As Executive Vice President, Public Affairs, Charlene MacDonald leads FAH’s Government Relations and Public Affairs teams directing the Federation’s advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill and beyond. She will also work closely with the organization’s policy experts to advance health care quality and access for the millions of patients served by our members’ facilities.

During her more than 20-year career in public affairs, Charlene has held a wide range of leadership positions in both the House and Senate, as well as the private sector, most recently serving as Chief Government Affairs Officer for CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield. In that role, she led the group’s advocacy, public policy and government affairs team with a focus on promoting politics that positively impacted members’ health outcomes.

Prior to CareFirst, Charlene was Head of Health Care and Life Sciences at FTI Consulting, where she led a multidisciplinary strategic communications team and advised clients on all aspects of stakeholder engagement, including public affairs and government relations.

Charlene also brings more than a decade of experience working inside government. She served as top health advisor to former Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Senior Policy Advisor for Medicare & Social Security at the Senate Budget Committee, and Deputy Chief of Staff to Representative Allyson Schwartz (D-PA). Her accomplishments include the drafting, negotiation and enactment of numerous bipartisan health bills ranging from the 21st Century Cures Act to the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

She holds a M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Sociology from Lake Forest College.