Dr. Gil Liu, a Louisville pediatrician and member of the University of Louisville School of Medicine faculty, has been appointed as the new medical director for the Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
CHFS Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson announced the appointment for Liu, who was also recently named as the University of Louisville (UofL) School of Medicine Endowed Chair and Distinguished Scholar in Urban Health Policy Research.
A graduate of the University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Dr. Liu completed an internship and residency at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) School of Medicine. He also completed an additional fellowship in medical informatics and earning a master’s degree in biomedical engineering while at UNC.
“Dr. Liu’s impressive background and wealth of experience in the practice of medicine and public policy make him an ideal fit for this position. We are thrilled he is joining our Medicaid team,” said Sec. Glisson. “The Medicaid program provides health coverage for over a million Kentuckians and is vital to Kentucky’s healthcare landscape. As medical director, Dr. Liu will play a key role in providing oversight and directing clinical decisions to guide the program and improve delivery of services.”
Dr. Liu served on the faculty of the Indiana University Department of Pediatrics for 12 years and joined UofL as the director of General Pediatrics Division in 2013. In addition to his medical practice and teaching work, he also founded the Kentucky Pediatric Alliance for Transforming Children’s Healthcare, a learning collaborative to improve healthcare quality for publicly insured children in the Louisville metro area.
“The Department is privileged to have someone of Dr. Liu’s caliber to serve as our Medical Director,” said DMS Commissioner Steve Miller.
Dr. Liu has taught general pediatrics and his research interests include obesity prevention, environmental health, spatial analysis, and improving medical education. His studies of how neighborhoods and schools affect health and health behavior have been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the US Department of Education, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
“This is an incredibly exciting and challenging time to lead health care transformation. I am convinced that Kentucky can advance towards better health for its citizens through higher quality health services, stronger more diverse partnerships, and commitments to creativity and sustainability,” , Dr. Liu said. “I plan to especially contribute expertise in using data and careful analysis to identify effective solutions, I am glad to bring the voice of a clinician to the Medicaid team; and as a pediatrician, I will always be drawn to endeavors that champion child health, taking a family based approach.”
Dr. Liu serves as the current Chair for the American Academy of Pediatrics Pediatric Leadership Alliance, a globally recognized initiative to improve the leadership capacity of pediatricians and other health care providers.
He resides in Louisville with his wife and four children.
Additional information is available at http://chfs.ky.gov/.
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services