MILWAUKEE, Wis., Oct. 10, 2022 — Children’s Wisconsin has promoted Mark Rakowski to President of Chorus Community Health Plans (CCHP). Recognizing the impact of his leadership, Rakowski will also oversee the Children’s Community Health and Education teams, and he will become a member of the health system’s senior leadership team.
The change recognizes the growing importance of the health plan to Children’s vision, his new responsibilities, and the impact these areas have on the mission of Children’s Wisconsin.
Rakowski has been with Children’s for more than 20 years, serving in multiple roles supporting Children’s health care reform work and later the creation of Children’s health insurance offerings. His leadership has been instrumental in the expansion of Chorus, which has grown to become the largest BadgerCare health plan in Southeast Wisconsin. He also helped guide the Care4Kids program, which has improved the health outcomes of kids in foster care while also reducing the cost of health care to the state. In 2016, he led the expansion of the health plans onto the exchange, and this year, helped to rebrand the insurance plans from Children’s Community Health Plan to Chorus Community Health Plans.
“For 20 years, in every role he has had, Mark has been driven by our vision that Wisconsin kids be the healthiest in the nation,” said Peggy Troy, president and CEO, Children’s Wisconsin. “That combination of drive and compassion has had a positive impact at Children’s and in the community.”
The Community Health and Education teams help address broad health and wellness issues that affect kids in the community. Some of these services include an asthma management program, school nurses, health navigators, injury prevention and the Educational Achievement Partnership Program. During the pandemic, Children’s success at providing and supporting vaccination efforts in community locations were led by Chorus and the Community Health and Education teams. This is one example of how bringing these two areas of the health system together has the potential to have an even greater impact on the community.
Rakowski and his family reside in New Berlin. He grew up in Greendale, Wis., and graduated from St. Thomas More High School in Milwaukee. He received his bachelor’s degree in finance from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and a master’s degree in finance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. For the past 15 years, Rakowski has served on the board of directors for Ebenezer Child Care Centers in Milwaukee.
