adminAmong Gov. Tom Wolf’s recent appointments are Karen Murphy, PhD, RN, as Secretary of Health and Rachel Levine, MD, as Physician General, both of whom bring extensive credentials to their new positions.
Murphy most recently was the director of the State Innovation Models Initiative at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation and clinical faculty member at The Commonwealth Medical College. She was the former president and chief executive officer of the Moses Taylor Health Care System in Scranton, Pa.
Dr. Levine, a Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) member, is professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine, and vice chair for Clinical Affairs for the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Adolescent Medicine and Eating Disorders at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital-Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. She was also co-chair of the department of health transition team for the new Wolf administration.
Gov. Wolf recently made other key appointments, including:
- Secretary of Drug and Alcohol —Department of Drug and Alcohol secretary Gary Tennis, who is a nationally recognized expert in drug and alcohol abuse, will remain in his position. He has worked closely with PAMED in the state’s campaign to curb opioid abuse in the commonwealth.
- Secretary of Human Services — Theodore “Ted” Dallas is the former secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Resources and a former deputy in the PA Department of Public Welfare.
- Insurance Commissioner — Theresa Miller is currently an attorney and partner at Crowell & Moring’s Health Care Group. She is the former administrator of the Oregon Insurance Division.
For more background, read the bios in this article.
Cabinet members and the physician general require confirmation by the state Senate.