|
 |
Kasich names
new leadership team at health department
Focus on Management, Medical Experience Aims to Elevate Role in Public
Health Issues
COLUMBUS – Today Gov. John R. Kasich named a new team to lead the Ohio
Department of Health, appointing an experienced manager with health
care experience—Rick Hodges—as director, and an experienced public
health clinician—Dr. Mary Applegate—as interim medical director. Their
charge will be to elevate the agency’s operational effectiveness as
well as its medical expertise in helping create conditions in which
Ohioans can be healthy.
“Ohio’s public health responsibilities cover a wide range of complex
issues, requiring a team of people with a rare mix of skills.
With his proven management ability, Rick is well prepared to lead the
Department to carry out its mission, and Dr. Applegate’s medical
expertise will allow her to support Rick by focusing on medical issues
and assisting him in recruiting an expert clinical team. Ohio is
fortunate that they have agreed to help take our state’s public health
efforts to the next level, and I’m excited about what they’re going to
accomplish for Ohioans,” said Kasich.
A former state legislator, Hodges has served in a range of management
roles including senior roles in health care organizations in Northwest
Ohio. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Ohio
Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission where he has successfully
overhauled the turnpike’s operations to reduce costs and led a new
bonding effort to help improve the quality of Ohio’s roads linking to
the Turnpike statewide. Hodges will start Aug. 11 and have
overall responsibility for managing the department, but will work
closely with Dr. Applegate.
Hodges replaces Dr. Ted Wymyslo who left Health earlier this
year. The chair of the Turnpike Commission will name a temporary
replacement soon as it searches for a permanent executive director.
Dr. Mary Applegate currently serves as the medical director at the
Department of Medicaid and is board certified in both Pediatrics and
Internal Medicine. She is a fellow of the American Academy of
Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians, with 20 years of
experience in rural primary care practice. At Medicaid she has
overseen the development of Ohio’s new quality initiative to help
improve health outcomes for low-income Ohioans. Dr. Applegate
will start Aug. 11 and work with Hodges to recruit a team of clinical
professionals who bring the best medical knowledge to inform all
aspects of Health’s work in both policy making and regulating Ohio’s
health care system. Once that team is in place, Dr. Applegate will
resume her role at Medicaid.
The Ohio Department of Health partners with 125 local health districts
to ensure access to health services, protect health and safety through
regulation of health care delivery systems, coordinate the response to
public health emergencies, and prevent disease and promote better
health. Health provides leadership through the Governor’s Office of
Health Transformation to incorporate population health priorities into
all of Ohio’s health care regulatory and payment systems, with a goal
of increasing the number of Ohioans who are healthy at every stage of
life.
|
|
|
|
