New faces at Wyoming Health: Medicaid, behavioral health, and care centers get fresh leaders

The Wyoming Department of Health is shuffling its top ranks, a move state leaders say will sharpen services across the map, Wyoming News Now reports.

Effective Sept. 2, Jesse Springer steps in as Wyoming’s Interim State Medicaid Agent and senior administrator for the Division of Healthcare Financing after Lee Grossman’s resignation. That division runs Wyoming Medicaid and CHIP. Springer’s been with WDH since 2012—most recently as deputy administrator—and holds an MPA and a BS in Business Administration from UNC–Chapel Hill.

Ragen Latham drops the “interim” and becomes senior administrator for the Behavioral Health Division. Latham has led the division in an acting role since January 2025 and has worked at WDH since the early 2000s.

“I’ve worked with Jesse and Ragen for over a decade—they bring deep experience and energy,” WDH Director Stefan Johansson said, crediting both for projects like modernizing Medicaid tech, rebuilding and re-missioning the Wyoming State Hospital and Wyoming Life Resource Center, and reforming community mental health and substance use services.

Two more hires round out the leadership changes:

• Dr. Tracey Haas, a board-certified family physician with 20+ years in clinical and system leadership (including service as a community health center CMO), joined Aug. 11 as Medicaid Medical Director.

“It’s an extraordinary opportunity to help shape healthcare in Wyoming,” she said.

• After a national search, Kerry George started July 7 as Administrator of the Wyoming Life Resource Center in Lander. George brings backgrounds in nursing and psychology and has led as both a Director of Nursing and a Nursing Home Administrator.

“We’ve found two service-driven leaders in Dr. Haas and Kerry George,” Johansson said. “These are tough jobs, and we’ve got plenty of work ahead to keep delivering high-quality, compassionate care to Wyoming’s most vulnerable residents.”

The appointments were announced by WDH Director Stefan Johansson with support from Governor Mark Gordon.