Kristina Azeem
DC Metro Area
Summary
Results-driven healthcare policy and Medicaid operations professional with a proven track record of shaping and implementing high-impact healthcare policies that drive operational efficiency and regulatory compliance. Expertise in Medicaid policy development and a strong ability to align healthcare solutions with complex federal and state regulations. Adept at leveraging data-driven insights, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and delivering sustainable solutions to improve health outcomes and system efficiency. Successfully oversees the full project lifecycle, from policy design to implementation, ensuring measurable outcomes and sustainable impact. Possesses excellent skills in crafting behavior-changing training programs and delivering technical assistance to diverse stakeholders, empowering teams and enhancing service delivery.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Director for the Delivery System Transformation (DST) Practice Area
ALTARUM INSTITUTE
02.2022 - 11.2024
- Led a transformative cultural shift within a 20-member professional team, elevating consulting capabilities and driving organizational excellence
- Implemented strategies that increased team cohesion, productivity, and client engagement, contributing to measurable business growth
- Expanded and diversified DST’s service portfolio by strategically aligning with state and federal clients in the aging, disability, and provider sectors
- Successfully secured over $5 million in new contracts within two years by cultivating relationships with a diversified client base, significantly increasing revenue streams
- Transformed an underperforming team into a high-performing unit, increasing productivity by 30% and securing a 95% client satisfaction rating
- Provided executive oversight for multimillion-dollar programs, leading strategic initiatives that improved operational efficiency and enhanced care quality across healthcare delivery systems
- Led Kentucky Medicaid’s Public Health Emergency (PHE) unwinding strategy, including CMS-approved plan development, cross-agency engagement, and ongoing oversight of reporting and testimony
- Ensured smooth transitions and full compliance with federal guidelines
- Conceptualized and launched a national learning collaborative for HRSA’s National Health Care Initiative, focused on reducing hypertension across 154 federally qualified health centers
- Leveraged data-driven insights to design a dynamic, needs-based curriculum informed by bi-annual surveys, resulting in measurable improvement in hypertension control rates
- Drove strategic stakeholder engagement for Minnesota Medicaid’s long-term care financing strategy, facilitating discussions to inform policy recommendations and shape sustainable solutions
- Partnered with state leaders to develop and launch an innovative job-matching tool and database, streamlining the connection between direct service workers and potential employers, facilitating efficient workforce placement, and improving accessibility for self-directed care recipients.
Senior Manager for the Complex Care Team
CENTENE CORPORATION
08.2020 - 02.2022
- Directed the development and dissemination of strategic resources for 23 affiliate MLTSS plans, enabling policy alignment and best practices that improved market performance
- Resources included comprehensive guides for managing care for children and youth, facilitating transitions from nursing facilities to the community, supporting paid caregiver well-being, and securing member retention to boost retention rates and care quality
- Spearheaded critical initiatives to demonstrate the value of managed care for nursing facility residents, including the implementation of value-based programs, the development of a comprehensive quality monitoring dashboard across 23 affiliate programs, and the creation of a person-centered culture change training
- The nursing home-focused training featured strategic planning templates and resources, empowering facility administrators to improve care outcomes and operational efficiency
- Directed the enhancement of Centene’s Caregiving Collaborations program, driving caregiver engagement through diagnosis-specific education, skills-building training, and support tools
- Provided strategic guidance for affiliate plan implementation, improving member outcomes and boosting program adoption
- Led growth strategy to expand consumer-directed programs across all LTSS markets, promoting member choice and addressing workforce shortages in agency-based care
- Partnered with market leaders to deepen their understanding of Medicaid managed care policy and operations while supporting their strategic initiatives, resulting in more flexible care options and improved member satisfaction
Senior Consultant (2018 – 2020), Consultant (2015 – 2018), Research Consultant (2012 – 2015)
THE LEWIN GROUP
04.2012 - 08.2020
- Directed strategic learning and diffusion initiatives for multiple CMS Innovation Center (CMMI)-funded programs aimed at testing new care models in Medicare and Medicaid
- Implemented key frameworks to scale innovation and improve healthcare delivery across the nation
- Managed the Integrated Care for Kids (InCK) implementation and monitoring contract, designing a learning collaborative for seven funded programs
- These programs focused on reducing costs and improving care quality for children in Medicaid by enhancing prevention, early identification, and treatment, leading to improved outcomes and program efficiencies
- Led the design and implementation of the Comprehensive Primary Care Plus (CPC+) learning system, engaging over 50,000 providers across 14 regions to transform primary care practices and improve performance
- Oversaw subcontractor training to ensure alignment with CMS quality improvement goals
- Reinvigorated the Medicare Care Choice Model (MCCM) learning system after four years of implementation by introducing innovative engagement techniques in webinars
- Achieved a 70% increase in attendance among 97 hospices, which subsequently led to a 12% increase in program participant enrollment, a 5% boost in member satisfaction, and the development of sustainability plans by 89% of participating hospices
- Led training and development for the Community-Based Care Transitions Program (CCTP), coordinating monthly webinars, communities of practice, and tri-annual learning sessions for 105 community-based organizations (CBOs) and hospital partners
- Efforts resulted in 57% of participating CBOs securing contracts with health plans by building their business acumen and sustainability planning
- Supported the Administration for Community Living (ACL) by guiding state-level adoption and implementation of strategies to improve care coordination and eligibility determination for community-based, long-term care services through tailored technical assistance and learning collaboratives
- Directed the launch and socialization of the OAAPS reporting system for Older Americans Act (OAA) programs, developing resources, webinars, and guidance on new metrics and reporting requirements, ensuring compliance and improved data management across all funded participants
- Led a sustainability-focused community of practice for CMS-funded Money Follows the Person (MFP) programs, helping participants identify value propositions and partnerships for continued funding
- Guided organizational planning for expansion opportunities and long-term program implementation
- Established policy recommendations for Illinois’ 1915 state plan amendment, streamlining waiver supports and optimizing state funding while reducing unnecessary healthcare duplication based on stakeholder input aligned with the state’s vision
- Efforts contributed to more efficient use of state resources for vulnerable populations
- Supported Colorado Medicaid’s compliance with the HCBS Final Rule, facilitating strategic planning with state staff and key stakeholders
- Developed a comprehensive provider compliance verification and compliance monitoring process
- Designed provider assessments, compliance templates, site visit protocols, and micro-trainings to help the state’s 5,000 +N providers align with state expectations for compliance with the Rule
- Spearheaded continuous quality improvement (CQI) initiatives for HUD’s IWISH demonstration project, designing and implementing a comprehensive quality assurance plan integrated with training and technical assistance
- Led efforts to ensure project outcomes aligned with federal housing objectives and developed targeted training resources to maintain implementation fidelity, resulting in improved program delivery and adherence to demonstration project standards
- Developed audit criteria and led the evaluation of health plan submissions for CMS’s Financial Alignment Initiative (FAI), ensuring that engaged states' plans aligned with federal and state policies for Managed Fee-for-Service and Capitated financing models
- Led a firm-wide Learning and Diffusion Workgroup, bringing together senior leaders and project staff to codify best practices, foster innovation, and develop firm-wide principles for learning and diffusion contracts
- These efforts solidified Lewin’s leadership role in the CMS RMADA
Education
Master of Public Health - Prevention & Community Health, Maternal & Child Health
George Washington University
Washington, DCSkills
- Strategic Planning & Execution
- Organizational Change Management
- Cross-Functional Team Management
- Revenue Growth & Diversification
- Federal Policy for Older Adults and Disabled
- Medicaid Policy Design and Implementation
- Program Design & Implementation
- Quality Improvement Initiatives
Relevant Training
- PMI: Project Management Professional (PMP)
- IDEO: Human-Centered Design
- SDA: Person Centered Planning Training
- Shipley: Writing and Managing Federal Proposals
- Shipley: Capturing Federal Business
- Learning Community: Person-Centered Thinking
Personal Information
Title: MPH, PMP
Timeline
Senior Director for the Delivery System Transformation (DST) Practice Area
ALTARUM INSTITUTE
02.2022 - 11.2024
Senior Manager for the Complex Care Team
CENTENE CORPORATION
08.2020 - 02.2022
Senior Consultant (2018 – 2020), Consultant (2015 – 2018), Research Consultant (2012 – 2015)
THE LEWIN GROUP
04.2012 - 08.2020
Master of Public Health - Prevention & Community Health, Maternal & Child Health
George Washington University
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