An alumna of Fort Hays State University, Kari Bruffett, has been selected as the state’s Director of Health Care Finance.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary, Dr. Robert Moser, says “Kari is an experienced leader in the health care industry and has dedicated much of her time to Kansas’ Medicaid reforms this year as we’ve worked with key leaders and stakeholders in developing KanCare.”

Bruffett leads a division with close to 180 staff responsible for Kansas’ Medicaid program and the State Employee Health Plan.

She  served for the past 12 months as KDHE’s Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs and leaves that position to head the DHCF—for which she has served as Interim Director since Nov. 23 after then-director Andy Allison stepped down to head Arkansas’ Medicaid program.

Bruffett has a background in health policy and government affairs, including eight years working at the University of Kansas Hospital and four years on Capitol Hill.