Laura Zaremba
Principal
Health Management Associates
Chicago, IL
[javascript protected email address]
(312) 641-5007
Laura Zaremba is an experienced professional and health policy expert who specializes in strategy and management of structural and process change across complex organizations and interdisciplinary teams. She has an extensive background overseeing technology-driven programs and policy initiatives with more than 20 years of experience in public sector and nonprofit management. She has held leadership positions in multiple state agencies, including the Office of the Governor and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, the single state Medicaid agency.
Laura joined HMA from Trexin Consulting, where she provided strategic consultation on health care transformation initiatives, including state and federal health policy, as well as support for program implementation, regulatory planning, and compliance. She led projects and developed services to support payer and provider clients with new business models and organizational changes related to the transition from volume-based to value-based and accountable care.
At the Illinois Governor’s Office of Health Innovation and Transformation, Laura chaired a statewide data and technology work group responsible for recommending policy and technical specifications for health information technology to support healthcare reform. She led the proposal team that developed Illinois’ Health Innovation Plan for the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) program to achieve better health outcomes, improve healthcare quality, and reduce costs across multiple payers.
As deputy director at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Laura oversaw operations of the state’s Medicaid and child support enforcement agency, with accountability for a $16 billion budget, 2,500 employees, and services to 2.5 million beneficiaries. She developed and implemented health information technology initiatives, including a statewide grant program and Illinois’ Medicaid health information technology plan. She led the drafting and enactment of the Illinois Health Information Exchange and Technology Act, which established statewide service available to healthcare providers to exchange health information and transmit public health data.
At the Illinois Office of Health Information Technology, Laura led a four year, federally-funded project to establish and sustain a statewide health information exchange network. She spearheaded the state’s efforts to promote health information technology adoption and implement statewide infrastructure to improve healthcare quality and outcomes. She worked with hundreds of provider, public health, and advocacy organizations to develop the state’s health information exchange (HIE) strategic and operational Plan, develop benchmarks, and evaluate program impact. She was designated by the governor as the state’s health information technology coordinator.
Laura began her career in healthcare as a legislative associate with the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, analyzing scope of practice for advanced practice nurses and supporting government affairs initiatives. She has served on the board of the Illinois Health Information Exchange Authority, Illinois Rural HealthNet and the governor’s Healthcare Reform Implementation Council. She is also a member of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).
Laura earned her master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Off-hours, you will usually find Laura running to keep up with her very active family and their long list of sporting, arts, and community activities – and loving every moment of them.