and expertise to meet the challenges ahead. Applications are now open for the 2026-2027 cohorts of the Fund’s two leadership programs for legislative and executive branch government officials who are committed to improving population health:  These programs, all costs of which are covered by Milbank, provide a unique opportunity […] More

The Milbank State Leadership Network hosted a virtual session for state legislators and executive branch leaders to discuss how states are planning to leverage the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to improve maternal and child health (MCH). Leaders from Mississippi, Indiana, and Oklahoma shared early implementation strategies, highlighting how states are aligning funding, infrastructure, and community partnerships to expand access to care and improve outcomes. More