Headline: PA’s New Health Secretary

Author: Courtney Balcombe, News Editor

Photo Attribution: Courtesy Gov. Tom Wolf’s Office

On January 19th, President Joe Biden chose Dr. Rachel Levine to be his assistant secretary of health.

“Dr. Rachel Levine will bring the steady leadership and essential expertise we need to get people through this pandemic — no matter their zip code, race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability — and meet the public health needs of our country in this critical moment and beyond,” Biden said in a statement. “She is a historic and deeply qualified choice to help lead our administration’s health efforts.”

With this statement, PA was left with one seat open for the PA Health Department. Governor Tom Wolf picked Alison Beam, originally his deputy chief of staff, to be the new PA health secretary.

“Alison Beam is a talented public servant who brings years of experience in health care policy and implementation to this position,” said Gov. Wolf. “Alison knows that a strong, widely available, and successful vaccination strategy is the path out of the pains of this pandemic.”

According to Zachary Shamberg, president of the Pennsylvania Health Care Association, which represents long-term care facilities, said even though Beam is not a doctor it should not affect her as she can bring in a “fresh perspective” to challenging the COVID pandemic.

However, according to Wolf’s Office, Beam has coordinated initiatives and resources across Pennsylvania’s departments of Health, Human Services, Drug & Alcohol Programs, Aging, and Insurance, as well as the Office of Advocacy and Reform.

Paul Muschick, a writer for The Morning Call, wrote an opinion about Beam stating to be a health secretary one needs to be “a good manager and a good leader, be credible and have thick skin.”

Muschick continued by saying, “The Health Department has those specialists on staff, along with specialists on other health topics. The secretary’s job is to allow the experts to do their work and then make recommendations based on their findings.”

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Governor Wolf said Beam’s immediate focus will be on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines throughout the state.

“Her foremost and immediate focus will be on the strategic distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine,” Governor Wolf said. “Making sure Pennsylvania receives as many doses as possible from the federal government, and that the Pennsylvania Department of Health coordinates with hospitals, health centers, county, and local governments, and pharmacy partners to make this vaccine as widely available as possible to Pennsylvanians everywhere.”

Though the supplies are low, he suggested the state will focus to improve distribution.

“You always have to come back to the fact that there are 4 million people in need of over 8 million shots, and so far we’ve gotten about 1.5 million,” Wolf said. “No matter what [distribution] system we have, that is the primary constraint that we’re operating under. Within that constraint, we want to do the best job we possibly can.”

The PA state Senate approved Beam as the new health secretary on January 23rd, the day after Wolf’s announcement for her position.