The State of Iowa has a new Medicaid director. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced the hiring of her current health policy adviser Elizabeth Matney to the Medicaid post. Matney will take over as director on June 1st. Matney has a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from Drake University and a bachelor’s in psychology and philosophy from Texas State University.

Iowa’s Medicaid program oversees care for more than 700,000 poor and disabled Iowans. The program has been much maligned since former Governor Terry Branstad turned it over to private insurers.