Governor Healey Appoints Dr. Kiame Mahaniah as Health and Human Services Secretary

 Governor Healey Appoints Dr. Kiame Mahaniah as Health and Human Services Secretary 

Kate Walsh is stepping down as Secretary, following more than 40 years as a health care leader; Will stay on as an advisor to the Governor 

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey announced today that she is appointing Dr. Kiame Mahaniah as Secretary of Health and Human Services, effective Monday, July 14. Dr. Mahaniah has served as Undersecretary of Health for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) since April 2023 and is a practicing physician in the field of addiction and primary care. He was previously CEO of Lynn Community Health Center. Current Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh will stay on as a senior advisor to the Governor on health and human services matters, following her more than 40 years as a health care leader, including 13 years as CEO of Boston Medical Center. 

“Dr Mahaniah has an outstanding record as a physician, a community leader, and a valued member of the EOHHS leadership team. As the Trump Administration undermines health care and food access for hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents, Dr. Mahaniah will be committed to making high-quality health care more affordable and accessible for all of our residents, bringing an urgently needed focus on primary care and behavioral health care, and maintaining our nation-leading health and human services system in Massachusetts,” said Governor Healey. “I am incredibly grateful to Kate Walsh for her leadership of EOHHS. She has been the leader we needed to navigate some major challenges, including saving a safety net system of hospitals across eastern Massachusetts during the Steward Health Care bankruptcy last year. She has contributed so much, not just to our administration, but to health care in Massachusetts over the course of her career, and we appreciate that she will continue to offer us guidance during these challenging times.” 

“It has been a pleasure to work with Secretary Walsh, who has laid such a strong foundation for our administration’s work to ensure access to high-quality care and services in communities across our state,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We know Dr. Mahaniah will carry these commitments forward to make sure people in every community can live a happy and successful life in Massachusetts.” 

"I'm grateful to Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll for the opportunity to continue serving the people of Massachusetts as Secretary, and to Secretary Walsh for her leadership over the past few years," said Dr. Mahaniah. "This is certainly a challenging moment for health care and human services work, but our state has a head start – thanks to our world-leading resources, talent, providers and partners – to come together, solve problems, and work to make the right services and supports available to people who need them." 

“It has been an honor to be part of the Healey-Driscoll Administration and to represent the EOHHS team of over 23,000 people who work tirelessly every day to support residents of the Commonwealth,” said Secretary Walsh. “I will miss working with my colleagues in Governor Healey’s cabinet and across our agencies, providers and partners. Our team and the residents of Massachusetts are in great hands with Dr. Mahaniah, who has already been a highly capable and compassionate leader of some of our most important programs.”  

As Undersecretary of Health, Dr. Mahaniah co-chairs the administration’s Advancing Health Equity in Massachusetts (AHEM) initiative, co-chairs the Primary Care Access, Delivery, and Payment Task Force, and chairs the Opioid Recovery and Remediation Fund (ORRF) Advisory Council on behalf of Secretary Walsh. Dr. Mahaniah is a practicing physician in the field of addiction and primary care, who has continued to see patients while serving as Undersecretary and plans to continue to do so as Secretary. He was previously CEO of Lynn Community Health Center where he led the transition into value-based care. An avid teacher and committed mentor, he is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. He holds an MBA from UMass Amherst, a medical degree from Thomas Jefferson University, and a BA from Haverford College. 

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) is the largest secretariat in Massachusetts government and works to improve health outcomes, build resilience, maximize independence, and contribute to improved quality of life for people in Massachusetts. One of the strongest health and human services operations in the country, EOHHS provides access to medical and behavioral health care, long-term services and supports, key nutritional and financial assistance, and more. Dr. Mahaniah will lead a team of more than 23,000 staff across 11 agencies and the MassHealth program who work daily to provide services and supports directly to nearly 1 in every 3 Massachusetts residents, and oversee public health efforts that impact every community in the state. 

Under the leadership of Governor Healey and Secretary Walsh, Massachusetts has led the nation in many health care and human services measures including health care affordability and access, highest childhood vaccination rates, highest health insurance coverage, lowest infant mortality, and fewest premature avoidable deaths.