Christopher Jones

Chris Jones is a Senior Fellow and Vice President for Healthcare Policy at the Cicero Institute. Chris previously served as the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services under Governor Doug Burgum for the state of North Dakota. He was responsible for strategic planning and daily operational oversight of a department with 2,700 employees and an annual budget of $3 billion. In his tenure, he led the integration of the Department of Health with the Department of Human Services; transformed reimbursement models in aging and long-term care and, services for those with developmental disabilities; increased access to behavioral health care and addiction services; helped children ages zero to 5 realize their potential through quality early childhood experiences; supported the state’s workforce needs by leading an effort to improve access to quality, affordable child care; and reduced costs for Medicaid. Prior to that, Chris was a Senior Vice President for Strategy and Business Development for Catholic Health Initiatives (now CommonSpirit) and was responsible for providing leadership and setting the stage for transformational healthcare delivery change. His areas of responsibility included strategic partnerships and investments, service line growth, physician alignment, new models of care delivery; including telemedicine, and other technological innovations. He also held consultative positions at Allina Health System and VHA (now Vizient), with areas of focus around data analytics, strategic research, business development, and PPO network development. Chris received his BA in Healthcare Leadership and Scandinavian Studies from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. Chris is an Aspen Ascend Fellow and was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as a Rising Star: 25 Healthcare Leaders Under 40.