Pennsylvania DHS Secretary Miller resigning April 30
(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller will resign April 30 to pursue an opportunity in another state, she said Tuesday.
Miller took over the agency in 2017 after serving two years as insurance commissioner. Gov. Tom Wolf nominated Meg Snead, his current secretary of policy and planning, to take her place.
“My time in Pennsylvania has afforded me opportunities to work on issues that are deeply close to my heart, and for that I am extremely honored and grateful,” Miller said. “Through all of this, the people of Pennsylvania have been at the forefront of this work and have driven our commitment to constant improvement and innovation in service delivery, and I know this focus and work will continue to grow, allowing DHS and our partners to help people in new ways.”
Wolf offered Miller thanks and wished her family well during the transition in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.
“During her tenure, she was instrumental in ensuring Pennsylvanians had access to health care, designing programs to break generational poverty, and redesigned Pennsylvania’s employment and training programs for people who use public assistance,” he said.
Miller oversaw the launch of the state’s Community HealthChoices program that provides longterm support services for seniors and those living with physical disabilities to stay in their homes and communities. The program, although successful, accounts for nearly three quarters of the department’s costs – a fact that Miller defended after lawmakers in the House blamed DHS’s ballooning budget on mismanagement.
She also championed the Affordable Care Act at the state and federal level, noting that its given more than 1 million residents access to health care.
“I want to thank Governor Wolf for the opportunity to serve Pennsylvania and its citizens, as well as my fellow cabinet members, the General Assembly, and our valued partners at the federal, state, county, and local level for the partnership and collaboration I’ve experienced over the last six years,” Miller said. “Our success would not be possible without each of you. And to the dedicated public servants at the Pennsylvania Insurance Department and DHS, thank you. I’ve learned more than I ever imagined working alongside you, and your commitment to the people we serve, and our work has made this work possible.”
Snead brings more than a decade of experience working in Denver’s nonprofit industry on affordable housing, homelessness, and health care policies. Wolf said she began her career in Pennsylvania DHS and “was integral in managing strategic policy initiatives for the commonwealth’s medical assistance programs for both physical and behavioral health services.”
“Meg Snead is an exceptional public servant whose background includes extensive experience in policy development for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens,” he said. “She has dedicated her career to ensuring individuals have necessary social determinants of health, like adequate access to housing and health care. … I look forward to the successes of the department to better the lives of Pennsylvanians with her leading the charge.”
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