Anne Arundel County Health Officer Jinlene Chan has been tapped to temporarily serve as Deputy Secretary for Public Health at the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DHMH). Fran Phillips, who has previously served as the county health officer, will fill in for Chan during her tenure with the state. The moves are a result of departures and provisional staff rearrangement at the state level.
The Capital Gazette reports:
Chan’s temporary move is the result of state-level shuffling following the departure of Jonathan Kromm, acting executive director of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange, the state’s official health insurance marketplace. Kromm announced last week he was leaving to take a job with CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the largest insurer in Maryland.
The current deputy secretary for public health services, Howard Haft, will lead the exchange until the state agency hires a permanent replacement for Kromm. The changes come in the midst of congressional Republicans’ efforts to replace the Affordable Care Act, under which exchanges across the country operate.
Chan will serve as acting deputy secretary for public health services until Haft can resume his role.
Phillips returns to the county after half a decade of working in state government. She currently is vice chairwoman of the Maryland Health Care Commission.
Read the full article in The Capital Gazette to learn more.
