Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) Chief of Staff Christina Foss has been appointed as the new state Medicaid director.

Foss will serve in this role in addition to her current position as chief of staff. She will oversee state and federal policy alongside her work in communications and government affairs.

Foss has previously held positions in the Oklahoma Department of Labor and the U.S. House of Representatives. She has also led government affairs for OHCA.

"Public service has been the cornerstone of my career, and being part of the OHCA team is not just a role but an honor," Foss said in a press release. "It's a privilege to be a part of an outcome-driven agency making a meaningful impact in the lives of Oklahomans."

Foss succeeds Traylor Rains, who served for nearly three years. He left at the end of January, taking a job with Deloitte. His predecessor, Melody Anthony, served as the interim state Medicaid director.

Rains' tenure spanned the Medicaid unwinding – an eligibility process states resumed after a pandemic pause – and Oklahoma's transition to managed care, or SoonerSelect. OHCA went from paying providers directly to paying private companies to coordinate some enrollees' care.

The OHCA board will meet Wednesday.