As Area Director and Chief Executive Officer of Vaya Health, Tracy Hayes leads the executive team, oversees general administration, ensures operational excellence, and guides strategic planning, government relations, and public policy. As a former Medicaid beneficiary and recipient of public welfare programs, she has a deep empathy for the experience of Vaya’s members and strives to maintain the organization’s focus on our core mission: supporting the people and communities we have the privilege to serve.
Ms. Hayes brings nearly 20 years of experience with North Carolina’s Medicaid and State-funded programs to the role of Area Director and CEO. Having served as Vaya’s General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer since 2013, she led multiple complex initiatives and progressively larger business units, including the legal, compliance, quality management, regulatory affairs, board operations, and communications and public affairs teams.
Prior to joining Vaya, Hayes served as Special Deputy Attorney General at the N.C. Department of Justice, representing the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Her work on both civil and administrative matters related to the N.C. Medicaid program provided opportunities to gain valuable insight and build strong relationships with stakeholders throughout the state. Hayes also served as the first General Counsel for Alliance Health, another North Carolina LME/MCO operating out of the Raleigh/Durham area.
Hayes obtained her undergraduate degree from New College of Florida and her juris doctorate from Tulane University Law School. She is certified in healthcare compliance and licensed to practice law in North Carolina.