eAPD (Electronic Advanced Planning Document)

The problem

States requesting Medicaid funding navigated an outdated email and document-driven process. The lack of standardized frameworks meant billions of dollars in federal investment moved through inconsistent, hard-to-review proposals. CMS analysts and state staff lacked shared language and reference points for discussing funding requests.

What I did

I served as the inaugural content strategist on this large-scale federal initiative, designing a modernized web application for how states manage Medicaid funding requests.

I shaped the content model, navigation structure, and in-app language enabling states and CMS analysts to author and review funding requests with consistent frameworks. I developed standardized language and reference points that transformed how stakeholders communicated about funding proposals.

Research & methods

My approach included:

• Discovery research with state and CMS analysts
• Longitudinal usability testing
• Workflow mapping across state and federal processes
• Information architecture design
• Content modeling for complex funding documentation
• Glossary development establishing shared terminology

Research informed iterative design sprints that evolved the product from a text prototype into a structured builder tool.

Scope & impact

The project involved billions of dollars in federal investment across Medicaid programs nationwide. CMS advanced the application to production with vendor support, implementing the standardized framework I established for managing complex funding documentation at scale.

What this demonstrates

I can enter complex federal programs with entrenched processes and establish clarity where none existed. I don’t just design interfaces—I build the underlying information architecture and shared vocabulary that make those interfaces usable.