[6] Governor Roy Cooper appointed Kinsley health secretary of the NCDHHS, an organization with nearly 18,000 employees and an annual budget of $38 billion.
[8] During his tenure, Kinsley led the state's expansion of Medicaid, brokered a deal that relieved nearly $4 billion in medical debt, raised charity care standards, and secured $835 million in new behavioral health funding.
[14][15][16][17] Kinsley emphasized the importance of Medicaid expansion in tackling health disparities, particularly in rural communities where access to healthcare services is limited.
[18] Kinsley's work as secretary broadened insurance coverage and enhanced investments in both preventive care and behavioral health services.
[19][20] Kinsley negotiated with both the federal government and state hospitals to develop create a comprehensive Medical Debt Relief and Reform Incentive Program.
These initiatives included deploying mobile health clinics to affected areas, ensuring the continuity of Medicaid services, and addressing food insecurity for displaced families.
[32] The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) gave Kinsley its first-ever Kerri Eaker Mountain Mover Award in November 2024.
The award, celebrating the legacy of Kerri Eaker, is given to individuals who have driven transformative systems change for the state's intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) community.