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Leadership Team


Samantha Olds Frey
Chief Executive Officer

Samantha has over a decade of experience in healthcare and public finance.  As Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at IAMHP, she is responsible for providing overall association leadership and strategic guidance, coordinating with health plans to bridge the gap between payers and providers, and working closely with State policy makers to formulate and implement policy that positively impacts Medicaid members.  

Prior to joining the association, Samantha was Research and Appropriations Analyst for Illinois House of Representatives where she helped negotiate and craft the Medicaid Reform Act of 2010, the $2.7 billion Medicaid reform package known as the SMART Act of 2012, and the Medicaid Expansion package authorized by the Affordable Care Act in 2013.

Samantha earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from St. Louis University and her Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration from Northwestern University.

Samantha was named to Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30 for her work in public policy in 2015.



Trisha Rodriquez
Director of Public Policy & Government Relations

Trisha will lead IAMHP’s work in coordinating and executing legislative strategies, and formulating health care policy that moves
the managed care program forward and enhances the Medicaid experience for consumers.  She will also manage committees in
order to develop best practices for improving health plan operations, health care quality and accessibility, and provider relations.

Prior to joining the Association, Trisha was a Policy and Budget Analyst for the Illinois Senate.  She has several years of experience
working on various legislative initiatives, including a $3.8 billion hospital tax assessment update, as well as the historic Illinois
Legislative Black Caucus health and human services pillar legislation.  Trisha earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science
with a minor in Business from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.




Judith Ruiz-Branch
Director of External Affairs

Judith will play a vital role in leading external communications and advocacy efforts, developing and maintaining relationships with
community-based organizations, and assisting with provider relations efforts.  She will also work across teams to streamline messaging
in order to most effectively craft and convey the Medicaid story.

Judith’s background is in journalism and public relationsand prior to joining the Association, she was a reporter/producer in Chicago
news for many years, and most recently served as a public relations and community relations manager, and senior account executive.
She has extensive experience crafting brand messaging and identifying key opportunities to tell newsworthy stories. Her newsroom
and public relations experience gives her a unique perspective when it comes to positively advancing the narrative of Medicaid Managed
Care. Judith earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism, with a minor in Latin American Studies from Columbia College Chicago.








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