Fred Cerise, MD, MPH, president and CEO of Parkland Health & Hospital System is among five new healthcare leaders appointed by the U.S. Comptroller General to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC).
As a member of the Commission, Dr. Cerise will serve as a national advisor to Congress on issues affecting Medicaid and CHIP, which are of critical importance to Parkland and other health systems throughout the Metroplex and Texas. Approximately half of the patients served by Parkland are uninsured or underinsured and of those, 28 percent are covered by Medicaid.
“With Dr. Cerise having served as a board member of the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council (DFWHC) for several years, I personally cannot think of a single person more qualified for this appointment,” said W. Stephen Love, president/CEO of DFWHC. “This is not only a great opportunity for Dr. Cerise to make a difference in Texas, but his knowledge will be an invaluable asset to MACPAC. He coordinates these issues daily in a huge urban market providing him unparalleled experience.”
MACPAC is a non-partisan legislative branch agency that provides policy and data analysis and makes recommendations to Congress, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the states on a wide array of issues affecting Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The U.S. Comptroller General appoints MACPAC’s 17 commissioners, who come from diverse regions across the United States and bring broad expertise and a wide range of perspectives on Medicaid and CHIP.
The Commission’s authorizing statute outlines several areas for analysis, including:
• Payment;
• Eligibility;
• Enrollment and retention;
• Coverage;
• Access to care;
• Quality of care, and;
• The programs’ interaction with Medicare and the healthcare system generally.
“I am both humbled and honored by this appointment. Every day I see the challenges faced by the low-income populations that enter our facilities looking for healthcare services that could save their lives,” Dr. Cerise said. “I see the challenges faced by our dedicated members of Congress as they look for the best way to provide that care with the resources available. I am eager to help in any way I can and to effect sound policies to improve the health of our population.”
In 2014, Dr. Cerise was named Parkland’s president and CEO. Dr. Cerise serves on the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council board and since 2016, has served as chair of the statewide nonprofit association, Teaching Hospitals of Texas, an 18-member group of essential safety net hospitals.
Prior to joining Parkland, Dr. Cerise served as Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans School of Medicine. From 2007 to 2012, he was Vice President for Health Affairs and Medical Education of the Louisiana State University System. From 2004 to 2007, Dr. Cerise was Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. He began his career at the Earl K. Long Medical Center, Baton Rouge, La. Between 1991 and 2004, he advanced from the role of Assistant Program Director and Clinical Faculty member to Medical Director and ultimately served as Chief Executive Officer.
Dr. Fred Cerise