Mark D. Birdwhistell, MPA

Mark D. Birdwhistell is the Senior Vice-President for Health and Public Policy for the University of Kentucky. He is a healthcare policy expert and administrator with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors. Mark has had a significant and influential career, spanning over forty years in Medicaid policy, particularly in the state of Kentucky.

He is best known for his work as Kentucky’s Secretary of Health and Family Services under Governor Ernie Fletcher, where he led major Medicaid reform initiatives.

Before and after his role in state government, Birdwhistell held senior leadership positions at the University of Kentucky HealthCare system, where he continued to engage in healthcare policy and strategy. He has also contributed to policy discussions at the national level, particularly in the areas of Medicaid payment and coverage as well as Medicaid innovation, healthcare delivery transformation, and integrated care models.

In his current role, he leads the Office of Government Relations and Public Policy, which manages all government relations functions for the University of Kentucky.

Birdwhistell earned his Master of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky Martin School for Public Policy and an undergraduate degree from Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky.