Before joining the staff of Health Management Associates, Inc., Mr. Trail recently retired as the Chief of the Medical Assistance Plans, in the Department of Community Health for the State of Georgia. As Director of the State Medicaid agency, he was responsible for all Medicaid functions and services, as well as the state SCHIP program, PeachCare for Kids. The combined programs provide health care coverage to over 1.6 million Georgians, with expenditures over $8 billion dollars. He has worked for over 30 years in a variety of health care fields, serving in both the public and private sectors.

While serving as Medicaid Director, Mr. Trail implemented a successful conversion from the Outpatient Clinic Option to the Rehabilitation Option for people with mental illness and addictive diseases. The conversion provided for the payment and development of Assertive Community Treatment Teams, Peer Support counselors, and certain residential services. The Peer Support program is now becoming a model for the nation. Furthermore, he ensured the successful expansion of therapeutic residential services for children and adolescents with severe emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Prior to his work with Medicaid, Mr. Trail worked in a variety of positions in the mental health, developmental disability, and addictive disease field. He was successful in reducing reliance on a variety of institutional care settings during his tenure in each position. While serving as Regional MH/MR/SA Director in Southeast Georgia, he successfully accomplished a 40% reduction in the use of acute psychiatric in-patient hospital bed days, through the enhancement of community based care options.

Mr. Trail served as an Adjunct Faculty member in the College of Pharmacy – University of Georgia from 2004 to 2008.

He participated as a co-author of the IOM publication; Improving the Quality of Health Care for Mental and Substance-Use Conditions.

Mr. Trail has served as a member of the following associations: Georgia Public Health Association - President, National Association of County Behavioral Health Directors - Board of Directors, and the State Board of Nursing Home Administrators, and served on the Executive Committee of the National Association of State Medicaid Directors. Mr. Trail attended Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia receiving a Masters degree in Community Counseling.