Nevada Medicaid Leadership

Stacie brings over ten years of experience in Medicaid and health care policy from the public and private sectors. Most recently, Stacie served as a principal at a national consulting firm, advising numerous state and local governments, health care providers, hospitals, health insurers, and non-profit organizations on ways to achieve their goals in Medicaid and the individual market. Stacie also held key leadership roles in Minnesota’s Medicaid agency, including serving as chief of staff, where she oversaw the agency's legal, compliance, communications, and legislative divisions, and as director of federal waivers and policy, where she helped oversee the implementation of federal regulatory changes and multiple state health care reforms and initiatives. Stacie also has knowledge of state Medicaid financing from her time as an administrator for the health and human services budget committee at the Minnesota Senate and experience in advocacy and public policy from previous roles representing the priorities of a large safety-net hospital and the health care needs of clients served by legal aid. Stacie holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock and a master’s in public health from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Sandie Ruybalid has been with the DHCFP since 2002. She began her career with the State of Nevada in 1994 in Workers Compensation Insurance and has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare insurance industry, with a focus on Medicaid Management Information Systems (MMIS). She was appointed to her role as Chief IT Manager in 2019 and oversees the Department’s Health Information Technology Projects, and the Division’s Information Services Unit, and Information Security Officer. She was the Project Director for the Division’s successful MMIS Modernization project which went live February, 2019. She received her Certificate of Public Manager designation in April of 2016. She was appointed to the Patient Protection Commission in 2021 by Governor Steve Sisolak as an employee of the Department with expertise in health information technology and patients’ access to medical records.

Amber Law is a Certified Public Manager and has served in government finance since 2005. Amber came to the Division of Health Care Financing and Policy from the State of Nevada Treasurer’s Office where she served as the Senior Deputy State Treasurer. During her career, Amber was also appointed under two State Treasurers serving as the Deputy State Treasurer of Cash Management and Merchant Services and worked as an Administrative Services Officer III for the Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Amber was raised in Nevada and is passionate about serving the great Silver State. She is trained in Lean Six Sigma and Kaizen and enjoys applying these principles to her civil service work.

Dr. Malinda Southard DC brings practical clinical experience from her Carson City chiropractic practice, as well as a heart for helping others, collaboration, and team building. She began her career in state service in 2014 as an Administrative Assistant III with the Nevada Medicaid (Division of Health Care Financing and Policy). Along her journey back to Medicaid, she joined the State Public Health Preparedness (PHP) Program in the Division of Public and Behavioral Health, internally promoting and culminating as Manager for the Nevada PHP Program where she led an amazing team and fostered immense collaboration with internal and external partners for several years, including throughout the pandemic. She then accepted the Governor-appointed position as Executive Director of the Nevada Patient Protection Commission in 2022. She earned her Certified Public Manager (CPM) in 2019 and holds an Associate Degree, with honors, from San Joaquin Delta Community College in Stockton, California; a bachelor’s degree and a Doctor of Chiropractic degree both from University of Western States (formerly Western States Chiropractic College) in Portland, Oregon. Malinda grew up in a small town in Northeastern California and now enjoys living in Northern Nevada with her family.

Theresa Carsten is a native Nevadan, born and raised in the Reno/Sparks area. After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno she worked for a local non-profit organization for seven years writing grants, and operating services funded by the United States Department of Agricultures, Food and Nutrition Services agency. Theresa began her career with the State of Nevada in 2012, with the Division of Health Care Financing and Policy as a policy specialist within the Behavioral Health Unit. Since that time, she has supervised the quality and compliance of contracts held by the Division with each Managed Care Entity operating in Nevada. Later, Theresa was assigned oversight in additional areas, including dental policy, as well as managing statewide efforts related to Medicaid Access and Availability and Quality Assurance across both Fee-For-Service and Managed Care delivery programs. Theresa also worked for the Division of Public and Behavioral Health managing the Rural Health Clinics and maintained operational oversight of services provided in rural Nevada. Theresa has been appointed as the Acting Deputy Administrator of Managed Care, Access, and Quality Assurance through the 82nd Legislative Session.

Dr. Keith Benson DMD is a native Nevadan, born and raised in Carson City. After completing dental school at University of Nevada, Las Vegas he completed a residency at the University of New Mexico Hospital. Dr. Benson has twelve years of experience as a frontline public health dentist. With a strong desire to improve community health he brings his knowledge and experience to help improve the oral health of Nevada. Dr. Benson also has experience in the rural communities of Nevada with much time spent with family located in Eureka and Spring Creek. His career in dentistry started in Reno, while pursuing his bachelor’s degree volunteering on mobile dental bus teaching second graders how to brush and floss their teeth. Now Dr. Benson is pursuing his goal of improving Nevada’s oral health through health promotion, programs, and sound policy. He is so thankful to be raising his family in Carson City and serving the people of Nevada.

Dr. Roshanda Clemons is a board-certified pediatrician with twenty years’ experience practicing medicine. She served Nevadans as the Medical Director at Nevada Early Intervention Services for 6 years, serving children with special needs, developmental delays and diagnosing autism. Her experiences also includes serving as a contracted physician, performing in home preventive physicals for elderly to improve long-term outcomes in the spirit of fiscal responsibility with limited resources. She has worked in Federally Qualified Health Centers and Native American health. In the Bay Area, Dr. Clemons was the recipient of a fellowship on multicultural health. She also enjoys writing policy. In her free time, Dr. Clemons is the proud parent of two active children in Las Vegas.

Ky Plaskon is a Society of Professional Journalist & California Chicano News Media Association award-winning reporter with more than 25 years of experience in news. He has reported for NPR affiliates in Alaska, San Diego, Las Vegas, Reno and Sacramento and been a morning TV news anchor. His book, Silent Heroes of the Cold War: Declassified led Congress to designate Nevada's only National Memorial. He holds a Master of Arts in Media Studies from UNLV, has taught news at three universities and was a high school teacher for at-risk youth before coming to work for the State in 2018 as an Education Information Officer for the Cannabis Compliance Board (CCB). At the CCB he wrote policy, trained cannabis license application evaluators and managed national media interest in the topic. At Nevada Medicaid, Ky worked with staff to reach hundreds of community partners and, for the first time, implemented direct communication with hundreds of thousands of Medicaid Members. Ky is a fluent Spanish speaker and leads the Division's efforts to serve the Limited English Proficiency community. He has two daughters that he takes on monthly adventures including road trips, biking, back-country skiing, running, swimming, and camping.