NASHVILLE (AP) — Michele Johnson has been named the new executive director of a Nashville group that supports greater access to Medicaid.

Johnson will succeed Gordon Bonnyman at the Tennessee Justice Center at the end of the year.

Bonnyman and Johnson co-founded the organization 17 years ago to advocate for Tennessee's vulnerable population, particularly those struggling to find access to health care.

Johnson is nationally known for her legal work with children who have special health care needs.