Vikki wachino biography of abraham

People returning to their communities after periods of incarceration often face major health challenges. Many struggle with substance use disorder and stand a high risk of overdose after their release. Chronic health conditions , including diabetes, infectious diseases, and mental illness, disproportionately afflict people who are incarcerated, leading to high rates of illness and mortality.

And people often lack access to adequate health care before being incarcerated, inside of correctional facilities, and after they return home. A first and key partner in this emerging portfolio is the Health and Reentry Project HARP , an initiative that aims to improve the health of people returning to communities after leaving prisons and jails.

AV is supporting HARP to inform and accelerate federal policy changes in this area and to provide assistance to five states as they implement expanded access to Medicaid for people during reentry. Access to Medicaid coverage, in particular, can reduce recidivism , and wider access to post-release mental health and substance use treatment can reduce crime overall.

Vikki wachino biography of abraham: "It's not going to

Vikki Wachino, founder and executive director of HARP , has dedicated her career to improving health care coverage, particularly in her role overseeing the Medicaid program at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services during the Obama Administration. At a personal level, what brought you to this intersection of health care and reentry?

I come to this from a health care system perspective. When I worked in the Obama administration, we extended coverage to millions of Americans through Medicaid expansion and launched some major delivery system reforms.