From Personal Experience to Public Service: Lisa Padilla Advocates for Cook Children's Health Plan

Lisa Padilla has a passion for helping people. The entirety of her 25-year career has been spent in public and community health serving those living in often underserved communities. Four years ago, she brought that passion to Cook Children’s, where she works to ensure the Health Plan serves as more than just a payer, but as a true partner in the health and wellness journeys of its members. Her dedication is deeply rooted in personal experience.

“Many in my family have been on Medicaid. My children are grown now but, when they were small, they received Medicaid services,” Padilla said. “I know how important Medicaid is for families and children and I am so honored that daily I can make decisions about the services that our Medicaid members receive.”

A lifelong Dallas resident, Padilla and her husband have four children and nine grandchildren. She began her career in health care as a peer counselor in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program, followed by 16 years at Parkland Health where she worked in many of the hospital’s community based programs. Along the way, she completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees and became a Community Health Worker (CHW) and Community Health Instructor (CHI).

In July 2021, Padilla joined Cook Children’s Health Plan as manager of Community Marketing and was promoted to director of Member Experience within six months. Of all of her jobs in health care, her current leadership role is the one she is most proud to be doing. It’s allowed her to direct and manage programs and interventions that have truly impacted lives all across Texas, she says.

Padilla loves making a tangible difference where it matters most — on the ground in the community, where she says 80% of health care happens. It takes a keen understanding of the social determinants of health as well as the cultures within the service area to truly influence the health and well-being of those living there. Padilla believes no other organization does culturally competent, community centered health care management better than Cook Children’s Health Plan.

She’s concerned that boots-on-the-ground insight could all be lost If Texas’ Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is allowed to follow through with its decision to deny CCHP a new contract for managing the state’s Medicaid programs. Instead, HHSC seeks to award contracts to large, national insurance providers through an unfair and faulty contract review process. 

“I can tell you with my soul, that the biggest impact from going from this community based program to a national, for-profit payer is going to be the loss of the knowledge base and perspective that comes from the front lines,” she said. “We know the ins and outs here. We already know the partners we can and are working with to build services around food insecurity, housing and job readiness. We understand the cultures in the area and know how to effectively communicate with them. Any health insurance company can come in here and be a payer, but no one can come in and meet the people in the community where they are to make the most impact like we can.”

While CCHP waits for the Texas Legislature to weigh in on the issue and deliver a permanent solution for HHSC’s Medicaid contract procurement process, Padilla remains committed to her team and the members they serve. Her singular focus is and will always be on delivering impactful health care and services to members and their families.