ADvancing States, a national organization dedicated to advancing state policies and practices that support the needs of older adults and people with disabilities, is proud to announce the appointment of Ana Velasquez to the position of Aging and Disabilities Program Coordinator. Ana joined the team mid-March and has been collaborating with Pearl Barnett on Direct Care Careers and ADvancing interRAI initiatives. Ana comes to ADvancing States from the Utah Department of Health and Human services where she managed I/DD and aging and disability waivers.

Starting July 1^st Ana will be leading the Direct Care Careers and ADvancing interRAI initiatives as the main point of contact for ADvancing States members. She is looking forward to collaborating with ADvancing States partners and industry experts to support these programs focused on enhancing states’ direct care workforce and promoting equity and efficiency by optimizing assessment data.

If you are interested in learning more about Direct Care Careers or exploring how your state can use the ADvancing interRAI assessment tool to improve LTSS, please reach out to Ana via email at [email protected] or by calling (202) 898-2578 ext. 126.You can also sign up for more information by clicking here: ADvancing States Information Sign-Up.