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Wade Rakes is the Chief Executive Officer of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. He joined the organization in 2025, bringing deep expertise in health care, government, and community leadership.​​

Prior to joining CareQuest, Wade held various leadership positions at Centene Corporation, a leading health care enterprise delivering high-quality, cost-effective services to government and commercial programs. During his 15 years at Centene, Rakes rose to Chief Growth Officer and helped propel the company’s transformation from a 6-state Medicaid care management organization into a 30-state, multi-product health care entity deeply connected to local communities. As President and CEO of Peach State Health Plan, he guided one of Centene’s largest subsidiaries, delivering care to more than 1 million state residents.

Earlier in his career, Wade served as a cabinet-level official in the State of Ohio and has remained a committed civic leader. He is Chair of the Board of LGBTQ+ Victory, Vice Chair of the Board of the High Museum, a Trustee of the Woodruff Arts Center, and a member of the Board of Advisors of the James A. Baker III Institute at Rice University.

Wade earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan.​

Areas of expertise:

Health Care Leadership and Strategy​
Medicaid and Government Programs​
Health Equity and Access​
Oral Health Integration​
Civic and Community Leadership

Melissa Burroughs serves as senior director, policy & advocacy at CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. In this role, she leads the development and advancement of public health strategies and policy priorities that support the organization’s mission to improve oral health equity and outcomes nationwide. Melissa works closely with CareQuest Institute’s affiliates and partners to shape impactful policy initiatives that drive systemic change in oral health care.

Melissa brings deep expertise in health policy, with a focus on Medicaid, Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, maternal and child health, and health care pricing reform. Prior to joining CareQuest Institute, she served as director of strategic partnerships at Families USA, a national advocacy organization dedicated to improving health and health care through policy change. There, she led collaborative efforts to advance equitable health policies across a broad coalition of stakeholders.​

Melissa holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Areas of expertise:

Oral Health Policy and Advocacy​
Access to Care and Health Equity​
Medicaid and Medicare Policy​
Government Relations and Stakeholder Engagement