Friday, February 03, 2023
Corewell Health has named Kristina Ko as its vice president, government relations and public policy and chief government affairs officer. Ko comes to the role with a broad range of experience in the legislative and regulatory arena.
“Kristina understands the immense importance and impact that public policy has on providing the best care and coverage for our communities,” said Corewell Health President & CEO Tina Freese Decker. “Her expertise and experience will be instrumental as we transform health care to better serve our patients and health plan members. We are thrilled to welcome her.”
In her role, Ko will work to advance the health system’s mission to improve health, instill humanity and inspire hope. She also will focus her efforts on developing and promoting a public policy agenda that advances Corewell Health’s vision of making health simple, affordable, equitable and exceptional for the communities it serves.
Ko comes to Corewell Health from the University of Michigan where she held the roles of executive director of federal relations and assistant vice president of research, federal relations. She played a critical role in positioning U-M as a global leader in education, research and service. Ko also served as the primary contact with Congress, the executive branch, federal agencies, research organizations, and other external stakeholder groups to advance the reputation and increase awareness about the achievements, needs and opportunities of the university community.
Prior to her time at U-M, Ko served as a health care adviser for the office of former U.S. Senator Carl Levin where she worked on the Affordable Care Act. She supported the senator’s work as chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee and chair of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations in the Committee of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Ko has spent over a decade working on health care issues across nonprofit and for-profit industries, and local and federal governments, including the management of a large Medicare demonstration program and as a senior health care finance consultant for a health policy consulting firm in Washington, DC.
“The nation’s health care system continues to require significant transformation that will pave the way for systems like Corewell Health to efficiently and effectively deliver and pay for health care,” Ko said. “I look forward to helping Corewell Health advance public policies that will enable a more simplified, accessible, equitable and affordable health care system.”