The Wyoming Geriatric Education Center (WyGEC) provides educational opportunities for Wyoming health care professionals who serve an aging population. WyGEC offers resources in gerontology education and interdisciplinary geriatric training via lectures, conferences, newsletters and links to other information. The Wyoming Geriatric Education Center (WyGEC) is sponsored by the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences School of Pharmacy. It is a small organization with a principal investigator, one full-time and one half-time staff member, and several faculty associates.

The Wyoming Office of Rural Health seeks to enhance access to health care services, support the development of an adequate health care workforce, and promote collaboration in expanding comprehensive, community-based health care in rural Wyoming.

The Healthcare Licensing and Surveys department ensures that patients and residents receive quality care from health care facilities required to be licensed by the state of Wyoming. The office also promotes health and safety through on-site inspections and complaint investigations.

The Financial Examiners department is responsible for financial solvency examinations of insurance companies, examination of preneed funeral trusts and field examinations of resident insurance agencies.

The Division of Healthcare Financing was created to bring public health care programs under one umbrella for administrative purposes. The Division of Healthcare Financing administrator serves as the state Medicaid director and provides oversight and technical assistance to the divisions that administer Medicaid within the Department of Health. The Division of Healthcare Financing comprises three units: Wyoming's Medicaid program; Kid Care CHIP (Wyoming's State Children's Health Insurance Program); and the Office of Pharmacy Services.

The Wyoming Advisory Council on Aging provides advice, counsel and directives on current issues related to the Aging Division of the Wyoming Department of Health and Wyoming’s Older Adults.

The recently organized Public Health Division includes the former Community and Public Health, Preventive Health and Safety and Rural and Frontier Health divisions, as well as the Public Health Emergency Preparedness, Emergency Medical Services and State Epidemiologist programs.

The Consumer Complaints department provides optimum consumer protection and support to Wyoming residents by investigating consumer complaints and resolving issues on insurance matters.

The Licensing Division is responsible for licensing insurance companies for operations within the state of Wyoming as well as resident and nonresident insurance producer licensees.

The Aging Division’s mission is to provide a flexible and responsive continuum of services that enable aging in place with maximum dignity and independence. The division's duties include overseeing the following areas: Senior Services; Healthcare Licensing and Surveys; Veterans’ Home of Wyoming; Wyoming Pioneer Home; and the Wyoming Retirement Center. Wyoming is a single planning and service area (single PSA) state; therefore the Aging Division also serves as the Area Agency on Aging.

The Wyoming Insurance Department is responsible for regulating the business of insurance in the state of Wyoming. The department: licenses and regulates insurance companies, risk-retention and purchasing groups, motor clubs, preneed funeral homes, agents, brokers, adjusters and consultants; approves policy filings; investigates consumer complaints; monitors the financial condition and solvency of insurance companies; and collects premium and surplus lines taxes.

Wyoming’s Department of Health employs more than 1,500 people and handles a biennial budget of $1.7 billion. In addition, it oversees five facilities throughout the state.

AARP, formerly the American Association of Retired Persons, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that advocates for people ages 50 and older. Since 1958, AARP has lobbied for senior issues, including the passage of Medicare in 1965. AARP offers support from staffed offices in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Association of Wyoming Insurance Agents was formed in 1995 by consolidating two organizations: the Independent Insurance Agents of Wyoming and the Professional Insurance Agents of Wyoming.

Wyoming Senior Citizens Inc., founded in 1975, is a private, nonprofit organization that supports and meets the needs of Wyoming’s older residents and helps them maintain their independence. The organization runs the state's Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program and the Wyoming State Health Insurance Information Program (WSHIIP). The state long-term care ombudsman is also contracted through Wyoming Senior Citizens.

Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) are private, mostly not-for-profit organizations, staffed by doctors and other health care professionals, who are trained to review medical care, to help beneficiaries with complaints about the quality of care and to implement improvements in the quality of care available throughout the spectrum of care. QIOs are required under Sections 1152-1154 of the Social Security Act.

The Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) were established under the Older Americans Act (OAA) Comprehensive Services Amendments in 1973 to respond to the needs of Americans 60 and older in every local community. The amendments added a new Title V, which authorized grants to local community agencies in every state. The AAAs provides a range of options that allow older adults to choose the home- and community-based services and living arrangements that suit them best.

The Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) program helps Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries avoid, detect and prevent health care fraud. The goal is to protect older people and to preserve the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The federal program was created in 1996 by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and amended in 2006 by Titles II and IV of the Older Americans Act.

Long-term care ombudsmen are advocates for residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. They resolve complaints and educate seniors and long-term care providers about their rights and good care practices. They also provide information to the public on nursing homes and other long-term care facilities and services, residents' rights, and legislative and policy issues. In 1978, an amendment to the federal Older Americans Act required every state to have an ombudsman program that addresses complaints and advocates for improvements in the long-term care system. The ombudsman program is administered by the Administration on Aging (AoA). Wyoming has three regional ombudsmen in addition to the statewide officer in Cheyenne.

The Wyoming State Health Insurance Information Program (WSHIIP) is a federally mandated program. WSHIIP is part of the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), a national program that offers counseling and assistance to people with Medicare and to their families. Coordinators provide counseling on Medicare benefits, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D), Social Security, Medicaid and veterans' benefits. The program was created under section 4360 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990. This act authorized the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to make grants to states for health advisory services programs for people with Medicare.

Before becoming CEO of Ernest Health Inc., Darby Brockette was responsible for the operation of various rehabilitation and long-term acute hospitals, primarily in the western United States and Australia. He earned his master’s in health care administration from Southwest Texas State University.

Robert Morasko served as CEO of Shoshone Medical Center in Idaho for six years before joining Campbell County Memorial Hospital. He is a member of the Campbell County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees and serves on the board of the Wyoming Hospital Association. He received his MBA from City University.

Janette Van Beek has been CEO of Cook County Medical Services District since December 2011. Previously, she served as the CEO of Five Counties Hospital and Nursing Home in South Dakota. She has more than 15 years of health care experience, including in hospitals, rural health clinics and long-term care. She earned her MBA from the University of South Dakota.

Before becoming CEO, John Lucas served as chief medical officer at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, a role in which he was responsible for physician strategies and services, clinical service line development, oversight of clinical quality, and safety and development of the hospital program. Earlier in his career, he was president and CEO of St. Vincent Hospital in New Mexico. He received his medical degree from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, and he holds a master’s of public health degree in health services administration from Harvard University.

Peter S. Fine has been president and CEO of Banner Health since November 2000. Previously, he served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care. Earlier in his career, he was president and CEO of Grant Hospital and senior vice president of operations at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, both in Chicago. Fine is a member of the American Hospital Association and the Health Management Academy. He received his master’s degree in health care administration from George Washington University.

This House committee handles matters pertaining to the health of Wyoming residents.

This Senate committee handles matters pertaining to the health of Wyoming residents.