Judy Zerzan-Thul, M.D., M.P.H., is the chief medical officer at Washington State Health Care Authority, co-chair of the HCPLAN Executive Forum, and a general internal medicine physician. She leads the state of Washington’s Medicaid Transformation Project, where she collaborates with stakeholders to advance health equity and the innovative use of data. As chief medical officer of the Washington State Health Care Authority, she administers the state’s Medicaid program. She also works to advance the HCPLAN’s strategic objectives to drive equitable health outcomes and lower the total cost of care.
Dr. Zerzan-Thul specializes in value-based payment models and health care financing. Prior to her role as the chief medical officer for Washington State, Dr. Zerzan-Thul was the chief medical officer at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. She led the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in Colorado. She has extensive experience designing and implementing health plans and benefits for Medicaid programs. Dr. Zerzan-Thul’s background also includes leadership positions in the Medicaid Medical Director’s Network. She has also served as a committee member and advisor for national organizations, including the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Quality Forum, the National Committee for Quality Assurance, the National Academy for State Health Policy, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Dr. Zerzan-Thul holds a Doctor of Medicine from Oregon Health and Science University and received a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Administration from the University of North Carolina. She completed the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Washington/VA Puget Sound Health Care System in 2007. From 2008 to 2010, she was a non-residential Health and Aging Policy Fellow for the office of Senator John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia, where she supported public policy for the Affordable Care Act.