Role in the Program: Laura Zaremba was brought on as a one-year project manager through Health Management Associates (HMA) under the guise of overseeing Illinois' Health Information Exchange (HIE) contract implementation. With her extensive background in government, public health IT, and healthcare transformation, she was strategically positioned to appear as a leader and expert. In reality, her presence functioned more as a political formality than as a true force for progress.

Behavior and Strategy: Laura did not take full responsibility for executing the scope of work she was contracted to lead. Instead, she appeared to be fulfilling a placeholder role. Much of the actual project work was left to Dana Wilson, despite Laura holding the higher title. Laura's behavior often mirrored that of an embedded operative – she was extremely well-connected, experienced in the intricacies of government structures, and able to delay, deflect, and redirect action without drawing attention to her own inaction.

Despite the project not being extended for renewal, Laura continued to hold separate, off-record meetings with PointClickCare, the state-contracted vendor, long after her contract term had expired. These meetings excluded Dana, who was the actual lead for the HealthChoice Illinois ADT program. This strange continuation of influence raised serious questions about whether Laura's loyalties lay with the state, the vendor, or a third agenda altogether.

Connections & Political Reach: Laura worked under multiple administrations and held senior positions at HFS, the Governor’s Office, and the Office of Health Information Technology. Her background in developing Illinois' Health Innovation Plan and in drafting the Illinois Health Information Exchange and Technology Act shows how deeply she was woven into the fabric of Illinois' health IT infrastructure.

She has direct connections to HMA, a private consulting firm known for blurred lines between public and private interests. She was also embedded within the Comptroller’s office for years—the same agency where Dana’s niece, Lilith Reuter-Yuill, has key contacts. Laura’s connections overlap heavily with individuals like Andy Allison and Ignacio Moreno Mendoza (State Comptroller's family), revealing a tangled network of shared influence and political maneuvering.

Operational Impact: Laura’s time on the project functioned as a stall tactic. Her leadership created a fog of legitimacy while the real deliverables were obstructed, derailed, or offloaded to others. Her historical expertise in state policy and health IT enabled her to appear aligned with progress while enacting passive resistance through delay and control of information channels.

Conclusion: Laura Zaremba is emblematic of the revolving door between government and corporate healthcare contractors. Though technically positioned as a facilitator of healthcare transformation, her true role in this program appears to have been that of a gatekeeper—controlling who had access to what, and ensuring that certain power structures remained intact. She allowed others to do the work while shielding key stakeholders from accountability. Her actions reflect a deeper systemic entanglement between state agencies, private contractors, and the preservation of insider control over public health systems.