Phil Scott taps Washington, DC, health care administrator to lead Department of Vermont Health Access

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott has appointed DaShawn Groves, a health care administrator in Washington, D.C., to lead the Department of Vermont Health Access, the agency that runs Vermont’s Medicaid program and health insurance marketplace.

“DaShawn brings a tremendous amount of expertise and experience to this role,” Scott said in a Thursday press release announcing the appointment. “I believe his outside perspective and strong leadership skills will serve the Department well.”

Groves spent a total of about nine years in Washington, D.C.’s Department of Health Care Finance, which administers the district’s Medicaid program. He’s also lectured at The George Washington University and worked at the health care startup CityBlock Health and the National Association of Community Health Centers, according to his LinkedIn page.

“Together, we will continue to advance the mission of the Vermont Medicaid program, and ensure that all Vermonters can access the high-quality, cost-effective health care they need to thrive,” Groves said in the press release.

The department has been without an official commissioner since December 2023, when then-commissioner Andrea DeLaBruere was tapped to become deputy secretary of the Agency of Digital Services.

Adaline Strumolo, a former Department of Vermont Health Access deputy commissioner, has led the department as acting commissioner since then. Groves will take the helm of the department Sept. 3.

Correction: A previous version of this story mis-identified Adaline Strumolo’s previous association with the Department of Vermont Health Access

Read the story on VTDigger here: Phil Scott taps Washington, DC, health care administrator to lead Department of Vermont Health Access .