Dirigo Health planner lauded by magazine

AUGUSTA – The architect of Maine’s Dirigo Health program is being recognized as one the nation’s top 25 women in health care.

The current issue of Modern Health Care, a magazine for health care executives, named Trish Riley to the list, which included policy-makers, hospital executives, researchers, Capitol Hill lobbyists and others. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D.-N.Y., also made the list.

As the head of the Maine’s Office of Health Policy and Finance, Riley helped shape the Dirigo Health program, which is the state’s version of universal health care that is designed to ultimately provide health care to all Mainers.

Riley said she was surprised to find out she was among those named, saying others on the list are health care pioneers.

“They’re all people who have started new things,” she said. “I’m honored to be part of it.”

The magazine explained that it came up with the top 25 women for the first time because the industry long has been dominated by men.

It wanted to recognize women executives who are “challenging that tradition and working hard to improve the health care industry and its ability to care for patients,” the magazine stated in an editorial.