SPEIRE HEALTHCARE STRATEGIES - Key Persons

Darin Gordon

Job Titles:
  • Executive
  • Partner
  • Founding Partner Nashville, Tennessee
  • Founding Partner Nashville, Tennessee BIO
Darin Gordon is a seasoned executive with over 20 years of experience in public health care finance, policy and operations. Darin is a nationally recognized expert in state health insurance programs. He currently works with C-level clients across the country providing solutions to complex health care issues. His clients span the health care ecosystem and include government, payers, providers, investors and top 10 consulting practices. In 2017, Darin was selected to be a commissioner for the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), a non-partisan agency that provides advice to Congress, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and states, he is serving a three year term. Most recently, Darin founded Gordon & Associates, LLC, where he has advised fortune 500 companies, investment companies and states on issues including, market strategies, managed care and value-based purchasing. His firm served as a cornerstone for the creation of Speire Healthcare Strategies. As a sought after board member, Darin serves on the board of Directors of Leadership Health Care, Addus Homecare, Unified Care Group and Siloam Health, and as Chairman of 180 Health Partners. He was selected as a member of the Cressey & Company Distinguished Executives Council. In addition, he advises both Imagine Health and myNEXUS on strategic initiatives. Darin serves on the Founder's Council for the United States of Care. Prior to consulting, Darin was the Director of Tennessee's Medicaid program - TennCare, an $11 billion health care enterprise that provides services to over 1.5 million Tennesseans. As the longest-serving Director of TennCare, Gordon served with both Democrat and Republican Governors, first as the Chief Financial Officer and then as Director. Under his leadership, TennCare maintained record low cost trends with patient satisfaction scores reaching record highs of 95%. Darin led TennCare to be nationally recognized for a variety of innovations in managed care and payment and delivery system reform. Over the last 10 years Darin has provided executive leadership at the national level and made extensive contributions across the health care industry. He has been involved in health care policy and innovation nationally through consultations with over 35 states. Darin served first as Vice-President and then President of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. In addition, he has maintained involvement in a variety of National Governors Association, health care related initiatives and task forces. Gordon's involvement has also extended internationally with consultations with a variety of health officials from other countries. Darin has a BS from Middle Tennessee State University; he is also a Fellow of the Medicaid Leadership Institute and a member of the inaugural class of the Nashville Health Care Council Fellows program.

Dianne Faup

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Founding Partner Nashville, Tennessee
  • Founding Partner Nashville, Tennessee BIO
Dianne Faup has almost 30 years of experience working in the health care industry as an attorney, management consultant and government executive. Her private, federal and state health care background includes working with White House, congressional and U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) executive leaders. In 25 years of management consulting, she advised U.S. and international government agencies, payers, technology companies, providers and nonprofits, helping to solve complex business problems. Most recently, Dianne was a senior vice president at Optum, where she served in an internal consulting role, advising the CEOs of Optum-owned businesses. Prior to joining Optum, she was a principal at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she led a practice focused on the strategic implementation of public policy and oversaw much of the firm's health reform work for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Dianne has advised C-level clients on the strategic implementation of public policy, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). She also held leadership positions in KPMG Europe and The Lewin Group. Dianne has served in executive roles within state and federal government. Under Mayor Adrian Fenty, she served as chief of staff for the District of Columbia Department of Health Care Finance, a $2 billion agency that serves more than one-third of District residents. She oversaw the organization's operations, communications and public affairs and worked with the citywide team to implement Medicaid expansion. During her federal service, Dianne served as a senior advisor at HHS, first within CMS advising on the national roll out of HIPAA, and then in the Immediate Office of the Secretary, under Secretary Michael Leavitt. While in the Office of the Secretary, Dianne advised the Deputy Secretary on health policy issues, core HHS operations, regulatory changes, program integrity, e-health, CMS and a wide range of other health care issues. Dianne holds a Bachelor of Arts in management from Manhattanville College and a Juris Doctor from the University of New Hampshire's Franklin Pierce School of Law. She has spoken nationally on topics ranging from securing health information to effectively tying compliance to business strategy. Dianne is a member of the board of directors of the Alliance for Health Policy. In addition, she sits on the Advisory Board of AIMS by Lumenix, an artificial intelligence monitoring system focused on patient safety.

John McCarthy

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Founding Partner Columbus, Ohio
  • Founding Partner Columbus, Ohio BIO
John McCarthy has more than 25 years of health care consulting and government leadership experience. Before co-founding Speire, John served as CEO of Upshur Street Consulting. He also spent eight years as Medicaid director in Ohio and the District of Columbia. John helps clients navigate the rapidly changing healthcare markets in the public and private sectors at both the federal and state levels. He is a nationally-recognized expert in Medicaid reforms, value-based purchasing, delivery system design, system implementation and reimbursement policy. In Ohio, John served as the director of the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM), Ohio's first cabinet-level Medicaid agency. John implemented a series of innovative policy initiatives that modernized ODM by improving the quality of health services at a substantial value to Ohio's taxpayers. He implemented a new managed care program that provided choice to 1.6 million managed care beneficiaries. He also implemented a pioneering, managed care program with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for the integration and coordination of care for individuals enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. John's modernization efforts also included the implementation of a new integrated eligibility system and the launch of the Medicaid Information Technology System (MITS), a sophisticated claims processing system to boost efficiency and communicate with providers. In the District of Columbia, John served as policy director and then, Medicaid director. As Medicaid director, John was part of the executive team that transitioned and reorganized Medicaid to be the largest freestanding agency in the District. He developed and procured new managed care contracts, increased oversight of the managed care plans and created a pay-for-performance quality bonus. Prior to his government service, John spent 10 years at EP&P Consulting, serving as corporate manager. At EP&P, he led Medicaid transformation engagements for multiple states. John also played a significant role nationally, serving as vice president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. John serves on the board of Savida Health and ViaQuest. He is also a MACPAC commissioner. John holds a master's degree in public affairs from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs and a bachelor's degree in chemistry from Indiana University.

Tom Betlach

Job Titles:
  • Partner
  • Partner Phoenix, Arizona
  • Partner Phoenix, Arizona BIO
Tom Betlach joined Speire as a partner to advise government and private sector clients on complex health policy and strategic initiatives. He is a nationally-recognized thought leader on Medicaid and health care policy, known for his expertise in serving complex populations, delivery system transformation, value-based purchasing, managed care and cost containment. Prior to joining Speire, Tom spent 27 years serving in a variety of leadership roles for the state of Arizona. He served five different governors in three different cabinet positions. Most recently, Tom served as director of the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona's state Medicaid agency, where he reported directly to the governor. AHCCCS provided health care coverage to 1.9 million Arizonans at an annual cost of $13 billion. During his tenure, Arizona became an early innovator in leveraging competitive managed care contracting strategies to transform health care delivery. Arizona successfully pursued a multi-year strategy to integrate behavioral health services, expanded the delivery of services to address social determinants of health and pursued value-based purchasing strategies. Arizona remains one of the lowest cost long-term care programs nationally and has maintained high levels of home and community-based placement for persons with long term care needs. Known for his ability to work across government, Tom was integral to Arizona's development of a broad coalition to streamline justice system transitions to health care. This multi-pronged, collaborative strategy resulted in a more effective approach to delivering care. The effort aligned well with broader initiatives in the Medicaid program to expand housing and employment support services. Upon his departure, Arizona Medicaid was the third largest housing authority in Arizona. He also led initiatives to develop stronger partnerships with tribal organizations. Through innovative 1115 waivers and other authorities, Arizona created first-in-the-nation models that improved services for tribal members. Tom serves as a critical Medicaid and health policy resource for policy makers across the country. He led an Arizona/federal government partnership to create new tools that improve services for those dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Tom has testified on multiple occasions before Congress and his leadership on dual eligible population services is recognized nationally. Tom served as both vice president and president of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. He currently serves on the board for the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) and is a member of the Congressional Budget Office Panel of Health Advisers. Tom holds a master's degree in public administration from the University of Arizona and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Wisconsin.