Meet Our Opening General Session Keynote Speaker:
Valerie A. Arkoosh, MD, MPH
Pennsylvania Secretary of Human Services
Valerie A. Arkoosh, MD, MPH, was appointed to lead the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services by Governor Josh Shapiro on January 17, 2023.Secretary Arkoosh leads a team of 16,000 who serve approximately 4 million Pennsylvanians through programs including Medicaid, CHIP, SNAP, Early Intervention and Child Care Works, and services that address the needs of individuals with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities as well as child welfare and juvenile justice programs. Secretary Arkoosh focuses on embedding a whole-person, proactive, and preventive approach to service and care delivery, building supports and interventions that help Pennsylvanians achieve greater stability and better health. Under her leadership, PA DHS has expanded Medicaid coverage for evidence-based programs like doula care and street medicine, launched PA Navigate to connect health care providers and social services/non-profit systems to those needing services in their communities, and invested in access to care by working to eliminate the adult emergency waiting list for Pennsylvanians with intellectual disabilities and autism. Secretary Arkoosh prioritizes efficient and effective program operations, overseeing Pennsylvania’s work to complete the 2023 Medicaid unwinding on time, under budget, and as a national leader in accurate and timely redeterminations. Arkoosh has also co-led the development of significant Shapiro administration priorities including the Maternal Health Strategic Action Plan, “Healthy Moms Vibrant Futures” and the Pennsylvania Housing Action Plan.
Prior to state service, Secretary Arkoosh was elected to and served on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners for eight years and was elected by her colleagues to serve as Commission Chair from November 2016 through January 2023, the first woman ever to serve as Chair. Arkoosh strengthened services for children, veterans, and seniors. She led efforts to eliminate street homelessness of veterans and streamline delivery of human services. Arkoosh instituted a $15 minimum wage and gender-neutral paid parental leave for County employees and oversaw a multi-pronged, integrated response to the opioid overdose epidemic, including issuing a standing order in 2015 to enable pharmacies in the County to dispense the overdose antidote naloxone upon request. As a physician and public health professional, Secretary Arkoosh was at the center of Montgomery County’s efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, leading a data- and science-driven approach to the unprecedented challenge. Arkoosh’s leadership was praised during the county’s response, especially her transparency and public communication throughout the pandemic.
Arkoosh is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Medicine, received a Master of Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and holds a B.A. in economics from Northwestern University. She performed her residency at Jefferson Medical College in Anesthesiology with a special focus in Obstetrics. Prior to stepping into public service, Secretary Arkoosh was Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania.
Upon obtaining her Master of Public Health in 2007, Arkoosh became deeply engaged in the national effort to achieve comprehensive health care reform. She led the National Physicians Alliance, a national non-profit organization of physicians, who, putting their patients before profits, joined a broad-based nation-wide coalition for reform. During this time, she developed policy and legislative strategy, and promoted public engagement in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, and throughout the country. Dr. Arkoosh maintains comprehensive knowledge of the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its impact on individuals and the health care system and remains committed to creating sustainable pathways for every American to have access to quality, affordable health care.
