Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JULY 28, 2004
TennCare Names Darin J. Gordon
Chief Financial Officer
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - TennCare Director, J.D. Hickey, today announced that Darin J. Gordon has been named Chief Financial Officer of the Bureau of TennCare. He begins his new duties immediately.
In his new position, Gordon will head up the existing fiscal unit and assume oversight of the Bureau's financial and budgetary operations. He previously served as TennCare's Director of Managed Care and was heavily involved in the oversight of the department's fiscal budget.
"Darin has an incredible amount of talent in budget and finance matters, and he possesses a wealth of institutional knowledge about the TennCare program," Hickey said. "Given the changes that are before this department, we will rely heavily on Darin's abilities as we seek to implement the Governor's reform initiatives and regain financial control over this program."
Gordon joined TennCare in October 2002 and assumed responsibility for the management and oversight of TennCare's nine managed care organizations and two behavioral health organizations. His duties included negotiating contracts with MCOs, monitoring contract compliance, developing cost and utilization analysis models and assisting in financial and contractual negotiations with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). He also created a managed care analytics unit to better analyze cost and utilization information provided by TennCare managed care organizations.
Prior to TennCare, Gordon served for two years as the budget director for health services in the Office of Health Services, which formerly existed under the Department of Finance and Administration. He previously spent three years in the division of budget under Finance and Administration. Gordon began his tenure with the state in 1995, serving for two years as an assistant research analyst with the Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee.
"The complexities of the TennCare program, its financial relationship with the Federal government and the importance TennCare plays in the state's overall budget make this a challenge I look forward to addressing," Gordon said. "We are on track to make meaningful changes in the program to ensure its long-term viability, and I appreciate the opportunity to help make that happen."
TennCare is Tennessee 's managed care insurance program for 1.3 million people who are poor, disabled or uninsured.
