Serco Inc. has hired Karen Shields, who previously held leadership positions at the Health and Human Services Department’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to lead the development of the company’s health care sector business.
Shields has over 30 years of private and public sector leadership, and most recently served as deputy director of CMS’ Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight. At CCIIO, she served as the executive leader responsible for all business operations and day-to-day management for implementation of the Affordable Care Act health reforms, Serco said.
Shields will lead the strategy and expansion of Serco’s consulting, business processing, and operational solutions that assist federal, state and local governments in providing affordable health care for their citizens.
“Serco understands the healthcare opportunities and challenges facing the governments and consumers,” Shields said in a statement. “I have been impressed with their approach to business processing and program integrity as it relates to healthcare.”
Dave Dacquino, Serco chairman and CEO, praised Shields’ depth of knowledge within the health care industry.
“We believe her expertise, thought leadership, and understanding of government agencies operations, policies and programs will enhance Serco’s position for growth in the healthcare services sector,” Dacquino said in a statement.
Shields previously served as the executive for operations at CMS, where she led multiple health care open enrollment periods and oversaw the implementation, design and launch of mission critical systems for the disbursement of over $23 billion in federal payments to the health insurance plans.
Before joining CMS, Shields worked at Lockeed Martin for nine years, where she worked with the departments of Defense, Treasury and other government agencies.