Dennis Smith, Director of Medicaid, to Address General Assembly at Convention 2002

McLean, VA - Dennis Smith, Director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CMSO), part of the Centers for Medicare & Medcaid Services (CMS) will address the General Assembly at the American Academy of Audiology's 14th Annual Convention & Expo from April 17-20, 2002 in Philadelphia, PA.

One of HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson's priorities for CMS under the Bush Administration is to instill a spirit of responsiveness and to make sure that people who use Medicaid and Medicare know exactly what choices they have for their health care coverage. Smith has been charged with fostering increased cooperation with state and promoting greater flexibility that will allow states to develop innovative approaches to meet health care needs.

As the Director of CMSO, Mr. Smith provides leadership in the development and implementation of national policies governing Medicaid, survey and certification, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, and insurance reform provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The Center also serves as the focal point for all CMS interactions with States, local governments, as well as Native American and Alaskan Native Tribes.

Prior to his appointment as Director of CMSO, Mr. Smith served on the Bush-Cheney transition team as chief liaison to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Previously he served as the Director of the Department of Medical Assistance Services for the Commonwealth of Virginia. As Director, he was accountable for an agency with a $3 billion budget and staff of 270. The Department is responsible for several health insurance programs including Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program, the Indigent Health Care Trust Fun and the State and Local Hospitalization Trust Fund.

Mr. Smith has a Master's Degree in public administration from George Mason University and a degree in political science from Illinois State University. He is married and he and his wife have four daughters.

For more information on Mr. Smith, registration, housing and other program highlights of the American Academy of Audiology's 14th Annual Convention & Expo in Philadelphia, please visit https://www.audiology.org/development/meetings/Pages/default.aspx

The American Academy of Audiology, the world's largest professional organization of audiologists, is dedicated to providing quality hearing care services through professional development, education, research and increased public awareness of hearing disorders. To learn more about the audiology profession and how audiologists are helping the 28 million Americans who suffer from hearing loss, please visit The Academy's web site at www.audiology.org