TRANSITIONS IN PRACTICE
( continued from page 9 ) did some additional homework and discovered that there were two
open “ Republican ” seats on the Indiana Medical Licensing Board ( MLB ). With the help of some good “ Democrat ” physician friends of the Governor , I was appointed by Gov . Bayh ( at age 33 ) to the Indiana MLB . I served two terms and was Board President twice . I also got a real education on how the system works , which would help later when opportunity came knocking .
An interesting twist was that the following year ( 2002 ), I again requested appointment to the DUR board , which was granted under a new administration . I served for 12 years on the DUR board , serving as Board Chair for three years . Lesson number three – be persistent !
It was around 2004 when I was serving on our specialty society Political Action Committee board , that I met then-Congressman Mike Pence . Though Congressman Pence was not on a relevant committee for health care , he was amiable , approachable and clearly moving up . When he left Congress eight years later and returned to Indiana to run for Governor , we kept in touch . Attending campaign events ( and contributions , of course ) were good ways to stay close to those “ inner circle ” supporters who would serve in his eventual administration .
After 18 years of busy practice , I decided in 2007 to take a chance and went to work full-time for a Medicaid Health Plan called MDwise . As Chief Medical Officer , I learned the true workings and failings of health plans . Working with Safety Net systems and providers caring for Medicaid recipients taught me a lot about what motivates patients and drives better clinical outcomes . The greatest stigma we face in this population is the false premise that “ poor people don ’ t care about their health .” Nothing could be further from the truth . In fact , most cared deeply about their health issues but for various reasons ( now called social determinants ), they felt powerless to effect change . For example , it is hard to manage your diabetes when you can ’ t afford nutritious food . It is hard to keep your asthmatic child from a respiratory crisis when you live in a mold-infested dwelling . So , my work with our county hospitals and Medicaid providers opened my eyes and heart to new ways of viewing solutions .
If it were not for these experiences and 20 years of volunteering to serve on various commissions and boards , then the call to come and visit now-Gov . Pence would have seemed fanciful . Thanks to his Chief of Staff who knew of my efforts and some supporters of the Governor , I had several meetings with Pence who wanted to talk about how a Medicaid expansion of the Affordable Care Act should look in a conservative state like Indiana . At the third meeting , he asked me to serve on the Cabinet as Secretary of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration . This large , multi-department agency had six large programs including Medicaid , the Division of Mental Health , The Division of Aging , Department of Family Services , Childcare and Disabilities . With 10,000 employees and an annual budget of $ 9 billion , it constitutes 42 % of state government activity . It was a big job , but one I was ready to take on .
One point Gov . Pence made then that still rings in my ears : “ John , why haven ’ t we had a physician running this agency before ?” My response : “ Governor , the doctors of the state have been asking that question for 25 years !”
At the risk of sounding grandiose , I will only state that Indiana excelled under the leadership of the Pence administration . In addition to being the first “ red ” conservative state to expand Medicaid ( with a consumer driven plan called HIP 2.0 = Health Indiana Plan ), Indiana was able to improve access to all medical services for citizens in need and gave a 30 % pay raise to our physicians and hospitals to take good care of our fellow Hoosiers . In addition , we modernized the eligibility system , made it easier for doctors to get credentialed , kept intact the model medical malpractice act and built a new state of the art public psychiatric hospital – the Indiana Neurodiagnostic Institute . The state of Indiana continues to benefit from many of the innovations we were able to institute during these four years .
We all know that Mr . Pence was bound for bigger things , and we were all proud to have him step forward and serve our nation as Vice President these past four tumultuous years . Regardless of your party leanings , I believe we can all appreciate the difficult job he had , and the masterful and respectful way he led while in office . It was truly the highlight of my career to serve in this fine administration .
I have now returned to my home state of Kentucky and community and am happy to be here . However , I will always have a place in my heart for the Hoosier state and the opportunity to have my “ season of government service !”
Some additional lessons learned :
• Know and befriend legislators – they tend to move up or out and can be great supporters .
• Just being active in organized medicine is not enough . You need the support of lobbyists and politicians if you want to serve in an administration .
• Be prepared to take a financial haircut ! When Pence hired me , he joked , “ You know , Doc , you will be taking a haircut .” My response , “ OK , Governor , just don ’ t decapitate me !”
Dr . Wernert , MHA is the Executive Medical Director of Norton Medical Group and practices with Norton Behavioral Medicine .
10 LOUISVILLE MEDICINE