Kathleen Nolan has been actively engaged in the national dialogue during one of the most transformative periods in the history of Medicaid. Her Medicaid reform and innovation expertise includes Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation, managed care expansion, payment reform, delivery system alignment of physical and behavioral health, managed long-term care services and supports, and advances in health information technology.

Kathleen has a well-established network of national and state health care contacts including federal and state government agencies, foundations, think tanks and providers. She has finely honed skills in translating a best practice from one state or market to another. She has a strong working knowledge of the federal rule-making process and its implications. Her experience with state leaders gives her a firm grasp on the many ways that states weigh their options, make decisions about their programs, and implement reforms.

As division director of health for the National Governors Association (NGA), and then as director of state policy for the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD), Kathleen has earned a unique perspective on state policy making. In both roles, she was a respected and persuasive voice for governors and Medicaid directors in health policy discussions, industry forums and the media. She convened national and state leaders to foster collaboration, find common ground, share promising practices and lessons learned, and advance implementation of health care reform.

Joining NAMD shortly after its launch, Kathleen was instrumental in shaping the strategic direction of the organization. She managed a portfolio of state technical assistance projects on a range of policy and programmatic issues. She led the organization’s efforts to assist states in tackling major Medicaid challenges including behavioral health integration, delivery system reform, ACA implementation, and overall agency leadership. Most recently, Kathleen helped analyze the proposed managed care regulations and began to prepare states for their implementation. She envisioned and managed the annual NAMD State Medicaid Operations Survey which provides insight into how Medicaid directors are managing increasingly complex programs while driving system reform.

At the NGA, Kathleen convened state leaders on critical and timely health policy issues and aided strategy development. She managed 20 federally-funded and foundation projects including delivery system reform, public health improvement, and health information technology. During her tenure, she led the NGA effort to convene governors, legislators and others in the State Alliance for e-Health, and helped states navigate their choices in the early days of the ACA.

Kathleen has also held senior health policy positions with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials and the Institute of Medicine. Before moving to Washington, she was a regulatory and legislative affairs program specialist for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

Kathleen earned her master’s degree in public health from the George Washington University, and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota.

When not working or spending time with her sons, you will find Kathleen with a good book or at a baseball game. She was a Cubs fan before it was cool.

Kelly Johnson oversees day-to-day operations, client services, project management and new business development. She leads the HMA Management Committee and is a primary leadership liaison for colleagues and clients. A collaborator and team builder, Kelly ensures HMA project teams are staffed and budgeted appropriately to support client needs.

Kelly also provides direct client services, specializing in managed care and community-based provider programs. Her expertise includes proposal development, operational assessment, policy and procedure review and development, and readiness reviews. She has led many high-profile procurement projects, resulting in multi-million dollar new contracts and contract renewals for HMA clients. Among our longest serving colleagues, Kelly has spent nearly 20 years of her career with HMA.

Kelly earned both her master’s degree in health services administration and bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan. Kelly works from the HMA office in Lansing, Michigan.

From season to season, Kelly can be found on the sidelines of a sporting event – often several on a single Saturday – cheering on one of her three sons.

Debbie Hofsess is the executive level professional who oversees all human resources functions for HMA including policy development, recruitment and retention, compensation and benefit administration, human resources metrics, and employee relations.

Since joining the firm in 2012, Debbie has been instrumental in helping to develop a talent management structure that balances the progressive, independent culture of HMA with its continued growth. Debbie and her team now support more than 200 employees nationwide, requiring broad knowledge of labor laws and regulations at the federal, state and local levels. She is forward-thinking. She prides herself on her objectivity and being responsive to our HMA colleagues. Debbie understands what it takes to be successful and finds satisfaction in helping others reach their goals.

Prior to HMA, Debbie was the Director of Human Resources and Compliance Administrator for Mid-Michigan Physicians, P.C. (MMP), a physician-owned, multi-specialty practice with over 400 employees across several locations in the greater Lansing, Michigan, area. At MMP, she built the human resources function and grew it to become a strategic business partner within the executive management team. Debbie created and implemented policies, transformed the recruitment and retention process, and enhanced employee and provider relations. As the Compliance Administrator, Debbie proactively identified potential compliance issues, coordinated action, and facilitated resolution of claims. Prior to MMP, Debbie was the Human Resources Manager for Lowry Computer Products, a multi-state employer headquartered in Brighton, Michigan.

Debbie earned both her Master of Science degree in Human Resources Management/Organizational Development and her Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Eastern Michigan University. She is nationally certified as a Society for Human Resources Management Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) by the Society for Human Resources Management and has achieved the SHRM Inclusive Workplace Culture Specialty credential.

Debbie and her husband, Kevin, have two adult children who graduated from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor – making the entire family avid Wolverine fans … GO BLUE!

As HMA chief financial officer, Bruce Gould oversees financial planning, budget management and accounting operations including client billing, financial reporting, tax preparation and compliance. Bruce also supports strategic planning, coordinates all real estate negotiation and contracting, and serves on the HMA Management Committee.

Prior to joining HMA, Bruce was the controller for Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare (TMH), a private, not-for-profit health care system with annual net revenue of $340 million and 2,800 employees. He was responsible for fiscal oversight of all TMH business operations including a 770-bed acute care hospital, foundation, property holding company and for-profit health club.

As controller for a national franchisor of real estate magazines, with annual sales of $45 million, Bruce supervised the financial reporting and budget analysis for four related entities. Bruce has also worked as a senior staff accountant for a public accounting firm, providing corporate, individual and estate tax planning, preparation and auditing services.

Bruce earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida State University and is a licensed certified public accountant. Bruce works from the HMA office in Tallahassee, Florida.

Outside of HMA, Bruce enjoys spending time at the beach and on the water with his wife and daughters.

Donna Checkett oversees business development for HMA. She collaborates with colleagues nationwide to continuously identify, pursue and secure new projects, maximize client satisfaction and retention, and ensure success for both clients and HMA. Her team coordinates firm-wide prospecting, pipeline management and proposal development. She oversees strategic partnerships, sponsorships, conferences, webinars and other client facing promotion, and she consults on marketing and messaging. She tracks emerging industry trends and client needs to inform development of new services and product lines.

Prior to HMA, Donna was vice president of Medicaid growth for Aetna, a diversified healthcare benefits company serving more than 46 million consumers nationwide. She strategically coordinated the expansion of the company’s Medicaid footprint in eight states over the past three years, including California, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Virginia and West Virginia. She directed enterprise level state regulatory and government affairs, and introduced a new advocacy strategy to advance Medicaid market and corporate growth. She shaped Medicaid product offerings and service delivery innovation, creating value-added differentiators within the highly competitive market segment. Donna also developed the original business case for Missouri Care, a Medicaid managed care plan created by the University of Missouri. As the CEO, she led the plan start-up, securing the Certificate of Authority approvals, hiring staff, and contracting the provider network.

During her eight-year tenure as Missouri Medicaid director, Donna shaped early healthcare reform policy, and led the design and implementation of the state’s first Medicaid managed care program. She championed large-scale revenue maximization solutions that remain in place today.

A national thought leader, Donna was appointed as an inaugural commissioner for the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, advising Congress about Medicaid programming and financing issues. She is past chair of the National Association of Medicaid Directors and has served on various committees for the Medicaid Health Plans of America, America’s Health Insurance Plans and other industry organizations.

She earned a master’s degree in public administration and bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a second master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas-Austin.

An avid traveler, Donna and her husband, Chris, seek out great food, great coffee, great wine, great art and great independent bookstores everywhere they visit.