As the Chief of Federal and State Policy, Tywanda is a direct report to the Chief Executive Officer of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA). She has been with OHCA working in various capacities over the past 18 years, including the Legal Division, Health Policy Division, Policy and Planning and Integrity Division. Her present division incorporates three departments focused on federal and state authorities, social supports & outreach, and reporting and quality assurance and community living services. Her responsibilities include oversight of a staff of over 37 who obtain state and federal authorities and approvals for the operation of the Oklahoma Medicaid program. She serves as the agency liaison to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for the Oklahoma State Plan, 1115 demonstration, MFP demonstration, and HCBS Waivers, to the Governor’s Office related to the Oklahoma Administrative Code as well as to other Oklahoma sister agencies. In one of her roles, Mrs. Cox is accountable for overseeing the administration of the state’s Home and Community Based Services Waivers serving the long term care and dual eligible populations including Medicaid Long Term Supports and Services (LTSS). Additionally, she represents the agency on national forums, committees and workgroups related to Medicaid eligibility enrollment and retention. Her education includes a Master’s of Science degree in Rehabilitation Counseling.

Alexander Shekhdar is in-charge of Federal and State policy for the Medicaid Health Plans of America (MHPA). In this role, Mr. Shekhdar is responsible for assisting in the promulgation of the association’s policy positions, as well as analyzing and responding to regulatory matters governing and implicating Medicaid managed care plans.

Mr. Shekhdar has 15 years of business and policy experience in the government payor space with various providers including multiple managed care plans and pharmacy benefits management companies.

In the managed care space, Mr. Shekhdar has been responsible for business development for both Medicare Advantage and Medicaid managed care plans. In addition, he has worked on product development for various specialty health business including behavioral health and consumer healthcare companies.

Mr. Shekhdar has also been both a federal and state lobbyist, as well as, a subject matter expert engaged by multiple healthcare trade associations. Finally, Mr. Shekhdar is a professional lecturer and adjunct faculty associated with The George Washington University, The University of Baltimore, and The University of Maryland-University College and has presented on issues related to health policy at numerous industry trade meetings, gatherings of state health plan associations, and audiences of financial analysts.

Mr. Shekhdar holds his undergraduate and graduate degrees in public health from The Johns Hopkins University and his juris doctorate from the Seton Hall University School of Law.

Appointed by Governor Charlie Baker, Secretary of Health & Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders leads the largest executive agency in state government, overseeing a $22 billion state budget (will update to $23B in July), twelve agencies and 22,000 public servants. EOHHS services directly touch the lives of slightly more than 1 in 4 residents of the Commonwealth. Sudders responsibilities include the state’s MassHealth (Medicaid) program that provides health coverage to 1.9 million low income or disabled residents, chairing the board of the state’s health care marketplace (The Connector), the Autism Commission and, the Center for Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) Oversight Council; and, co-chairs the Governor’s Interagency Council on Homelessness and the state’s first Governor’s Council to Address Aging in Massachusetts. Sudders is leading the Commonwealth’s efforts to address the opioid epidemic and efforts to reform and strengthen the Department of Children and Families.

Professionally trained as a social worker, Sudders has been a public official, private non-profit executive, advocate and college professor. She served as the Massachusetts Commissioner of Mental Health from 1996 to 2003. Prior to her appointment as Secretary, Sudders was an associate professor and chaired the health/mental health program at Boston College’s Graduate School of Social Work. She also served as an expert with the Department of Justice as a behavioral health expert.

She has been recognized by top business, social work and civic organizations, including the Boston Chamber of Commerce, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Eastern Bank’s Social Justice Award and from the National Association of Social Work.

Sudders is an alumna of Boston University with a Bachelor’s degree with honors and a Master’s degree in social work, and received an honorary doctorate from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. Believing in community service, she has served on many charitable board including the Pine Street Inn, DentaQuest Foundation, Massachusetts Association for Mental Health and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Sheela Tallman is Senior Alaska Legislative Affairs Executive and Senior Manager of Legislative Policy at Premera Blue Cross. Sheela is responsible for managing state legislative and public policy issues in Washington and Alaska and at the federal level. She develops positions on various legislative healthcare issues, testifies at hearings, and communicates with elected officials and key stakeholders.

She is the current Board Chair of the Association of Washington Healthcare Plans and has been a board member since 2008. Sheela also serves on the board of directors of the Washington State Health Insurance Pool.

Before joining Premera in 2006, Sheela was a manager at Deloitte Consulting, based out of the Houston, TX office. She focused on public sector clients in the U.S. State and Federal Governments working on healthcare strategy and operations and technology integration projects. She has more than ten years of experience in healthcare policy.

Sheela has a bachelor of science in Biology from Tufts University and has dual masters degrees in Public Health and Public Affairs from Columbia University.

Hemi Tewarson, J.D., M.P.H, serves as a program director in the Health Division at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center), where she oversees projects related to health care service delivery and payment reform, Medicaid reform and cost containment, and Medicaid data systems. Prior to the NGA Center, Ms. Tewarson worked at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) where she advised GAO’s health care team in the preparation of reports and testimonies for the Congress on a broad range of health care issues. Prior to GAO, Ms. Tewarson was in private practice as a health policy attorney in Washington, D.C. where she advised clients including states, associations, hospitals and health systems and other providers across the country. One focus of her practice was working with state officials on reforming their Medicaid programs.

Ms. Tewarson pursued a dual degree, graduating with a Juris Doctor from George Washington University Law School and a Masters in Public Health from George Washington University School of Public Health. She received her Bachelors of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Psychology.