One State’s Billion-Dollar Bet on Better Behavioral Healthcare
Join us for an insightful conversation with North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kody Kinsley, as he shares how growing up without health insurance influences his drive to improve health care access and affordability in his home state.
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About The Guest
Kody Kinsley serves as North Carolina’s Secretary of Health & Human Services, overseeing a department with over 18,000 staff and a $38 billion budget.
With experience centered on health policy and operations, Kinsley worked on digital healthcare transformation, national education and labor policies, and served as COO and CFO of the U.S. Treasury.
Secretary Kinsley’s three priorities for the department include: Investing in behavioral health and resilience, improving child and family well-being, and building a strong and inclusive workforce. Under his leadership, North Carolina expanded Medicaid and received the largest investment to bolster the mental health system in over a decade.
Kinsley grew up in Wilmington, earning his bachelor’s degree from Brevard College and his master’s in Public Policy from the University of California at Berkeley.
Episode Description
Join us for an insightful conversation with North Carolina Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kody Kinsley, as he shares how growing up without health insurance influences his drive to improve health care access and affordability in his home state. Discover the transformative impact of the state’s recent Medicaid expansion and substantial investments in behavioral health.
Secretary Kinsley emphasizes North Carolina’s novel, bipartisan approach to improving care. The discussion covers innovative strategies for staffing the 988 crisis hotline and the unusual integration of the health care system and the prison system. Secretary Kinsley ends with reflections on leadership in an era of identity politics and his advice for quality advocates everywhere.
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Timestamps
(01:48) Medicaid Expansion: A New Era
(05:11) Bipartisanship and Community Engagement
(06:37) Challenges and Solutions in Behavioral Health
(11:56) Innovative Approaches to Health Care and Justice
(13:23) Social Determinants of Health: A Holistic Approach
(21:09) Taking Pride in One’s Holistic Identity and Quality Gains