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Learn about the primary care content specialist’s role in assisting system of care communities, the specialist’s background and experience, contact information, frequently asked questions, and requested information and other technical assistance available from the TA Partnership.
- About the Primary Care Content Specialist
- Common Questions for the Primary Care Content Specialist
- Other Technical Assistance Available
About the Primary Care and Systems of Care Content Specialist
Mary Tierney is a nationally recognized expert in pediatric and adolescent medicine, primary care, and public health. Highlights of her career include serving as Director of the Medicaid program’s Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) Program in the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Health Care Financing Administration, which is now the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Dr. Tierney’s career has emphasized the delivery and administration of health services for children who are medically underserved. She was Associate Medical Director for the Chesapeake Health Plan, where she was responsible for quality assurance activities and the implementation of a Robert Wood Johnson grant to provide services for children and their families who were enrolled in the Medicaid program. She served as Medical Director of Health Services for Children with Special Needs (HSCSN), a non-profit coordinated-care organization in the District that provided health and behavioral health services for children and adolescents, ages birth through 21 years. In association with the University of California/Sacramento’s Center for Health Improvement she developed evidence-based practices protocols for children and youth who have both physical and mental health special needs.
Background and Experience
Currently, she is a Senior Research Analyst with AIR and serves as the Primary Care Content Specialist on the Technical Assistance Partnership. She is the Project Director for Health In Action, a project funded by AIR to develop an evidence-based school-based health education curriculum that addresses obesity prevention through nutrition and physical activity. She is also a task leader and technical writer for a joint White House and CMS project, Healthy Start, Grow Smart, which is a series of health education booklets for parents of children and adolescents. She is also a medical editor for the Health Information Center (HIC) project and edits health education materials for a website on NHLBI. Recently, she was the Project Director for the NHLBI Expert Panel Review – 3 Asthma Guidelines that were completed and published in autumn 2007. She was also the Project Director for a SAMHSA task order on Medicaid funding for community-based mental health services for children and adults.
Common questions for the Primary Care Content Specialist
- Why should pediatricians be involved in systems of care?
- Understanding Medicaid and SCHIP
- What is covered by private health insurance?
- Get answers to common questions.