DHSS Press Release

DR. NANCY FAN TO REPLACE DEPARTING BETTINA TWEARDY RIVEROS AS CHAIR OF THE DELAWARE HEALTH CARE COMMISSION

DOVER (Dec. 3, 2015) - Dr. Nancy Fan, president of the Medical Society of Delaware and a board-certified obstetrician/gynecologist, has been appointed Chair of the Delaware Health Care Commission by Gov. Jack Markell. Dr. Fan will replace Bettina Tweardy Riveros, Governor Markell's Health Policy Advisor, who has served as Chair since Sept. 3, 2010. Riveros is leaving the administration to work in the private sector. The changes are effective Dec. 4.

Dr. Fan and Riveros are both members of a group of Delaware health care stakeholders who developed Delaware's Health Care Innovation Plan to transform health care delivery from a fee-for-service system toward one that rewards quality care and efficiency. Their leadership helped Delaware receive a $35 million grant award from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) in December 2014 to improve health care quality and lower costs. That group created the 501[c]3 organization, the Delaware Center for Health Innovation, to carry out the innovation work.

Dr. Fan is president of Women to Women OB/GYN Associates and is on the staff of St. Francis Healthcare, both in Wilmington. She is a graduate of the Temple University School of Medicine and did her residency at Baylor College of Medicine.

"I am pleased that Dr. Fan has agreed to lead the important work of the Health Care Commission as its Chair," Gov. Markell said. "She has an impressive history of service to the people of Delaware through her work in health care system innovation and to her fellow physicians as President of the Medical Society. Through her service and commitment, Dr. Fan will help us build a healthier Delaware."

"I am very excited to have been given this opportunity by Governor Markell to continue the valuable and progressive work of the Health Care Commission," Dr. Fan said. "As Chair of the Health Care Commission, I hope to promote policy that will improve how we deliver health care to provide greater access and better health for all Delawareans."

Gov. Markell also praised the leadership of Riveros at the Health Care Commission and in his office.

"In a time of great change in our health care system, Bettina has been a strong voice, a trusted advisor and a dedicated leader over the past five years," Governor Markell said. "Her leadership in changing the way that health care is delivered and paid for in our state will result in improved health outcomes for Delawareans for decades to come."

Beginning in spring 2013, Riveros helped to lead the innovation work that involved more than 100 stakeholders from across the health care spectrum. In December 2014, Delaware was one of 11 states to receive a four-year competitive CMMI grant. Today, the Delaware Center for Health Innovation's board and its committees are overseeing changes that will improve the consumer experience, lead to better health care outcomes, and reduce the overall growth of health care spending in Delaware.

"I have been honored to serve the people of Delaware as Chair of the Health Care Commission and in Governor Markell's administration as we work to ensure access to quality health care for every Delawarean," Riveros said. "Over the past five years I have had the great fortune of working with DHSS Secretary Rita Landgraf, Jill Rogers, Director of Division of Services to the Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, my fellow Commission members and other strong and talented leaders statewide who share a commitment to service and a vision for a health care system that provides comprehensive and well-coordinated care for every member of our community. Our work has been centered on implementing the Affordable Care Act to expand access to health care coverage and developing a framework for innovation that improves the quality of care, reduces the cost trend and improves the health of our population. I am grateful to Governor Markell for the opportunity to serve and am confident that Dr. Fan, Secretary Landgraf, other Health Care Commission members, and the Delaware Center for Health Innovation will continue this critical work on behalf of all Delawareans."

During Riveros' tenure as Chair of the Health Care Commission, the number of uninsured Delawareans declined significantly as Governor Markell made decisions to expand health insurance coverage. In July 2012, Governor Markell said Delaware would begin planning to become a state-federal partnership state in terms of its Health Insurance Marketplace. As of June 2015, more than 23,000 Delawareans had private coverage on the Marketplace. Also in July 2012, the Governor decided to expand Medicaid coverage up to 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (about $16,000 for an individual), beginning in January 2014. Today, more than 9,000 Delaware adults have coverage through the expansion of Medicaid. Delaware's uninsured rate declined to 9.6 percent among all adults in 2014, the 10th-lowest rate in the country.

Riveros will join the leadership team of Christiana Care Health System in January 2016.

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware's citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.