Governor Kate Brown Appoints PacificSource Health Plans’ Miguel Angel Herrada to the Medicaid Advisory Committee

(PORTLAND, Ore.) Dec. 21, 2016- Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has appointed Miguel Angel Herrada, PacificSource Health Plans’ health equity and diversity strategist, to the state’s Medicaid Advisory Committee (MAC) as a representative of PacificSource’s Coordinated Care Organizations (CCO). The MAC is a federally mandated body that advises the Oregon Health Policy Board (OHPB), the Office of Health Policy and Analytics, and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) on the operation of Oregon’s Medicaid program, including the Oregon Health Plan (OHP).

The MAC is responsible for developing and advising policy recommendations at the request of the Governor, the Legislature and OHA. The OHA explicitly directs the Committee to support the following functions:

• Monitoring: Provide oversight and review of Oregon's administration of its Medicaid program.
• Advising: Serve as an advisory body to OHA on issues relevant to those served by OHP as described in state and federal policy, and as requested. 
• Policy Development: Participate in Medicaid policy development by making recommendations to the OHA that are reflected as appropriate in program policies and procedures, statute, rule, or other governing protocols. 
• Reporting: Publish an annual letter that highlights key issues related to the operation of OHP that affect OHP enrollees and their families, and provide a list of pertinent reports developed by the committee.

In his role as PacificSource’s health equity and diversity strategist, Herrada supports the advancement of health equity and the elimination of health disparities across the organization’s health plan programs, lines of business, and communities. His key responsibilities include working to ensure the organization’s materials and activities meet cultural and/or linguistic needs of plan members, and that the work plans for its lines of business employ an “equity lens,” focusing on reducing disparities in quality, access, and experience for members of diverse backgrounds.

Herrada is a graduate of the Developing Equity Leadership through Training and Action (DELTA) program via the Office of Equity and Inclusion (OEI), which is committed to advancing health equity and diversity throughout Oregon. He currently volunteers as Medical Interpreter for Volunteers in Medicine, is a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Development and Disability (IDD) for Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU), and is a member of the Board of Directors of Mosaic Medical Group in Central Oregon. 

In addition to his professional skills, Miguel Angel draws from a rich cultural background in approaching his work. He is an accomplished multi-instrumentalist with expertise across many culturally diverse genres such as flamenco and Middle Eastern music, including Balkan, Arabic, Turkish, and Klezmer styles.

About PacificSource Health Plans

PacificSource Health Plans is an independent, regional, not-for-profit community health plan serving the Northwest. Founded in 1933, PacificSource is based in Springfield with local offices throughout Oregon, and in Idaho and Montana.
The PacificSource family of companies employs 900 people, serves more than 280,000 individuals, and has 3,900 employer clients throughout the Northwest.