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Who We Are

Co-Chairs

Dr. Mark Ghaly
Former Secretary
California Health and Human Services Agency
Ann O’Leary
Former Chief of Staff
Governor of California
Three children sit on the grass in a park, holding hands in a team-building gesture. They smile warmly, symbolizing unity, friendship, and teamwork in an outdoor natural setting.

Commissioners

Noha Aboelata
Chief Executive Officer
Roots Community Health
Anne Bakar
Chief Executive Officer
Telecare
Alice Chen
Executive Vice President & Chief Health Officer
Centene
Jennie Chin Hansen
Board member, SCAN Health Plan;
Past President, AARP
Jacey Cooper
Consultant; Former California State Medicaid Director and Director, CMS State Demonstration Group
Jennifer Cruikshank
Chief Executive Officer
Riverside University Health System
Toby Douglas
Senior Vice President, Medicaid
Kaiser Permanente
Liz Fowler
Distinguished Scholar, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health; Former Dir., CMS Innovation Center
Jane Garcia
Chief Executive Officer
La Clinica de La Raza
Liz Gibboney
Former Chief Executive Officer
Partnership HealthPlan of California
Josh Golomb
Founding Chief Executive Officer
Hazel Health
Dan Gross
Former Executive Vice President
Sharp Healthcare
Ivor Horn
Angel Investor
BAG Collective
Ruben Imperial
Director
Stanislaus County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services
Veronica (Ronnie) Kelley
Director
Orange County Health Care Agency
Paul King
Chief Executive Officer
Stanford Medicine Children’s Health
Peter V. Lee
Senior Scholar, Stanford University, CERC;
Former ED/CEO, Covered California
Kim Lewis
Director of California Policy
National Health Law Program
Rishi Manchanda
Chief Executive Officer
HealthBegins
Tia Orr
Executive Director
SEIU California
DJ Patil
General Partner
GreatPoint Ventures
Joel Ramirez
Chief Medical Officer
Camarena Health
David Rubin
Executive Vice President
UC Health
Martha Santana-Chin
Chief Executive Officer
L.A. Care Health Plan
Julie Sprengel
Chief Executive Officer & President
CommonSpirit California
Tory Starr
Chief Executive Officer
Open Door Community Health Centers
Dan Tsai
Director of Health
City & County of San Francisco

Commissioner Commitment

Every Commissioner was selected based on their expertise and varied perspectives on the California Medicaid program, combined with their commitment to advancing the program. Inherently, each brings a mix of relevant past employment, board service, consulting work, or other relationships with organizations affected by Medicaid policy or funding. Each Commissioner has committed to bring their expertise and perspectives to advancing to the Commission’s thinking to ensure holistic, thoughtful recommendations, rather than to specifically advance any personal of affiliated interests. They will make the individual decision to recuse themselves in any instance that they deem appropriate as the Commission deliberates and agrees upon recommendations.

Workgroups

The Commission has formed four workgroups to explore key challenges and develop proposals for the full Commission to consider. These groups include a chairperson, a core group of commissioners, and additional experts and stakeholders tasked with providing input as the work progresses. More information on the workgroups and their goals can be found below. Additional details are available in the Commission’s April/May newsletter.

Member Experience and Care Model

Focuses on making it easier for people to enroll in Medi-Cal, find care and get the services they need. This includes improving care coordination and ensuring there are enough providers to meet members’ needs.

Chair:

  • Tory Starr, CEO, Open Door Community Health Centers

Advisors:

  • S. Monica Soni, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Covered California

Payments and Financing

Focuses on how Medi-Cal pays for care and how funding decisions shape members’ access to services, quality of care, and overall costs. The goal is to support more consistent, high-quality, and cost-effective care for members across the system.

Chair:

  • Toby Douglas, Senior Vice President, Medicaid, Kaiser Permanente

Advisors:

  • Beth Capell, Policy Consultant, Health Access
  • Maya Altman, Former CEO, Health Plan of San Mateo

Rationalized System

Focuses on how Medi-Cal is organized and where misaligned incentives, unclear responsibilities, and too many layers can undermine care coordination and accountability. This work aims to clarify responsibility, reduce variation, and better align managed care and county-administered programs to support more coordinated, whole-person care.

Chair:

  • Jacey Cooper, California State Medicaid Director; Former Director, CMS State Demonstration Group

Advisors:

  • Hagar Dickman, Director, California Long-Term Services and Supports Advocacy, Justice in Aging
  • Brandi Wolf, Policy and Research Director, SEIU Local 2015

Technology, Data & Infrastructure

Focuses on improving how data, infrastructure, and technology support more seamless and connected services to support care that can adapt and endure through the next decade of change for Medi-Cal members and the teams that care for them.

Chair:

  • Ivor Horn, Angel Investor, BAG Collective

Advisors:

  • Jonah Frohlich, Senior Managing Director, Manatt Health
  • Claudia Williams, Chief Social Impact Officer, UC Berkeley School of Public Health
  • Jason Cunningham, DO, Family Physician; CEO, West County Health Centers; Program Director, Stanford CERC Impact Accelerator

Advisory Group

One of several means by which the Commission’s work will be supported is an advisory group of Medi-Cal stakeholders and other experts. The advisory group will meet virtually periodically throughout 2026 to share and discuss ideas and provide feedback that will inform the Commission. More than 360 nominations to the advisory group were received by the deadline in December. See the full list of advisory group members here.

Medi-Cal Members

Medi-Cal policy should be rooted in the member experience and perspective. The Commission’s work is informed and shaped by thousands of Medi-Cal members who have generously shared their insights and ideas about their health care needs, experiences, and vision for the future. Their feedback is honored and summarized in this Commission report: The Future of Medi-Cal Commission: Member Engagement, Perspectives, and Insights. 

The Commission’s work is also shaped by the organizational representatives who participate in the Advisory Group, including organizations that actively engage Medi-Cal members and bring their stories and perspective into the discussion. In addition, many Commission lead organizations that communicate regularly with members, and some bring their own lived experiences as former Medi-Cal members or family members. 

Upcoming opportunities for member engagement: 

  • Commission meetings: These sessions offer dedicated in-person public comment opportunities, as well as options for virtual attendance.
  • Public comment sessions: Medi-Cal members can share input directly with Commission staff in bi-weekly virtual forums (sign up here to join an upcoming session).
  • Online form: The Commission is also regularly reviewing ideas for strengthening Medi-Cal submitted through our Share Your Input form.