Meet Our Team: Q&A with Felicia Spivack, Director

What brought you to Sellers Dorsey?
I worked in managed care in my home state of Illinois for many years and was committed to Medicaid and government healthcare programs. Over time I became more interested in national policy and the influence of other markets outside of Illinois and really wanted to get a better understanding of the connection to the state market from a national perspective.

Some of my former colleagues whom I highly respected were working at Sellers Dorsey. I thought given where I was in my career that it would be the perfect next step and would give me a broader focus on Medicaid and government programs.

What is your special area of expertise?
I worked with managed care organizations across the state throughout most of my career. With that historical background, my area of expertise is in regulatory affairs, health plan operations, and compliance work.

What is your superpower and what is your kryptonite?
My superpower is my accountability. Once I engage in a project, I completely own it from the top to the bottom no matter what my role is, and I’m fully committed to its execution.

I would say my kryptonite is work-life balance. Previously in my career, I was willing to work all the time, and many times I would. Fortunately, since I’ve been at Sellers Dorsey for over the past year, I’ve been better able to manage my work-life balance, and being with the Firm has truly helped with that.

What types of clients do you typically serve?
Typically for the Firm, I serve health plans, managed care organizations, solution partners, and state agencies. It’s a nice variety of clients. My previous experience in managed care, especially with health plans really translates well to my role at Sellers Dorsey.

What project have you worked on while at Sellers Dorsey that you’re especially proud of?
We’re currently working with a community organization in Illinois on a proposal for a partnership with managed care organizations. They’ve been wonderful to work with. They’re an extremely passionate team and everyone has a deep personal connection to the organization.

To explain the project, the community organization had a vision to serve Medicaid members in the state of Illinois because it’s so closely aligned with their mission to strengthen the community and ensure everyone, regardless of age or income, has the opportunity to grow. The client easily saw the alignment there, and we’ve been able to help them with their vision to serve Medicaid members in Illinois and bring that to fruition in the form of a proposal for health plans.

We’re very excited to be joining them in a couple of weeks, as they propose this idea. This project truly embodies so much of what Medicaid is about in serving communities to help improve equity, access, and quality so that people can live healthy, fulfilling lives.

What do you enjoy most about your role at Sellers Dorsey? What is most rewarding?
What I enjoy most about Sellers Dorsey is the people. There’s so much knowledge and experience across the entire firm, with former leaders from state Medicaid agencies, hospitals, managed care organizations, and more. It’s impressive that there are so many talented individuals here.

There’s also a genuinely collaborative approach to serving clients, and I think that’s unique to this Firm. The projects my colleagues and I have worked on truly impact healthcare, and it’s definitely a source of pride.

What are the biggest challenges you predict for your clients in the next few years? What solutions do you hope will become more prevalent?
Right now, we’re just beginning to see a glimpse of Medicaid post-pandemic. So states, CMS, and health plans are laser-focused on redetermination efforts. It’s critical across all stakeholders to reach Medicaid beneficiaries and ensure that all the folks who truly need Medicaid are able to maintain their coverage through this period.

Also, I think going forward a lot of states are going to be issuing re-procurements and subsequent program implementations. Plans are going to be prioritizing innovative solutions to help them address quality, equity, and social impacts to best serve their members and also overcome performance challenges.

Sellers Dorsey has a lot of expertise in performing market research and analysis and we can help clients build and optimize strategies to tighten operations and support plan readiness.

What are two fun facts that people would be surprised to learn about you?
I have a 16-year-old son, and he and I go to concerts together all the time. It can be exhausting going to three-day music festivals, but I love it and it’s how we have fun together now that he’s a little older.

I’m also a licensed attorney in Illinois.

What was your very first job?
My parents owned an aquarium business that operated out of a retail store on the south side of Chicago. I started working there right around the time I was able to walk and talk. It was very much a family business operation. My brothers and I all put in our time.

What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?
I love fitness and I love food. Chicago has an amazing dining scene. I definitely indulge, and I’m kind of a fitness class addict.

Name your all-time favorite movie or book.
Pulp Fiction. I had a 200-pound Great Dane that was named Jules after Samuel L. Jackson’s character in the movie.

To learn more about Felicia and her role at the firm, check out her bio here.