Saluting Texas Lone Stars: The Lone Star section spotlights and recognizes powerful figures across Texas’ public sector landscape. This week’s Lone Star profile is Emily Zalkovsky, Chief Medicaid and CHIP Services Officer for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
Your public career highlights and education
I have been working in the health and human services field for about 20 years, 16 of them in public service at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. In my current role as the Chief Medicaid and CHIP Services Officer, I oversee Texas Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Texas Medicaid provides health care to over 4 million low-income children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with disabilities.
I have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s of public affairs degree from the University of Texas at Austin. I also completed the Governor’s Executive Development Program.
What you like best about public service
I love seeing the difference Medicaid can make in people’s lives, especially for older adults and people with disabilities who may need help living independently. Medicaid provides long term services and supports like attendant care, respite, and specialized therapies that enable individuals to live in the community rather than an institution.
An example of some of the best advice you have ever received
As a leader, your staff are your greatest resource. You should advocate for them and invest in their professional development. Bringing in talent from the outside can be great, but it’s not always the answer for hard-to-fill jobs. By investing in your staff and helping people grow professionally, you can create highly qualified candidates to fill roles in the organization.
Something you wish more people knew about the division of government you serve
I wish people knew how dedicated and hard working my team and colleagues are. I work with people who deeply care about the individuals we serve and would bend over backwards to make sure people get the services they are eligible to receive. For many people, this is not just a 9-to-5 job.
Any current project or initiative that you are working on
Over the next few years, we will be working to improve the Medicaid provider enrollment process and system. Providers such as doctors, dentists, hospitals, and nursing facilities are the backbone of the Medicaid program. Without a robust network of providers, Medicaid recipients would not be able to access healthcare services. Right now, the system Medicaid providers use to enroll in the program is more complicated than it needs to be. Our goal is to reduce administrative burden on providers so they want to stay enrolled in the program and can spend more time seeing patients instead of doing paperwork.
One thing outside of government service people may not know about you
I love pop culture and whenever I visit a city, I try to go by famous tv and movie filming locations, especially houses. I’ve visited houses from The Brady Bunch, Gilmore Girls, Back to the Future, Goonies, and of course Friday Night Lights and Dazed and Confused right here in Austin.
