Carol Steckel To Lead Health Care Reform Efforts In Louisiana
Governor Bob Riley today announced that Alabama Medicaid Commissioner Carol Steckel is leaving Medicaid effective November 15.
Steckel, who has served as Alabama’s Medicaid Commissioner since December 2003, and previously from 1988-1992, will become Executive Director of Health Care Reform for the State of Louisiana.
“Commissioner Steckel has been the driving force in transforming our Medicaid program for the better. She has firmly established Alabama as a national leader in health information technology and, thanks to the improvements she’s put in place, Alabama Medicaid has been recognized and rewarded for its effectiveness. Our Medicaid program does more with less than any other state, and I appreciate all Commissioner Steckel has done,” said Governor Riley.
“Managing a complex program such as Medicaid is challenging, but the importance of this program to the citizens of this state has always made our efforts worthwhile. I am truly honored to say that I served Governor Riley and the people of Alabama,” Commissioner Steckel said.
During her tenure as Medicaid commissioner, Steckel instituted several reforms to improve the program.
Alabama became the first state in the nation to make consumer-directed care for Medicaid home and community-based services a permanent part of its state plan.
This change allowed older adults and those with disabilities to have greater control over the delivery of their personal health care services.
Commissioner Steckel also led efforts to create an electronic health information network that links Medicaid with doctors, health care providers, state health agencies and private payers across the state.
Last year, Alabama Medicaid received the nation’s largest federal performance bonus for effectively providing access to basic health services to low-income children.
Alabama was one of only nine states receiving the bonus from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In addition to her current duties, Commissioner Steckel is current president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.
Prior to her appointment by Governor Riley, she served as director of the Birmingham-based Survey Companies and as CEO of Survey Associates.
She was also senior vice president with Health Services in Northport and program chief of staff for the March of Dimes National Foundation. Her community activities include memberships on the Dean’s Advisory Committee, UAB School of Public Health; Board of Counselors, UAB Center for Aging; and the Norton Board of Advisors for Birmingham-Southern College.
Commissioner Steckel has a Master’s Degree in Public Health from UAB and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology from Birmingham-Southern College.
She is married to Reverend Arthur D. Steckel, II, who serves as the Chaplain at Cooper-Green Mercy Hospital.
Topics: 2010, Affordable Care Act, Alabama, Alabama Medicaid Commissioner, America, Carol Steckel, Commissioner Steckel, Director of Health Care Reform, disabilities, doctors, Governance, government, Governor Bob Riley, Health and Human Services, health care, Health Care, health care providers, health care reform, health care services, HHS, Louisiana, Medicaid, moniter, monitor, news, older adults, private payers, seniors, society, state health agencies, state plan, U.S., United States
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