Home > About Us

Commissioner Rhonda M. Medows, MD, FAAFP

Rhonda M. Medows, MD, FAAFP
Dr. Rhonda Medows, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH), was appointed by Governor Sonny Perdue in December 2005. She leads a $12 billion agency responsible for the purchasing, planning and regulation of health care for over 2.3 million Georgians. As the implementation of several major health care initiatives for Georgia’s Medicaid, PeachCare for KidsTM and State Health Benefit Plan progresses, Dr. Medows is committed to improving health care delivery systems, and subsequently, the health outcomes of members, empowering health care consumers to make responsible decisions about their health and health care coverage, and ensuring the financial integrity and viability of the state’s largest health care programs.

Beginning July 1, 2009, DCH added Emergency Preparedness and Response Division, Healthcare Facility Regulation Division and the Division of Public Health. Dr. Medows will manage all their activities to serve the people of Georgia. Prior to her appointment, Dr. Medows served as the first Chief Medical Officer for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Region IV Office located in Atlanta. The Regional Office serves the eight southeastern states i.e. Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. This Regional Office provides essential day-to-day functions for Medicare, Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). In addition, CMS regional offices maintain oversight of the survey and certification of nursing homes and continuing care providers (including hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies (HHAs), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) facilities and hospices).

From 2001 through 2004, Dr. Medows served as Secretary for the State of Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration. In this position, Dr. Medows was responsible for an organization with a total operating budget of $14.3 billion and consisted of 1,600 employees located in 11 district offices across the State. This umbrella organization administers Florida’s Medicaid program for 2.3 million people. It licenses and regulates 22,000 entities including health care facilities, hospitals, nursing homes, clinics and clinical laboratories. The Agency also regulates the State’s more than 25 health maintenance organizations and houses the State’s Center for Health Care Statistics, which publishes health care data and research. In addition, Dr Medows served as the Governor’s lead on policy development for health care industry issues.

Dr. Medows practiced medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. She has also served as a Corporate Medical Director for Blue Cross Blue Shield in Florida; as the Chief Medical Officer for a multi-State Disease Management Company; and as a Clinical Director of a large pharmaceutical company. Dr. Medows received her Bachelor of Science Degree from Cornell University and her Medical Degree from Morehouse School of Medicine. She completed Family Medicine Residency training at University Hospital at Stony Brook in New York and is Board Certified in Family Medicine. Dr. Medows is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Her teaching appointments were as Assistant Professor, University of Florida, Department of Family Medicine and Assistant Professor, Florida State University Medical School.