TennCare director resigns to join private sector
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Gov. Phil Bredesen on Friday named Darin Gordon, the TennCare Bureau’s chief financial officer, to succeed Hickey.
“I want to thank J.D. Hickey for his outstanding service to our state,” Bredesen said in a news release. “Under his leadership, TennCare has turned a corner to become a financially stable program focusing on making real advances in patient care.”
Hickey’s new job will be chief executive officer at Qualifacts, a software company co-founded by Bredesen in 2000. Bredesen remains the majority owner, but the company has said it will not do business with the state.
Hickey, 35, was appointed to direct TennCare in July 2004 ? the 10th director in the 10 years of the program’s existence. Before that Hickey spent 11 months analyzing TennCare program as a consultant for McKinsey & Co.
The McKinsey report that Hickey helped develop concluded the state couldn’t afford to keep TennCare’s structure at the time. The analysis showed that 15 percent of TennCare’s enrollees represented 75 percent of its cost.
Before joining McKinsey in 2001, Hickey was part of a health care litigation team with the law firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York. He holds dual medical and law degrees from Duke University.
The changes made at TennCare came despite the avid opposition of advocates like the Tennessee Health Care Campaign. Tony Garr, the campaign’s executive director, said Hickey was too beholden the political interests of the governor.
“We hope that the next TennCare director can run the program without political interference,” Garr said.
Hickey declined to comment through a TennCare spokeswoman.