LeadingAge NY to Meet with New Health Secretary

LeadingAge NY will be meeting later in July with Courtney Burke, the new secretary for health in Governor Cuomo’s administration. Ms. Burke assumed her duties on July 1. She replaces Jim Introne, who recently retired from the post.

Courtney Burke has been the commissioner of the New York State Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) since April 2011. She has had a long career in health and disability policy, having served as director of The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government’s New York State Health Policy Research Center, where she oversaw all health policy research. She directed projects on topics such as administration of long term care under the Medicaid program, health reform implementation and Medicaid funding for non-profits. Prior to joining the Institute, Burke worked at the NYS Department of Health and at the NYS Office of Advocate for Persons with Disabilities on a range of issues affecting individuals with disabilities.

Under Burke’s leadership, OPWDD has been redesigning its system of services under the People First waiver, a construct very similar to the state’s managed long term care program. LeadingAge NY was represented on the OPWDD People First Steering Committee, and looks forward to working with Ms. Burke in her new capacity.

Contact: Dan Heim, dheim@leadingageny.org, 518-867-8866