La Tasha Barnwell

La Tasha Barnwell-Ary, MPH, DrPH(c) is the Associate Director of Strategic Programs at the Institute for Medicaid Innovation, where she leads initiatives that bridge research, policy, and practice to advance equity in Medicaid. With nearly 15 years of experience in public health leadership, she has driven innovation in value-based care, quality improvement, and community health programs. A Bloomberg Health Initiative fellow and DrPH candidate at Johns Hopkins University, La Tasha’s work centers on creating sustainable, community-driven solutions to address addiction, behavioral health, and social determinants of health.

Through a lens of equity and community health, La Tasha has nearly 15 years of experience managing community engagement programs, healthcare coalitions, research projects, business plans, and quality improvement initiatives, all aimed at improving the lives of the communities she serves.

La Tasha earned her Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from San Jose State University and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University. She is completing her Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree in Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins University. Her dedication to addressing addiction and overdose in underserved communities has earned her a prestigious fellowship and scholarship with the Bloomberg Health Initiative.

In her current role as Associate Director of Strategic Programs at the Institute for Medicaid Innovation (IMI), La Tasha leads initiatives that advance IMI’s mission to improve the health and well-being of Medicaid enrollees through research, policy, and practice. She works closely with cross-sector partners to design, implement, and evaluate programs that strengthen Medicaid’s capacity to address complex health and social needs, with a focus on health equity and innovation.