Haslam names new TennCare director

Long.
Long.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced Wednesday Dr. Wendy Long will become the director of TennCare and deputy commissioner of Health Care Finance and Administration (HCFA).

Long will replace Darin Gordon, who is leaving his post at the end of June after 10 years as TennCare director. She has served as deputy director and chief of staff of the Health Care Finance and Administration division of the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration since 2013. Long served as chief medical officer for TennCare from 2004-2012.

“We are fortunate to have someone with such a depth of experience working in TennCare to take on this assignment,” Haslam said in a release. “TennCare is among the best managed Medicaid programs in the nation, and this move will help us maintain that performance. Tennesseans can have great confidence in Dr. Long in this important position.”

Started in 1994, TennCare is the state’s Medicaid program, a $10.5 billion health care enterprise that provides services to nearly 1.5 million Tennesseans. In her role as deputy director of HCFA, Long has provided leadership to all areas of its operation including oversight of contracts with TennCare’s network of managed care companies.

“I am honored that Gov. Haslam asked me to serve in this role,” Long said. “My tenure as TennCare’s deputy director has provided invaluable experience and I am grateful for this leadership opportunity. The dedicated staff at Health Care Finance and Administration are an exceptional group of public servants and I look forward to our continued efforts to promote the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care for the citizens of Tennessee.”

Prior to becoming TennCare’s chief medical officer in 2004, Long held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility at the Tennessee Department of Health including assistant commissioner and medical director for the Bureau of Health Services.  Long also has previous TennCare experience having served as medical director from 1997-1999 and as interim director from March 1998-January 1999.

Long received her undergraduate and medical degrees from Ohio State University and completed a preventive medicine residency and master of public health program at the University of South Carolina.

Long and her husband, Rick, have two grown children, Brian and Lindsey.

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