September 25, 2008
State Medicaid Director John Chappuis to Retire
The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) announced today that Deputy Director John Chappuis is retiring after 28 years with the agency.
Chappuis’ official last day is Oct. 24, 2008.
Since 2001, Chappuis has been the department’s deputy director handling all department business and financial matters, including the role of state Medicaid director where he supervises the five divisions that serve approximately 77,000 Montana Medicaid clients.
DPHHS Director Joan Miles said Chappuis is going to be very difficult to replace. “We’ve been so lucky to have someone of John’s caliber and integrity all these years,” Miles said. “I can’t thank him enough for his loyalty to this department. The state's Medicaid program is running as efficiently as ever thanks to John's great leadership and hard work."
Miles said in order to fill the void left by Chappuis’ departure, there will be some internal reorganization in the Director's Office using existing resources. She said the vast amount of duties handled by Chappuis will now be shared by two positions currently being advertised including a chief operations officer, who will responsible for the budget, and a deputy director of health services, whose role will include the duty of state Medicaid director.
Chappuis has spent nearly his entire professional career with the department, beginning in 1980 as an auditor for the then-Audit Program Compliance Division.
The 57-year-old has been in the middle of numerous critical junctures in the department’s history. The department reorganization of 1995, when the Legislature created DPHHS by consolidating state social service and health programs, and the budget cuts of 2003 top the list.
During his career, difficult times forced department staff, in collaboration with the Legislature, to think outside the box in order to keep services available to clients, Chappuis said. “Sometimes crisis breeds innovation,” he said.
One of those innovations included how the state purchases prescription drugs for people on Medicaid. Now, Montana joins with other states to buy the prescription drugs in bulk at a discounted rate – thus saving the state money.
The most challenging personal issue he faced was in 1989 when the state Medicaid director at the time left the department right before the upcoming legislative session and Chappuis was temporarily assigned that role. “It was trial by fire,” he said.
But, for every challenge there was always a fellow employee or two to lean on for advice. For Chappuis, the list is long, but starts with former DPHHS administrator Nancy Ellery. “She was a terrific administrator,” she said. “She helped a lot of us to grow to become better managers.”
Former DPHHS Director Gail Gray was another Chappuis mentor. “She gave me my chance to be a deputy director and was someone I really admired for her ability to care for our clients and instilled in me solid, ethical business practices,” he said.
A certified public accountant by trade, Chappuis is known for his skills at crunching numbers and can explain the financial complexities of Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) as easily as most people discuss the weather.
However, for Chappuis, the job was much more than keeping the department’s books in the black. “One of the main reasons I stayed at DPPHS was the people we serve,” Chappuis said. “It’s simple, but true - we get to help people.”
He remembers one particular situation several years ago that involved a young child from eastern Montana who had a serious medical condition and needed an expensive experimental drug that cost $70,000 per year.
The decision was made to approve the Medicaid request and still serves as a reminder to this day why Chappuis stayed in this line of work for nearly 30 years.
“I was able to approve the request,” Chappuis said. “The last I heard, the child is still living and thriving. We don’t always get to meet our clients in person, but when we do, it’s so gratifying to know that in some way we’re part of a larger effort to provide assistance to people who are going through a very difficult time and have nowhere else to turn.”
A new program to help parents of children with autism is also a highlight, Chappuis said. While he won’t be around to see the project through to the end, Chappuis played a key role in the recent launch of a Medicaid-funded program of services for young children with autism called the Autism Waiver for Children.
Last June, DPHHS allocated $2 million of state and federal money to launch an early intervention program for children with autism to address the need in the state for specialized children’s autism services.
The waiver clears the way for a combination of state and federal funds to be used to finance the program that will provide 20-25 hours per week of intensive in-home rehabilitation for three years by a trained provider for about 40 autistic children age 2-5.
Based on research, Chappuis and others within DPHHS are highly optimistic the program will be successful in Montana. “This is going to make a huge difference in the lives of these children and their families,” Chappuis said. “That’s extremely gratifying for me.”
Over the years, Chappuis has worked with various governors, department directors, legislators, staff and the general public across the state. It’s that unique blend of skills that set him apart, said DPHHS Disability Services Division administrator Joe Matthews.
“John’s been a wonderful gift to this Department,” Matthews said. “He has tremendous knowledge of Medicaid, the budgetary process, and how state government works. His credibility within this department, the Governor's office and the Legislature is second to none.”
Quality Assurance Division administrator Jeff Buska said Chappuis has always represented the department well. “John is DPHHS, and truly cares for the people we serve and maintaining the integrity of the programs provided by this agency,” Buska said. “He will be missed by all of us in the department and the state.”
Chappuis is also highly respected outside DPHHS. Recently, he was given a ‘lifetime achievement award’ by the Montana Hospital Association.
While he won’t miss the long hours, sometimes 70-80 hours a week while the Legislature’s in session, Chappuis has enjoyed his time at DPHHS. “The days just flew by,” he said. “But, it’s just time for me to retire. This department has some remarkable people in it and Joan Miles is just terrific. It’s been an incredible experience.”
In retirement, Chappuis plans to do more golfing, hunting, fishing and skiing, and spend more time with family. His wife, Peggy, is an East Helena physical education teacher. They have two grown children, Mike and Dan, and four grandchildren.
For more information contact DPHHS public information officer Jon Ebelt at 406-444-0936.
