Gov. John Carney will nominate Molly Magarik, who currently serves as Deputy Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services to serve as the next Secretary of DHSS.
The agency, with 11 divisions and more than 4,000 employees handles a variety of social services including public health. DHSS and the Delaware Department of Transportation account fora large chunk of the state employee roster.
“Molly is a proven leader, a problem solver, and a committed public servant who has been second-in-command at DHSS for the last three and a half years,” said Carney. “Throughout her career, and especially as Deputy Secretary, Molly built important relationships and trust with members of the General Assembly, our health care systems, agency staff, and Delawareans throughout the state. As we continue to fight COVID-19, I’m confident Molly will be able to lead this department without missing a beat, while continuing our work to make Delaware a stronger and healthier state. I look forward to the Senate considering her nomination.”
Magarik has served as Deputy Secretary since February 2017, directing and managing key priorities for DHSS, including health care financing, payment and delivery system reform; budget administration and management; and early childhood education. She also served as the Department’s chief strategy officer, and developed and maintained critical partnerships with Delaware cabinet agency leaders, the legislature, the federal delegation, advocates, and health care system leadership throughout the state.
Before joining DHSS, Magarik served as State Director for then Congressman John Carney and Political Director for Beau Biden’s campaign for Attorney General.
If confirmed, Magarik will succeed DHSS Secretary Dr. Kara Odom Walker. Walker will leave her current role as the head of the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) this summer to join Nemours’ National Office of Policy and Prevention in Washington, D.C.
Walker, a practicing family physician, will serve in Nemours’ Washington office as Senior Vice President and Chief Population Health Officer.
According to a release,Walker developed a health care spending and quality benchmarks in Delaware while slowing the growth rate of health care spending and helped establish a reinsurance program in Delaware that reduced premiums by up to 19% on the individual insurance market in its first year and increased the number of people with coverage;
She was also active in the effort tor raise the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21.
