Governor McCrory names Medicaid reform advisory group

Press release from Governor Pat McCrory, November 1, 2013.

Governor Pat McCrory has named three North Carolina health care leaders to the state’s newly formed Medicaid Reform Advisory Group. The Advisory Group will collaborate with the Department of Health and Human Services in its development of a detailed plan to reform North Carolina’s Medicaid system.

“We must improve patient care and control exploding Medicaid costs,” said Governor Pat McCrory. “The Medicaid Reform Advisory Group will work with DHHS as it explores all options to come up with the best plan for North Carolina.”

The governor’s appointees are:

• Dennis Barry (Guilford County) - Barry is CEO emeritus of Cone Health, a multihospital system serving the Piedmont region of North Carolina. He is past chairman of the American Hospital Association and a former chairman and a lifetime member of the North Carolina Hospital Association. Barry is also a former commissioner of The Joint Commission, an organization responsible for accreditation of health care organizations.
• Peggy Terhune (Randolph County) - Terhune has been executive director/CEO of Monarch since 1995.  She has worked with people with disabilities for more than 35 years.  She serves as a trustee for Benchmarks, is president of the Sandhills Leadership Council and serves on the Cardinal Southern Network Council.  Nationally, she serves on the CDS Advisory Board and as treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Council on Quality and Leadership.
• Richard Gilbert, M.D., M.B.A. (Mecklenburg County) - Dr. Gilbert has served as the chief of staff for Carolinas Medical Center and was the chief of the Department of Anesthesiology for Carolina's Medical Center for 20 years. He is the former CEO of Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants and Southeast Pain Care. Dr. Gilbert led Southeast Anesthesiology Consultants in establishing a quality measurement and performance system, called Quantum Clinical Navigation System, designed to improve patient satisfaction, quality outcomes and reduce costly medical errors. Dr. Gilbert is the medical director of American Anesthesiology of the Southeast, which provides anesthesiology and pain management services to patients across five North Carolina counties. Dr. Gilbert completed his anesthesiology residency training at Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Hospital and is fellowship trained in cardiac anesthesiology and pain management. He received his MBA from the Fuqua Business School, Duke University.

The Medicaid Reform Advisory Group will schedule public meetings to obtain broad stakeholder input and ensure the transparency of the process of developing the reform proposal.

“Since the beginning of this reform process, we have traveled the state to engage the medical and provider community, and we are listening,” said Secretary Aldona Wos. “As we continue the reform process, we are looking at all reform options including the best of what already exists in North Carolina.”

Barry will serve as chair of the Medicaid Reform Advisory Group, which also consists of a representative appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives and a senator appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Speaker Thom Tillis has appointed Representative Nelson Dollar (Wake) and President Pro-Tempore Phil Berger has appointed Senator Louis Pate (Lenoir, Pitt, Wayne).

“I look forward to working as a member of the Advisory Group to develop a clearer understanding of the challenges as well as the strengths of North Carolina’s Medicaid Program,” said Rep. Nelson Dollar.

"I am honored to be a member of the team that will work together to bring about reform to Medicaid in North Carolina," said Sen. Louis Pate. "Medicaid recipients, providers, and taxpayers alike deserve the most efficient delivery of medical services to qualified North Carolina citizens."

DHHS will present a reform proposal to the General Assembly no later than March 17, 2014.