Khaner One of o4a’s Honored Staff Persons of the Year

The Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging (o4a) honored PSA2’s Assistant Director Nicole Khaner as one of 11 Staff Persons of the Year at its 36th Annual Conference held October 15-16 in Columbus. The 11 honorees were named for making significant contributions to the Ohio Aging Network, specifically toward the statewide Next Generation MyCare Ohio transition work throughout 2025 for implementation in 2026. “Instead of honoring just one individual, we are recognizing 11 incredible leaders who have gone above and beyond in service to our network and to the older Ohioans and individuals with disabilities we serve,” said Beth Kowalczyk, CEO of o4a. “They have led and co-led critical workgroups, devoting countless hours to building a shared foundation for success in preparing for the transition to Next Generation MyCare Ohio. Their leadership has helped set a statewide standard for quality, accountability, and collaboration which strengthened our partnerships with the state and with managed care plans.”

Next Generation MyCare is a statewide managed care project coordinating benefits for Ohio residents who are covered by both Medicare and Medicaid, and saves the state money by streamlining service coordination. PSA2 served for many years as a MyCare Ohio pilot site serving Clark, Greene, and Montgomery counties, and implementation of Next Generation MyCare for these same three counties begins January 1, 2026. PSA 2 contracts with Catholic Social Services to implement Next Generation MyCare for Champaign, Darke, Logan, Miami, Preble, and Shelby counties on May 1, 2026.

The four state health plans for Next Generation MyCare are Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Buckeye Health Plan, CareSource, and Molina Healthcare.

The o4a conference draws more than 500 professionals from across Ohio’s aging and disability network annually for learning, collaboration, and recognition. There are 12 Area Agencies on Aging in Ohio serving older adults, people with disabilities, caregivers, and families across Ohio.