Lisa Padilla, Director of Member Experience at Cook Children’s Health Plan, has a passion for helping people. The entirety of her 25-year career has been spent in public and community health serving those living in often underserved communities. Four years ago, she brought that passion to Cook Children’s, where she works to ensure the Health Plan serves as more than just a payer, but as a true partner in the health and wellness journeys of its members. Her dedication is deeply rooted in personal experience. “Many in my family have been on Medicaid. My children are grown now but, when they were small, they received Medicaid services,” Padilla said. “I know how important Medicaid is for families and children and I am so honored that daily I can make decisions about the services that our Medicaid members receive.” Padilla loves making a tangible difference where it matters most — on the ground in the community, where she says 80% of health care happens. It takes a keen understanding of the social determinants of health as well as the cultures within the service area to truly influence the health and well-being of those living there. Padilla believes no other organization does culturally competent, community centered health care management better than Cook Children’s Health Plan. She’s concerned that boots-on-the-ground insight could all be lost If Texas’ Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is allowed to follow through with its decision to deny CCHP a new contract for managing the state’s Medicaid programs. Instead, HHSC seeks to award contracts to large, national insurance providers through an unfair and faulty contract review process. “We know the ins and outs here. We already know the partners we can and are working with to build services around food insecurity, housing and job readiness. We understand the cultures in the area and know how to effectively communicate with them. Any health insurance company can come in here and be a payer, but no one can come in and meet the people in the community where they are to make the most impact like we can.” We are doing everything we can to protect North Texas families from losing access to long-established, community-based health plans like Cook Children's Health Plan. For more information, please visit www.savecookchildrenshealthplan.com, and read more about Lisa’s inspiring impact here: https://tinyurl.com/4ydedubm (fb)

Today, Cook Children’s begins a new chapter in its 107-year history of hope and healing by breaking ground on the site that will soon see the rise of a new 760,000-square-foot patient care tower, currently referred to as the West Tower. To learn more about this exciting expansion, visit: https://tinyurl.com/5e9c94mc (fb)