Anne Barry, Deputy Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Human Services
Like other states, Minnesota is preparing for Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation. For Anne Barry, Deputy Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, this is exciting and challenging at the same time. Under ACA, says Barry, “we’re working to imagine a health care delivery system that integrates mental health, chemical health and primary care to support healthy people.”
Barry has recently taken on a new challenge to oversee the state’s direct care programs for people who are developmentally disabled, mentally ill or chemically dependent. “We’re looking at how ACA can help us support these individuals in our communities so they can live in integrated community settings,” she says.
Barry knows first hand that to improve health policy it takes coordinating across layers of government, and partnering with individuals and groups in the private sector to make changes. Barry sees her job as one that brings together people, agencies and lawmakers to create and implement good health policy. She says that “NASHP is a forum for constructive work across branches and agencies of state government–my role in Minnesota is the same.”
Barry has been one of the longest serving members of the Academy for about 20 years. She is currently the Chair of NASHP’s Executive Committee and is very engaged. “NASHP has been a great resource for me to bring best practices, research and expertise from across the country back to Minnesota. To know that other states are struggling with similar policy issues and have found solutions that might work in my state is invaluable.”
As Barry looks back on her distinguished career, she shares that it has come full circle since working with patients in a state institution 30 years ago. In the past year, her work has shifted with a new focus on human services programs that provide direct care and treatment to people with developmental disabilities, mental illness or chemical dependency. “I’m working to define the state’s role as a safety net and make sure we take in those who cannot be served anywhere else. At the same time, we want to make sure we’re serving individuals in the most integrated setting possible. Read more about Anne Barry here.
For individuals living with complex, often chronic conditions, and their families, palliative care can provide relief from symptoms, improve satisfaction and outcomes, and help address critical mental and spiritual needs during difficult times. Now more than ever, there is growing recognition of the importance of palliative care services for individuals with serious illness, such as advance care planning, pain and symptom management, care coordination, and team-based, multi-disciplinary support. These services can help patients and families cope with the symptoms and stressors of disease, better anticipate and avoid crises, and reduce unnecessary and/or unwanted care. While this model is grounded in evidence that demonstrates improved quality of life, better outcomes, and reduced cost for patients, only a fraction of individuals who could benefit from palliative care receive it. 
