Milbank Fellows

Sarah Aker is Executive Director of the Medical Services Division in the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she serves as the state’s Medicaid Director. Sarah previously served as the Medicaid Director in South Dakota, where she oversaw program and policy development, claims payment, provider enrollment and program integrity. She […] More

Jonathan Ballard, MD, MPH, MPhil, is Chief Medical Officer at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services (NH DHHS) and a clinical associate professor at Dartmouth College in the Geisel School of Medicine. Jonathan leads the clinical approach at the NH DHHS, where he has served for the past eight years. During the […] More

Isaac Benowitz, MD, MPH, is Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist at the Maine State Health Department. He provides clinical, epidemiological, and public health strategy support across the agency. His work focuses on infectious disease response, health care-associated infections, emergency preparedness, and health care systems. He previously worked at the Centers for Disease Control and […] More

Kim Bimestefer, MBA, brings 20 years of executive leadership across commercial and government health care payers to her current role as Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing and CEO of Health First Colorado, Colorado’s Medicaid plan. In this position, she oversees all aspects, including strategy, enrollment, operations, compliance, total […] More

Ben Bowman, MA, is the Oregon House Majority Leader and State Representative for House District 25. As a legislator, he has focused on upstream policy solutions in health and education, with particular attention to government oversight, accountability, and effectiveness. He works as a public school district administrator and previously served as the chair of the […] More

In 2022, Josh Cantrell was elected to represent House District 49 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He currently serves as Vice Chair of the House Health and Human Services Oversight Committee. Josh is a former county commissioner with a strong interest in rural health issues. He’s also served as County Commissioner Chairman and was […] More

LeeAnne Cornyn, JD, was appointed in December 2023 to serve as Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, a cabinet-level agency providing statewide leadership of a high-quality behavioral health system.  Prior to her appointment, LeeAnne served as Governor DeWine’s Deputy Chief of Staff, where her responsibilities included oversight of the health, […] More

Erin Drinnin, MSW, is Community Access and Eligibility Division Director for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she oversees 1,200 employees in the Child Support, Economic Assistance, Community Action, and Refugee Services teams, which help connect Iowans to public assistance benefits, direct financial resources, and other supports. Erin earned a […] More

Laura Hall, MS, was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives by special election in August 1993. She was re-elected in 1994, 1998, 2001, and 2006. She is the first African-American woman to represent House District 19. Her committee assignments have included: Judiciary, Joint Interim on Medicaid, Public Safety, Welfare, Health, Industrial and Economic […] More

Martin Hickey, MD, has a long and deep career as an executive physician in leadership roles of health systems, health plans, and large medical groups. Now in his second term in the New Mexico State Senate, he has developed significant health policy legislation, with a strong behavioral health and public health focus. He is the […] More

Jeff Huebner, MD, is Lead Medical Officer for the Wisconsin Medicaid program at the Department of Health Services. He believes Medicaid can help drive the transformation of our health systems from delivering not only health care, but also health and well-being at the individual, community, and societal levels. With this focus, he has led the […] More

Massachusetts State Representative Hannah Kane is an experienced and respected legislator with a successful record of passing bipartisan legislation, collaborating to advance policy priorities, and leading advocacy efforts. Focusing on public health, fighting food insecurity, and women’s economic advancement, Hannah is a coalition builder with a passion for effective governance and community advancement. Hannah is […] More

As Executive Director of the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission, Jon Kromm, PhD, MHS, leads the state’s hospital regulatory agency. In this role, he works with hospitals, providers, payers, health care consumers, and other state and federal agencies to administer Maryland’s unique Total Cost of Care Model. Jon Kromm has over 15 years of […] More

Djinge Lindsay, MD, MPH, serves as Chief Medical Officer for the Maryland Department of Health. In this role, Djinge leads the Office of Care Transformation, which includes Maryland’s value-based advanced primary care programs and the Medicaid clinical leadership team, and supports the Secretary of Health in leading and coordinating clinical resources. Djinge has more than […] More

Katherine Marks, PhD, MA, serves as Commissioner for the Kentucky Department for Behavioral Health, Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. As a behavioral scientist, Katherine directs the departmental mission of promoting health and well-being by facilitating recovery for people whose lives have been affected by mental illness and substance use; supporting people with intellectual or other developmental […] More

Julie McGuire serves as State Representative for Indiana House District 93, where she champions policies that support families, improve public health, and strengthen educational outcomes. She serves on the House Education, Insurance, and Public Health Committees, bringing practical insight and a community-focused approach to legislative work. Known for her collaborative style and commitment to transparency, […] More

Michelle Morse, MD, MPH, is Acting Health Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health). She leads the agency’s work in bridging public health and health care to reduce health inequities and serves as a key liaison to clinicians and clinical leaders across New York City. She […] More

Louisiana State Senator Brach Myers is Senior Vice President of Corporate Development for a national health care company based in Lafayette that provides services in more than 40 states and employs more than 30,000 workers nationwide. As both a state senator and a former state representative, Brach brought his business experience to the Louisiana Legislature […] More

Bisola Ojikutu, MD, MPH, is a physician leader, health equity researcher, community advocate, and expert in the prevention, care, and treatment of infectious diseases. As Commissioner of Public Health for the City of Boston and Executive Director of the Boston Public Health Commission, Bisola is a key advisor to Boston’s mayor on health issues and […] More

Andrea Barton Reeves, JD, serves as the Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Social Services. In this role, she has transformed service delivery in the 12 community centers where residents apply for benefits by streamlining services and introducing procedures that add dignity to the application process. She has also introduced two major Medicaid waiver programs: a […] More

Oklahoma Representative Cynthia Roe has been honored to serve House District 42 since her election in November 2018. In addition to her legislative service, Roe brings 39 years of experience as a registered nurse and 22 years as a nurse practitioner. She currently works in a rural health clinic as a primary care provider serving […] More

Devdutta Sangvai, MD, MBA, is a family medicine physician and a professor at Duke University. He is also a member of the North Carolina Medical Board. Prior to his role with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, he served as President of Duke Regional Hospital and President of the North Carolina Medical […] More

Zane Seals, MPA, serves as Chief Financial Officer for TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid agency, where he oversees all fiscal operations for the $18.6 billion program. In this role, he has helped lead the development of innovative financing models, expanded coverage for vulnerable populations, and advanced value-based care strategies. He has worked extensively with federal partners, state […] More

Celia Segel, MPP,is Chief of Staff at MassHealth, the Massachusetts Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program. She plays a strategic role in implementing organizational priorities both internally with staff and externally with stakeholders. Celia oversees federal and legislative affairs, communications, human resources, member engagement, and housing initiatives. She was formerly Associate Director, Pharmaceutical Pricing and […] More

Dinah Sykes is a Kansas State Senator and advocate for public education. Initially skeptical about running for office, she was inspired to run after hearing the voices of frustrated Kansans who felt their concerns were ignored. She won her state senate race as a first-time candidate, and in her first term, helped repeal the Brownback […] More

New Hampshire Representative Trinidad Tellez, MD, is a family physician, community-based participatory researcher, educator, and public health/health policy professional. She has over 20 years’ experience operationalizing equity to improve access and quality and advance health and well-being for all. Trinidad served in the executive branch of state government as Director of the Office of Health […] More

Sarah Valencia, MSW, serves in Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ administration as Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Department of Health Services. In this role, Sarah leads government relations, communications, external partnerships, and policy development for one of the largest state agencies in Wisconsin, with an annual budget of roughly $15 billion and more than 6,700 employees. […] More

As Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Sarah Willson, RN, MBA, leads the agency responsible for protecting and promoting optimal health of Missourians. This includes overseeing a wide range of public health programs, from disease prevention and control to environmental health and emergency preparedness. Sarah works across departments and industry to […] More

Ryan Yamane, MBA, MSW, has been Director of the Hawaii Department of Human Services since 2024, where he works to support the well-being of individuals, families, and communities across Hawaii. Prior to this appointment, he served as Deputy Director of the Department of Human Resources Development. From 2004 to 2023, he was an elected official […] More