Clarissa Barnes

Clarissa Barnes, MD, MBA, FACP, serves as the Chief Medical Officer for South Dakota Medicaid and is President and CEO of the American College of Physician Advisors, both since September 2023. Dr. Barnes has held various roles at Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, including Hospitalist and Lead Physician Advisor in CDI/UR, while also serving as a Clinical Professor at The University of South Dakota, Sanford School of Medicine. Previous experience includes a physician consultant role at 3M and leadership positions at Avera Health, where significant revenue improvements and changes in physician mental health disclosures were achieved. Dr. Barnes holds an Executive MBA from Creighton University's Heider College of Business and an MD from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, alongside a BA in Chemistry from the University of South Dakota.