Leadership change for Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning
Indiana Medicaid Director Allison Taylor will be resigning later this summer after serving eight years with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, including six years leading the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning through historic changes and events. Taylor first served as general counsel of FSSA and then became Indiana Medicaid director in 2017. During her tenure, she was also selected among her peers nationwide to serve as president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.
Among the Office of Medicaid Policy and Planning’s achievements under Taylor’s leadership:
- Indiana received a first-of-its-kind 10-year renewal for the Healthy Indiana Plan
- A multi-pronged effort was launched to reform long-term services and supports founded on industry-leading Medicare integration
- Telehealth services were expanded for Hoosiers
- A Medicaid provider reimbursement rate matrix was established to ensure a sustainable, predictable reimbursement structure going forward
- Substance use disorder and serious mental illness treatments were expanded and a continuum built for better behavioral care delivery
- Indiana became a national leader in managed care alignment, compliance and oversight
Dr. Rusyniak also announced that Cora Steinmetz will be the next director of Indiana Medicaid. Steinmetz and Taylor will work closely during the weeks ahead to ensure a smooth transition later this summer for employees and all initiatives underway. Steinmetz has been Gov. Holcomb’s senior operations director for health-related state agencies, including FSSA, Department of Child Services and Indiana Department of Health, since 2021. She has been deeply involved in developing policy and strategy and guiding the state’s work related to the Governor’s Public Health Commission, the long-term services and supports reform, the delivery of mental health services and the evolution of early childhood learning services.
Steinmetz, a licensed attorney, previously worked as a program director for government programs and revenue cycle compliance for Indiana University Health and was an attorney for the Indiana Department of Revenue and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. She is also a board member for Music for All, a national organization focused on music education.
100 Days Away: SWING at Victory Field, an immersive experience from a bygone era of baseball
Victory Field With nearly 30 restaurant partners on board and hundreds of Premium and VIP tickets already sold, SWING at Victory Field is beginning to take shape. SWING, which today is 100 days away from its debut, is an inaugural signature charity event that will feature live entertainment in addition to upscale food from local restaurants and beverages available at bars throughout the ballpark. Guests may walk the red carpet, snap photos at photo booths, participate in a virtual reality home run derby and dance on the field to live music under the stadium lights. Premium tickets are available, but less than 100 VIP tickets remain. All proceeds from SWING benefit Indianapolis Indians Charities (IIC), a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth and families grow stronger together, learn more and live healthier lives. The nonprofit is focused on supporting organizations in four areas: youth development, family success, education and neighborhood development. Learn more about IIC and its contributions to creating a better central Indiana. Proceeds will help fund IIC’s 2024 grant recipients and nonprofit partners.
Turkey Run State Park named to Top Ten List
Turkey Run State Park was named the seventh best state park in the United States in a list of 15 according to TravelAwaits, a website dedicated to travelers 50 and older. The site mentions the park’s sandstone gorges, suspension bridge, and Sugar Creek as reasons why Turkey Run stands out. For more details on the list TravelAwaits compiled, see travelawaits.com/2885378/best-us-state-parks.
For a similar landscape to Turkey Run that can have fewer crowds, try Shades State Park. It’s located a 20-minute drive northeast at 7751 S. 890 W. in Waveland, 47989. See on.IN.gov/shades for more information. Turkey Run State Park (on.IN.gov.turkeyrunsp) is at 8121 East Park Road in Marshall, 47859.
This Week in Hoosier History
1914 – The Indiana University School of Nursing opened its doors to students. Five graduates participated in the first commencement ceremony in 1917.
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