Cristal Thomas, the newly appointed Director of the Office of Ohio Health Plans (Medicaid), has strong Ohio roots. Cristal grew up in Portsmouth, Ohio and is a 1998 graduate of Ohio State University (she has a B.S. in Molecular Genetics). For the past year and a half she has been the Assistant Director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services – an agency that has 2,300 employees and an annual budget of $15 billion. Thomas implemented the All Kids program in Illinois, which guaranteed healthcare coverage to all children in the state. The agency oversees the Illinois Medicaid, child support, and energy assistant programs. She was previously the Director of Strategic Planning for the agency. Thomas commented today, "I will work with Governor Strickland to fix Ohio's problems with the Medicaid system and make access to high-quality, affordable healthcare options a reality for all Ohioans."