A nationally recognized health services expert and government reformer, Gary D. Alexander is head of the Medicaid and Health Safety Net Initiative at the Paragon Health Institute.

For more than 20 years, Alexander has transformed large, underperforming government agencies into accountable, value-oriented, and performance-driven systems. His pioneering Medicaid reforms, legislative achievements, and state-of-the-art technology solutions have improved outcomes and quality, re-engineered programs, and reduced budget deficits.

Alexander served as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Human Services and Rhode Island’s Secretary of Health and Human Services and Medicaid Director. During these tenures, he created structural reforms, including the Medicaid Global Waiver and the Enterprise Program Integrity Initiative, which delivered unprecedented flexibility to redesign Medicaid programs and eradicate fraud and abuse. He is currently a highly-sought-after advisor and consultant, working with governments and private businesses to develop cost-reducing and value-based health care solutions. He appears frequently in the media, before Congress and state legislatures, serves as a contributor to various publications and think tanks, and has authored many commentaries.

Alexander earned his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University, his JD from Suffolk University School of Law, and his Master of Divinity Degree from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. He is currently completing a Doctorate in Education (EdD) from Northeastern University.