Shapiro Announces Key Health Appointments

Nominees bring ‘decades of public health experience’ to roles

January 11, 2023

Governor-elect Josh Shapiro today announced nominations for five key health leadership positions in his administrative cabinet.

In a statement this morning, Shapiro said his nominees brought decades of public health experience to their roles and would help ensure Pennsylvanians had “access to quality, affordable health care and a social safety net that is there for them in times of need.”

The announcements come ahead of the governor-elect’s January 17 inauguration. Among the appointments:

• Secretary of Human Services: Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, chair of the Montgomery County Commissioners and a former chair of the anesthesiology department at the Drexel University College of Medicine
• Secretary of Health: Dr. Debra Bogen, the director of the Allegheny County Health Department and former vice chair of education for the department of pediatrics at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
• Secretary of Drugs and Alcohol: Dr. Latika Davis-Jones, senior director of behavioral health at Highmark Wholecare
• Secretary of Aging: Jason Kavulich, Lackawanna County director of Agency on Aging
• Insurance Commissioner: Mike Humphreys, who has served as acting insurance commissioner since February 28, 2022

“Governor-elect Shapiro has put together a health care policy team of experienced, knowledgeable leaders who have a history of working with hospitals to prioritize high-quality health care,” HAP President and CEO Andy Carter said. “HAP congratulates Dr. Arkoosh, Dr. Bogen, Dr. Davis-Jones, Director Kavulich, and Acting Commissioner Humphreys and looks forward to working with the new administration to strengthen Pennsylvania health care.”

HAP and Pennsylvania’s hospital community continue to advocate for policies and legislation that support our shared mission for a healthy Pennsylvania. This includes initiatives to bolster our health care workforce, improve access to behavioral health care, and alieve the financial strain facing the commonwealth’s hospitals.

For questions, contact Jeffrey Bechtel, senior vice president, health economics and policy, or Heather Tyler, vice president, state legislative advocacy.