Governor-elect Mills: “The people of Maine have told me time and time again that health care is the number one issue in their lives. I heard them, I made it a focus of my campaign, and now I am now making it a top priority of my administration.”
Augusta, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today that she will nominate Jeanne Lambrew, one of the nation’s foremost health care experts, to lead the Maine Department of Health and Human Services. Lambrew, who grew up in Maine, has a long and distinguished career in the field of health care policy, most notably as the Deputy Assistant to President Obama for health policy from 2013 to 2017. The selection of Lambrew to lead the Department, the first announcement Governor-elect Mills has made about her cabinet, underscores the seriousness of her commitment to addressing health care and tackling the number of issues that fall under the Department’s jurisdiction.
“For the last year, the people of Maine have told me time and time again that health care is the number one issue in their lives. I heard them, I made it a focus of my campaign, and now I am now making it a top priority of my administration,” said Governor-elect Mills. “That is why I have selected Jeanne Lambrew to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Not only does Jeanne have extensive executive and managerial experience, but she also possesses a deep well of policy knowledge and the skills to effectively implement complex policies. I look forward to working with Jeanne in the coming months and years to expand Medicaid, to make health care more accessible to more people, to tackle the opioid epidemic, and to reorient DHHS so it once again achieves its mission of serving Maine’s most vulnerable.”
“I am honored to be chosen for this important position. The Department of Health and Human Services touches all of our lives with the aim of making our lives better. The Department’s ability to fulfill its mission requires leadership from the top, and Mainers have that in Governor-elect Mills,” said Lambrew. “It will be my top priority to revamp the Department to ensure it delivers on its core mission and to take steps to lower the cost of health care, to lower prescription drug prices, expand treatment for mental health and substance use disorders, and to strengthen public health preparedness. This will take time and work, but the long-run benefits are worth it, and I pledge to the people of Maine to give it my all.”
Lambrew’s nomination will be subject to the approval of the Committee on Health and Human Services and then the full Maine Senate.
Jeanne Lambrew, PhD, has worked on improving the health system throughout her entire career. She held senior positions at the White House for ten years and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for four years. From 2011 to January 2017, she worked at the White House as the Deputy Assistant to the President for health policy. In that capacity, she helped ensure execution of the President’s health policy agenda including implementation and defense of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Her portfolio also included policy regarding Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), long-term services and supports, and public health. From 2009 to 2010, she was the Director of the HHS Office of Health Reform. In that role, she coordinated work toward passage and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
Lambrew also served in the Clinton Administration in the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (1993–1995), the White House National Economic Council (1997–1999), and the White House Office of Management and Budget (2000–2001). In these roles, she helped coordinate health policy development with HHS and other relevant federal agencies, evaluate legislative proposals, and oversee initiatives like CHIP implementation.
In 2017 and 2018, she was a senior fellow at The Century Foundation where she conducted research on policies to improve health care access, affordability, and quality. Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Lambrew was an associate professor at both the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs in Austin, Texas (2007–2008) and the George Washington University School of Public Health (2001–2007). She also served as senior fellow for health policy at the Center for American Progress (2003–2007). She received her master’s and doctoral degrees in health policy from University of North Carolina’s School of Public Health and her bachelor’s degree from Amherst College.
Lambrew grew up in the Portland area. Her father, Dr. Costas Lambrew, worked at Maine Medical Center for nearly 40 years where he helped usher in medical education, research, and groundbreaking emergency room and cardiology care. Her mother, Pat, is a nurse who volunteered with the local rescue squad. Her parents still live in Scarborough.