ABOUT US

Steven Lutzky, PhD, President

Steven Lutzky has extensive experience designing, implementing and evaluating home and community-based systems for older adults, individuals with disabilities and long-term illness for the federal government, states, and private sector clients.

He served as the Director of Division for Advocacy and Special Issues (DASI), within the Disabled and Elderly Health Program Group, Center for Medicaid and State Operations (CMSO), Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Steve has also served as the Chief of the Office on Disabilities and Aging within the District of Columbia’s Medical Assistance Administration and was a Senior Manager with The Lewin Group.

He received his doctorate in Gerontology and Public Policy from the University of Southern California, Davis School of Gerontology.

Melanie Thomasson, PhD, Senior Principal

Melanie Thomasson has worked in LTSS systems design and improvement for over ten years and joined the HCBS Strategies team as a Senior Principal in April 2023.  Also a Fellow with the research collaborative interRAI, Melanie has expertise in the implementation of standardized assessment systems and using the resulting data to support program operations and policy goals. 

She has previously had roles in state agency, nonprofit association, and university settings, including serving as a research associate at the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Division of Aging and Adult Services and the University of Michigan’s Institute of Gerontology.  Most recently, she served as Vice President of Data and Financial Policy at the Arkansas Hospital Association, where she provided broad-based, data-informed support to healthcare providers and supported evidence-based policy development.  She holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology and a Ph.D. in Health Systems and Services Research from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.  Her doctoral research focused on level of care policies in Medicaid HCBS programs. 

Andrew Cieslinski, Principal

Andrew Cieslinski has over 10 years of experience working directly with federal, state, and local agencies around the country to improve home and community-based support systems. Andrew has supported long term service and support (LTSS) systems change efforts in over 20 states, including Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Texas, as well as with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the Administration for Community Living (ACL), and ADvancing States. 
 
Andrew has expertise in a wide range of LTSS areas and has led or supported over a dozen complex, large scale systems change efforts. Specific experience includes strategic planning and operational reviews; developing standardized tools for intake, screening, assessment and support planning; development and redesign of 1915(b),(c),(i),(k) and 1115 waivers; creating and piloting Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC) initiatives to gain Federal Financial Participation (FFP) funding; successfully working with states to procure a variety of competitive grants and other funding opportunities; planning and implementing major projects with States to meet the requirements for federally-funded programs including No Wrong Door (NWD) and Balancing Incentives Program (BIP); and implementing and enhancing Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs). 
 
Prior to joining the HCBS Strategies team, Andrew worked as a clinical research assistant at the University of Michigan’s Institute of Gerontology. He also has experience working as a lead resident care provider in an adolescent residential psychiatric facility and as a resident aide at an assisted living facility. 

Natalie Mulmule is a senior associate at HCBS Strategies. She has completed her MPH at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a focus on health policy and aging. Previously, she worked as a public health analyst in the Aging, Disability, and Long-Term Care Program within the Division for Social Policy, Health, and Economics Research at RTI International. Her career interests include strengthening the long-term care workforce, as well as policies supporting family caregivers and systems and programs that facilitate aging in place. 

Erica Zeppieri, Associate

Erica Zeppieri joined HCBS Strategies in November 2023. She holds a degree in Health Science and Sociology from Northeastern University, with a focus on healthcare policy reform and programs for underserved communities. Her experience at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center involved providing comprehensive care and follow-up services to older populations with complex health issues. At HCBS Strategies, Erica manages the Nebraska Medicaid Administrative Claiming time study, ADPI grants, and CMA redesign while supporting various other projects. 

A licensed occupational therapist with over 25 years of experience in healthcare, Allison Shapiro has worked extensively with individuals across the lifespan and healthcare continuum. She joined the HCBS Strategies team as an intern in March 2024 to support the ADvancing interRAI project, providing clinical expertise and training assistance. Shapiro holds a master’s degree in occupational therapy from the University of Southern California and she is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health from Tulane University, where she is focusing on community health sciences.

Maryam Romio graduated in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and joined HCBS Strategies shortly after. She is pursuing a Master of Science in Information (MSI) at the University of Michigan to combine her interests in data analytics and public health policy development. At HCBS Strategies, Maryam has supported the team in major projects across five states.