Former Leader of the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Joins ProgenyHealth Board

Leslie V. Norwalk's deep government and Medicaid expertise will strengthen the leading NICU care management company's team

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ProgenyHealth

Feb 11, 2021, 14:00 ET

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Feb. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- ProgenyHealth, LLC, provider of comprehensive NICU care management for premature and medically complex newborns, today announced the appointment of Leslie V. Norwalk to its board of managers. Ms. Norwalk, strategic counsel to Epstein Becker Green, EBG Advisors and National Health Advisors, is a recognized leader in Medicare and Medicaid strategy and public policy. In her board role, she will help guide ProgenyHealth as it expands its NICU management services to meet the needs of the nation's surging Medicaid population, as well as the maternity and postpartum goals associated with Healthy Women, Health Pregnancies, Healthy Futures, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' maternal health initiative announced on December 3, 2020.

As Acting Administrator for the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) under the Bush administration, Ms. Norwalk managed the day-to-day operations of Medicare, Medicaid, State Child Health Insurance Programs, survey and certification of health care facilities, and other federal health care initiatives. She previously served as the agency's deputy administrator, responsible for the implementation of the hundreds of changes made under the Medicare Modernization Act, including the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit. With the second-largest budget outlay within the federal government—$632 billion at the time—Ms. Norwalk and her team at CMS were directly responsible for this spend, which accounted for $1 out of every $3 spent on health care in the United States.

"The health of babies and new moms is at the foundation of a country's health care," said Ms. Norwalk. "As I learned more about ProgenyHealth's short and long-term impact on at-risk newborns and their families, I was struck by the critical work they do, developing and implementing evidenced-based approaches that ensure the highest quality of care at appropriate costs. The company's expansion into the adjacencies of maternity management and payment integrity has created an end-to-end NICU care management solution. These capabilities are becoming even more important as states and their managed Medicaid partners search for ways to improve quality while meeting balanced budget obligations amidst surging enrollment. I am honored to join ProgenyHealth's board and look forward to contributing my expertise to this important work."

"NICU cases can be some of the most complicated and costly—that's why we're dedicated to supporting providers, as well the family to ensure they have everything they need," said ProgenyHealth's founder and CEO, Ellen Stang, MD. "We have been focused on solving for social determinants of health and health equity since day one, and now we're on an exciting trajectory to change the way our client partners approach NICU care management. Leslie is a leading advocate for reform, and will help advise us on strategy as we continue to grow into other natural adjacencies for the business.

About ProgenyHealth
ProgenyHealth, LLC, is the only national company dedicated exclusively to NICU utilization management and case management. Our board-certified neonatologists, pediatric intensivists, NICU/pediatric nurses, and social workers collaborate with providers on behalf of Medicaid and commercial health plans, as well as large employers, to ensure health care services follow evidence-based best practices and are medically necessary. ProgenyHealth's integrated program has proven effective in managing nearly 100,000 NICU cases, in over 1,400 hospitals, in all 50 states. We are measurably improving health outcomes for premature and medically complex newborns and delivering quantifiable cost savings to our partners in any payment environment. For more information, visit www.progenyhealth.com.

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SOURCE ProgenyHealth