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Leadership Forward

Leadership Forward

Written by: The Public Sector Leadership Consortium
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Leadership Forward is a podcast and blog series, jointly developed by the Public Sector Leadership Consortium, which explores the application of the Framework for Public Sector Leadership, a competency framework that outlines the domains and skills critical to the success of public sector leaders and their teams. The series explores the application of the framework through conversations with public sector leaders and experts. Economics Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • How Wide-Ranging Experiences Strengthen Medicaid Leadership
    Jun 12 2025

    The path to Medicaid leadership isn’t always a straight one. In fact, it is the breadth of experience and expertise — spanning sectors both inside and outside of state government — that is essential to building teams with the skills and agility to manage multi-billion-dollar programs. This episode of the Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast features three Medicaid leaders whose unique backgrounds — in nursing, technology, and politics — have helped shape their roles as trusted advisors to Medicaid directors.

    The episode features perspectives from Medicaid leaders in New Mexico, Alabama, and Wisconsin:

    • Alanna Dancis, DNP, MSN, chief medical officer, Medical Assistance Division, New Mexico Health Care Authority
    • Mason Tanaka, deputy commissioner and chief information officer, Alabama Medicaid Agency
    • Krista Willing, MPA, assistant administrator, Systems, Fiscal, and Operations, Division of Medicaid Services, Wisconsin Department of Health Services

    The episode is hosted by Mark Larson, former Vermont Medicaid director and senior vice president, Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS), and Jami Snyder, former Arizona and Texas Medicaid director and president and CEO, JSN Strategies. The Medicaid Leadership Exchange podcast explores priority topics for Medicaid leaders. It is developed in partnership by the National Association of Medicaid Directors and CHCS through support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

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    Featured in this episode: Mark Larson, former Vermont Medicaid director and senior vice president, Leadership and Capacity Building, CHCSJami Snyder, former Arizona and Texas Medicaid director and president and CEO, JSN Strategies.Alanna Dancis, DNP, MSN, chief medical officer, Medical Assistance Division, New Mexico Health Care AuthorityMason Tanaka, deputy commissioner and chief information officer, Alabama Medicaid AgencyKrista Willing, MPA, assistant administrator, Systems, Fiscal, and Operations, Division of Medicaid Services, Wisconsin Department of Health Services

    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. Visit the series page for additional episodes, or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you subscribe to podcasts.

    Support for this podcast was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.

    The post How Wide-Ranging Experiences Strengthen Medicaid Leadership appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

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    31 mins
  • Driving and Delivering Results
    Nov 2 2020

    The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity for public sector leaders to innovate their programming in response to the public health emergency and continue to find new ways to deliver high-quality care for their members, both related to COVID-19 and as part of their “normal” work. This episode of the Leadership Forward series focuses on how the framework’s “Driving and Delivering Results” domain applies in practice. Cindy Beane, commissioner for the West Virginia Bureau for Medical Services, and Sue Birch, director of the Washington State Health Care Authority, discuss leadership strategies they have implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The conversation is moderated by Gretchen Hammer, senior strategic advisor at the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

    https://www.chcs.org/media/LS-Ep.-6-Delivering-Results.mp3

    Download on iTunes or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

    The post Driving and Delivering Results appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

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    33 mins
  • Practicing Good Public Administration During Challenging Times
    Oct 26 2020

    Leading through a public health emergency like COVID-19 presents unique challenges and opportunities. This Leadership Forward episode, the fifth in a series that explores the Consortium’s Framework for Public Sector Leadership, focuses on how the framework’s “Practicing Good Public Administration” domain applies in practice. Tom Betlach, MPA, former Arizona Medicaid Director, and Jim Jones, Medicaid Director at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, discuss leadership skills they have used to lead public agencies through economic recessions.

    The conversation is moderated by Mark Larson, senior vice president of leadership and capacity building at the Center for Health Care Strategies.

    https://www.chcs.org/media/LS-Ep.-5-Public-Administration.mp3

    Download on iTunes or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

    The post Practicing Good Public Administration During Challenging Times appeared first on Center for Health Care Strategies.

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    37 mins
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