Contact: Brenna McCabe, Public Information Officer, 401-464-1194
Providence, R.I. – Rhode Island Department of Administration Director Michael DiBiase today announced Zachary Sherman has been chosen as the new director to lead HealthSource RI, Rhode Island’s health insurance exchange. Sherman has been serving as acting director since November 2015.
“Zach has demonstrated outstanding leadership during his tenure at HealthSource RI, first as a key staffer during the start-up, then as Chief of Staff and more recently as Acting Director,” said Michael DiBiase, Department of Administration Director. “He has worked very closely with me and with former HealthSource RI Director Anya Rader Wallack to establish and enhance Rhode Island’s health insurance exchange. During a time of greatly constrained resources, Zach has shown strong management skills, meeting budget targets, growing enrollments and meeting service requirements. I am most pleased that HealthSource can continue connecting Rhode Islanders with affordable health insurance under Zach’s leadership.”
Sherman was an original member of the implementation team hired to design, develop and implement the exchange after the Rhode Island Health Benefits Exchange executive order was signed in 2011. He acted as the primary manager of exchange establishment activities in the lead up to HealthSource RI’s launch in October 2013.
Sherman was later hired in January 2015 as Chief of Staff by then-exchange director Anya Rader Wallack (now serving as Medicaid Director at the Executive Office of Health and Human Services). He was tasked with implementing Governor Gina Raimondo’s mandate to right-size the agency’s budget, stabilize operations, create a long-term financial sustainability plan, and to make the case for establishing HealthSource RI in statute. Sherman also served as interim Chief Financial Officer until a permanent chief financial officer was hired in March 2015.
Since November, Sherman has led HealthSource RI through its third open enrollment period, the launch of a new small business engagement team and the ongoing procurement of and transition to a new contact center. The division is preparing to release an open enrollment report later this month detailing significant progress in meeting enrollment targets and will be launching the new contact center in April.
“I’m honored to have been chosen to lead HealthSource RI,” said Zachary Sherman. “I look forward to building on the work we’ve already accomplished to drive down the uninsured rate, to connect Rhode Island families and employers with affordable coverage, and to improve the customer experience.”
Sherman holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. He lives in Providence and is a native of Vermont.
