Courtney Burke, Commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental DisabilitiesCuomo Announces Senate Confirmation of Burke and Bearden
The New York State Senate unanimously confirmed Courtney Burke as Commissioner of the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and Roger Bearden as Chair of the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities (CQC).
OPWDD provides services, support and advocacy to approximately 126,000 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. CQC is charged with overseeing and improving the quality of care for people with disabilities and other vulnerable persons.
"These are the right people to lead these agencies and bring the needed reforms to the care of the developmentally disabled in our community," Governor Cuomo said.
"I thank Senators McDonald, Huntley, DeFrancisco and Majority Leader Skelos for their swift confirmation of Commissioner Burke and Chairman Bearden."
"I am honored to be confirmed as Commissioner of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities and I want to thank Governor Cuomo, Senators DeFrancisco, McDonald and Huntley, as well as the members of the Senate for the trust they have now placed with me to lead this agency," said Commissioner Burke.
"I look forward to working with stakeholders and government partners as we implement the needed reforms that will support the highest-quality services for individuals with developmental disabilities."
Chairman Bearden said, "It is an honor and privilege to be chosen to serve. I look forward to working with the Governor, the Legislature, advocates and families to ensure that New York meets its fundamental responsibility to ensure that people with disabilities receive the highest possible quality of care. I would like to thank the Governor for this nomination and Senators DeFrancisco, McDonald and Huntley for the speedy confirmation."
Roger Bearden, Chair of the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities
Most recently, Courtney Burke was the Director of the Rockefeller Institute's New York State Health Policy Research Center, where she oversaw all health policy research projects at the Institute and was the project director for the Institute's recent research on county variations in Medicaid long-term care.
The Rockefeller Institute is the public policy research arm of the State University of New York. Burke previously worked for six years as the senior research scientist in the health and Medicaid studies program at the Institute. Burke's research focuses primarily on health policy issues related to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), health reform and private insurance coverage. She also has written about nonprofit organizations' dependence on Medicaid funding and the effects of the state fiscal crises on nonprofits.
Prior to joining the Institute, Burke was employed by the New York State Office of Advocate for Persons with Disabilities for several years, including as the senior policy analyst, and by the New York State Department of Health. She was named one of The Business Review's (Capital Region) "40 Under Forty" honorees for 2010.
Bearden previously served as the Director of the Disability Law Center of the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest in New York City, where he supervised project directors and program staff and was the lead attorney on major law reform cases, including cases seeking community integration for persons with mental illness in nursing homes and adult homes.
From March to August 2009, Bearden was Chief Health Counsel to New York State Senator Thomas K. Duane, then serving as Chair of the Senate Health Committee. In that role, he led Senate staff negotiations on the Family Health Care Decisions Act, which allows family members or other surrogates to make major medical decisions for incapacitated individuals who did not previously designate a health care agent or provide instructions.
Previously, Bearden was a staff attorney with Disability Advocates, Inc., a nonprofit law firm in Albany, where he advocated and litigated on behalf of thousands of individuals with mental illness and other disabilities in some of the largest and most complex federal cases in the field. He graduated from Brown University and Harvard Law School before clerking for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Senator Roy J. McDonald, Chair of the Senate Committee on Mental Health stated, "I look forward to working with Commissioner Courtney Burke and Commissioner Roger Bearden. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for recommending good people to work on developmental disabilities issues, which have become very significant in our society today. These are difficult and important jobs, but we will stand beside these new commissioners to help out wherever possible."
Senator Shirley L. Huntley, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Mental Health said, "Those who are most vulnerable deserve to be treated in a compassionate and respectable manner that protects them and their rights. I truly believe that Commissioner Burke and Chairman Bearden will perform admirably in their duties. New leadership and an emphasis on accountability, transparency, and quality care will undoubtedly lead our developmental disabilities facilities and treatment systems to be one of the best in the nation. I congratulate both the Governor for these selections and the Commissioners on their confirmations."
Ann Hardiman, Executive Director of New York State Association of Community and Residential Agencies said, "I commend Governor Cuomo for his selection of Courtney Burke to serve as Commissioner for the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Coming from a distinguished career in working to improve health care policy, Ms. Burke is a natural choice to lead this office. Her experience in government and Medicaid policy, combined with years of advocating for persons with disabilities, gives Ms. Burke a rich background to draw upon as she leads the OPWDD."
Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director of New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services praised the selections by noting, "The confirmation of Roger Bearden to serve as Commissioner of the CQCPAD signifies the beginning of a new era of re-energized advocacy and leadership for this vital state agency. Mr. Bearden brings a career of public service to this position, during which he has fought tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers with psychiatric and other disabilities. I applaud Governor Cuomo for selecting Mr. Bearden; there is no doubt that the delivery and quality of healthcare services and will be significantly advanced through his leadership at the CQCPAD."
OPWDD provides services, support and advocacy to approximately 126,000 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. CQC is charged with overseeing and improving the quality of care for people with disabilities and other vulnerable persons.
"These are the right people to lead these agencies and bring the needed reforms to the care of the developmentally disabled in our community," Governor Cuomo said.
"I thank Senators McDonald, Huntley, DeFrancisco and Majority Leader Skelos for their swift confirmation of Commissioner Burke and Chairman Bearden."
"I am honored to be confirmed as Commissioner of the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities and I want to thank Governor Cuomo, Senators DeFrancisco, McDonald and Huntley, as well as the members of the Senate for the trust they have now placed with me to lead this agency," said Commissioner Burke.
"I look forward to working with stakeholders and government partners as we implement the needed reforms that will support the highest-quality services for individuals with developmental disabilities."
Chairman Bearden said, "It is an honor and privilege to be chosen to serve. I look forward to working with the Governor, the Legislature, advocates and families to ensure that New York meets its fundamental responsibility to ensure that people with disabilities receive the highest possible quality of care. I would like to thank the Governor for this nomination and Senators DeFrancisco, McDonald and Huntley for the speedy confirmation."
Roger Bearden, Chair of the Commission on Quality of Care and Advocacy for Persons with DisabilitiesMost recently, Courtney Burke was the Director of the Rockefeller Institute's New York State Health Policy Research Center, where she oversaw all health policy research projects at the Institute and was the project director for the Institute's recent research on county variations in Medicaid long-term care.
The Rockefeller Institute is the public policy research arm of the State University of New York. Burke previously worked for six years as the senior research scientist in the health and Medicaid studies program at the Institute. Burke's research focuses primarily on health policy issues related to Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), health reform and private insurance coverage. She also has written about nonprofit organizations' dependence on Medicaid funding and the effects of the state fiscal crises on nonprofits.
Prior to joining the Institute, Burke was employed by the New York State Office of Advocate for Persons with Disabilities for several years, including as the senior policy analyst, and by the New York State Department of Health. She was named one of The Business Review's (Capital Region) "40 Under Forty" honorees for 2010.
Bearden previously served as the Director of the Disability Law Center of the New York Lawyers for the Public Interest in New York City, where he supervised project directors and program staff and was the lead attorney on major law reform cases, including cases seeking community integration for persons with mental illness in nursing homes and adult homes.
From March to August 2009, Bearden was Chief Health Counsel to New York State Senator Thomas K. Duane, then serving as Chair of the Senate Health Committee. In that role, he led Senate staff negotiations on the Family Health Care Decisions Act, which allows family members or other surrogates to make major medical decisions for incapacitated individuals who did not previously designate a health care agent or provide instructions.
Previously, Bearden was a staff attorney with Disability Advocates, Inc., a nonprofit law firm in Albany, where he advocated and litigated on behalf of thousands of individuals with mental illness and other disabilities in some of the largest and most complex federal cases in the field. He graduated from Brown University and Harvard Law School before clerking for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Senator Roy J. McDonald, Chair of the Senate Committee on Mental Health stated, "I look forward to working with Commissioner Courtney Burke and Commissioner Roger Bearden. I want to thank Governor Cuomo for recommending good people to work on developmental disabilities issues, which have become very significant in our society today. These are difficult and important jobs, but we will stand beside these new commissioners to help out wherever possible."
Senator Shirley L. Huntley, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Mental Health said, "Those who are most vulnerable deserve to be treated in a compassionate and respectable manner that protects them and their rights. I truly believe that Commissioner Burke and Chairman Bearden will perform admirably in their duties. New leadership and an emphasis on accountability, transparency, and quality care will undoubtedly lead our developmental disabilities facilities and treatment systems to be one of the best in the nation. I congratulate both the Governor for these selections and the Commissioners on their confirmations."
Ann Hardiman, Executive Director of New York State Association of Community and Residential Agencies said, "I commend Governor Cuomo for his selection of Courtney Burke to serve as Commissioner for the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities. Coming from a distinguished career in working to improve health care policy, Ms. Burke is a natural choice to lead this office. Her experience in government and Medicaid policy, combined with years of advocating for persons with disabilities, gives Ms. Burke a rich background to draw upon as she leads the OPWDD."
Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director of New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services praised the selections by noting, "The confirmation of Roger Bearden to serve as Commissioner of the CQCPAD signifies the beginning of a new era of re-energized advocacy and leadership for this vital state agency. Mr. Bearden brings a career of public service to this position, during which he has fought tirelessly on behalf of New Yorkers with psychiatric and other disabilities. I applaud Governor Cuomo for selecting Mr. Bearden; there is no doubt that the delivery and quality of healthcare services and will be significantly advanced through his leadership at the CQCPAD."
Burke photo credit and source: albany.edu
Bearden photo credit and source: rollbackcampaign.org
Bearden photo credit and source: rollbackcampaign.org
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