The Power of Partnerships: Behavioral health and public health working together to combat smoking in Kentucky

Judy Baker is the Branch Manager of the Kentucky Medicaid Managed Care Quality & Outcomes branch. In this role, she manages the quality and data contracts. She collaborates with various organizations to increase tobacco cessation within the Medicaid population and to develop statewide all-payer quality measures. Originally from Columbia, KY, Judy lives and works in Frankfort, KY and received her MS in Strategic Human Resource Leadership from Sullivan University in Louisville KY.

Bill Blatt is National Director of Tobacco Programs for the American Lung Association. In that role, he is responsible for all of the Lung Association’s health education programs, activities and messages related to tobacco prevention and cessation. Bill’s accomplishments at the Lung Association include the creation and release of new editions of their adult smoking cessation program Freedom From Smoking^® and the new Freedom From Smoking^® Plus, as well as Not On Tobacco^® (N-O-T), America’s most widely used smoking cessation program for teens. Bill’s other professional interests include smokefree multi-unit housing and improving health equity, particularly regarding tobacco use in the low SES, LGBT and behavioral health populations.

As Tobacco Cessation Administrator, I write the RFP, administer the contract for Kentucky quit line comprehensive services, and serve as a resource for all other cessation services offered across the state of Kentucky. I maintain a knowledge base of current policies, procedures, laws, and trends in comprehensive tobacco cessation benefits and public-private partnership building. I work collaboratively with Kentucky Medicaid and the Managed Care Organizations on quality improvement projects and provide clinical expertise or technical assistance for assigned programs or health care projects in multi-county or geographic areas. I presented one of our successful programs at the Break Free Alliance Conference in New Orleans in 2010, the COPD Foundation and the national BRFSS conference in 2011, the North American Quitline Consortium and the National Conference on Tobacco or Health in 2012 and 2017 and via webinars from 2013 to the present. I am a Tobacco Treatment Specialist.

Margaret Jaco Manecke, MSSW is a behavioral health professional who currently serves as Project Manager, Practice Improvement at the National Council for Behavioral Health. In this role, Margaret provides project management and other direct support to multiple practice improvement and leadership programs, including CDC-funded initiatives and the National Council’s public health portfolio. Ms. Manecke provides project direction and writing support for other federal and state grant proposals, and serves as the Project Manager for the CDC-funded National Behavioral Health Network for Tobacco & Cancer Control. Also at the National Council, Margaret previously served on the Mental Health First Aid team, providing critical support for the National Council’s premier mental health public education program. Prior to joining the National Council, Margaret served in various positions for behavioral health and advocacy organizations, including extensive work in the realms of affordable and public housing, Medicaid, and public policy analysis.