Edlund to lead Board of Directors for Oregon’s largest Medicaid insurance provider with Vice Chair Dr. Jonathan Betlinski and four new members  

CareOregon announced this week that Tina Edlund, a longtime state health care policy leader, has been elected as the new chair of its 17-member Board of Directors. 

Edlund has 25 years of experience improving access to high-quality, affordable health care for low-income Oregonians, including serving as senior health policy advisor to Gov. Kate Brown and chief of policy for the Oregon Health Authority. In those roles, she was instrumental in transforming the state’s Medicaid program into a national model of coordinated care through the Oregon Health Plan.

“I am honored to have been elected board chair for CareOregon,” Edlund said. “This is not only a privilege, but a responsibility I take seriously."

Meaningful access to patient-centered, quality health care reduces human suffering. That’s the work. That’s what will guide me in this role.

Tine Edlund

Edlund will help lead CareOregon through a period of uncertainty for Medicaid, including federal policy and eligibility changes scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2027. As Oregon’s largest community-based, nonprofit Medicaid organization, CareOregon remains focused on protecting access to quality, equitable health care for Oregonians who rely on the Oregon Health Plan.

“As a community-based nonprofit, CareOregon is governed by a dedicated, all-volunteer Board of Directors from across the state,” said Eric C. Hunter, president and CEO of CareOregon. “These directors help ensure that we are good stewards of public funds and that we stay focused on our mission to support individual and community health. With the overall health care system at an inflection point and the future of Oregon’s innovative models under stress, we are thrilled to have Tina Edlund begin her term as chair. Together with the full board, we are confident that CareOregon is well positioned to navigate the road ahead.”

Joining Edlund in board leadership as vice chair is Dr. Jonathan Betlinski, director of public psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University. The Board also welcomed four new members in the past year: Phil Jackson, a retired health care executive; Joe McFerrin, president and CEO of Portland Opportunities Industrialization Center; Carolyn Coggins, interim senior vice president and chief financial officer at Legacy Health; and Dan Field, retired director of Multnomah County’s Homeless Services Department.

The Board leadership transition comes as CareOregon continues to support members, providers and community partners across Oregon’s changing Medicaid landscape.

“CareOregon has always shown up for its members and the community when it matters most,” Edlund said. “Our job stays the same: make sure Oregonians, especially the most vulnerable among us, have access to quality care. That means we need to remain optimistic, clear-eyed and honest about the challenges in front of us.”

Visit our Who we are page to learn more about CareOregon’s board of directors.