Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf intends to nominate Penn State alumna Alison Beam to serve as the state’s next Secretary of Health, his administration announced Friday.

Beam currently serves as Wolf’s deputy chief of staff and coordinates his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. She holds a bachelor’s degree in health policy and administration from Penn State.

“Alison Beam is a talented public servant who brings years of experience in health care policy and implementation to this position,” Wolf said in a statement. “Alison knows that a strong, widely available, and successful vaccination strategy is the path out of the pains of this pandemic.”

After Beam assumes her role on Saturday, January 23, Wolf said she’ll be in charge of distributing the coronavirus vaccine throughout Pennsylvania and mitigating the virus’ spread.

President Joe Biden plucked Dr. Rachel Levine, who served as Pennsylvania’s Secretary of Health since 2017, to be his administration’s Assistant Secretary for Health. Should she be appointed, she’ll be the first openly transgender federal official confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Additionally, Wolf appointed Dr. Wendy Braund as interim acting physician general, also replacing one of Levine’s duties. Braund, who’s currently leading Pennsylvania’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, holds a degree from Penn State’s College of Medicine and will also begin her role on January 23.

“Wendy brings years of public health expertise and a commitment to improving public health practice in Pennsylvania to the role of Interim Acting Physician General,” Wolf said in a statement. “Wendy has been an integral part of our COVID-19 pandemic response efforts, and that experience will be an asset in this role.”

About the Author

Matt DiSanto

Matt proudly served as Onward State’s managing editor for two years until graduating from Penn State in May 2022. Now, he’s off in the real world doing real things. Send him an email (mattdisanto86@gmail.com) or follow him on Twitter (@mattdisanto_) to stay in touch.

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