Indianapolis, IN--Ms. Rita Johnson-Mills has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Managed Health Services Indiana, Inc. (MHS), Centene Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer Michael F. Neidorff, has announced.

Mr. Neidorff said, "We are pleased to announce that Rita Johnson-Mills has been appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of MHS. She has served as the health plan's Chief Operating Officer since October 2000. Ms. Johnson-Mills' previous experience as the Health Care Financing Administration's Director for the Office of Medicaid Managed Care in Baltimore, Maryland will definitely benefit MHS' Medicaid Members."

Ms. Johnson-Mills replaces Michael D. McKinney, M.D., who was appointed President of Centene of Texas.

Before joining MHS, Ms. Johnson-Mills served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Medical Diagnostic Management, Inc., a laboratory benefits management company in Culver City, California. She led and managed the Human Resources, Finance and Administrative Services departments; directed the development and implementation of the company's corporate policies and procedures; and managed the accounts payable and receivable functions, cash flow balances and provided oversight in the preparation of financial statements.

From 1995-1999, she was the Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for DC Chartered Health Plan, Inc., in Washington, D.C., a Health Maintenance Organization serving predominantly the Medicaid population. She was responsible for enhancing the operational efficiency and organizational effectiveness of the health plan and supervised the executive and senior management staff.

She also served in the State of Ohio's Department of Human Services and Department of Health in various positions including: Chief, Bureau of Medicaid Preventive Health; Chief, Medicaid Preventive Health Section; and Chief, Bureau of Medical Assistance and Health Program Administrator.

MHS is a managed care organization serving the Medicaid population throughout the entire state and is a subsidiary of Centene Corporation. MHS has three Indiana office locations, which are located in Indianapolis, Merrillville, and Ft. Wayne. The Indianapolis office is the headquarters for the Plan.

Centene Corporation specializes in providing services for government-supported health care programs. It has Medicaid managed health care plans in Indiana, Texas and Wisconsin.