Manatt Welcomes Leading Behavioral Health Executive to Health Policy Bench

Shaina Zurlin’s Medicaid background leading the integration of behavioral health services will benefit the Firm’s state, provider, health plan and foundation clients

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, a multidisciplinary, integrated professional services firm, announced the arrival of Senior Advisor Shaina Zurlin to its Health Care industry group. With deep experience advancing and transforming Medicaid services at the state level, Zurlin works across behavioral health initiatives and provides guidance on state and local health care legislation, policy, finance and clinical practice to improve medical and behavioral health access and care management.

“As the health care industry continues to prioritize access to care while growing in both size and complexity, our clients need professionals who are intimately familiar with the business, policy and operational challenges the industry is facing every day,” said Manatt CEO and Managing Partner Donna L. Wilson. “Having worked as a clinician, a private consultant and in multiple senior leadership positions across state and county agency levels, Shaina brings a true 360-degree perspective of the health policy landscape, and her arrival strengthens our capabilities to support clients looking to create a more accessible and equitable health care environment.”

With more than two decades of experience in community behavioral health and wellness, Zurlin works with clients to advance access and care for the Medicaid population and implement complex policy and regulatory guidance. For over 18 years, she worked within California’s Medicaid market—holding leadership roles with the Central California Alliance for Health, California Department of Health Care Services and the County of Santa Cruz—to successfully implement system design and targeted improvement utilizing innovative approaches, multi-tiered stakeholder engagement and data-driven practices. Zurlin led the design and launch of a statewide screening and transition tool, as well as general behavioral health documentation for the California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) program and the Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System. As an educator, she has served as a research partner with the University of California San Francisco and frequently leads presentations on how to improve the quality and equity of care throughout California.

“Shaina’s experience partnering with federal agencies and leading cutting-edge initiatives in California makes her an invaluable addition as we continue expanding our offerings for clients in the behavioral health space, as recently seen with the arrival of behavioral health care leader John O’Brien earlier this year,” said Manatt Health Leader Bill Bernstein. “Shaina brings an extensive background in state implementation as well as the regulatory, operational and policy elements of the Medicaid and behavioral health landscapes, which will greatly benefit our clients leading delivery system reform.”

“I’ve long admired Manatt’s commitment to advancing health equity, access and outcomes through collaborative leadership, dynamic problem-solving and a holistic approach to client service,” said Zurlin. “It’s the ideal platform to grow my practice, and I’m excited to collaborate with its incredibly talented legal and consulting team to achieve the highest quality care for people and communities nationwide.”

Zurlin joins the Firm’s roster of legal and consulting professionals who have also joined over the last year across core practices, including Corporate and Finance (Bill Broome); Digital and Technology (Tim Andrews and Lisa W. Rosaya); Entertainment (Binta Niambi Brown); Financial Services (Warren Biro, Haley Fiallo, Mike Katz, Jessica Sklute and Troy Zander); Health Care (Heide Bajnrauh, Axel Bernabe, Tom Cassels, Christina (Chrissy) Farr, Dr. Shamiram (Shami) Feinglass, Robert (Rob) Fraiman, Seth Frazier, Eric Gold, Kendall Hussey, Paul Irving, Dr. Tracy Johnson, Anna Lansky, John O’Brien, Thomas (Tom) Robertson, Lisa Sbrana, Melindah Sharma, Jerry Tichner and Mark Wietecha); and Litigation (Schuyler G. Carroll, Dylan Carson, Randy S. Grossman, Kareem A. Salem and Justin Wolosz).

Zurlin earned her M.B.A. from Western Governors University, her PsyD from California Southern University and her M.S.W. from Simmons College.

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is a leading professional services firm, providing integrated legal and consulting services to a global client base. With offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento and Silicon Valley), New York (New York City and Albany), Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Boston, the Firm represents sophisticated clients—including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies—across a range of industry sectors such as health care; financial services; entertainment; digital and technology; and energy, environmental and real estate. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.

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