Louisiana Department of Health Secretary Ralph Abraham, MD, has been appointed to the newly created Office of the Surgeon General. Also, Undersecretary Michael Harrington has been appointed to department secretary, and Chief of Staff Drew Maranto has been promoted to undersecretary.
The leadership changes were made upon the signing of House Bill 853, which creates the Office of the Surgeon General. The surgeon general is co-equal with the secretary within the Department’s organizational chart and is charged with crafting health policy, including healthcare workforce development; advocating for wellness and disease prevention; and coordinating with other state agencies and institutions to improve health outcomes in Louisiana.
Under the bill, the surgeon general is appointed by the governor and must be a licensed and practicing physician in Louisiana. The surgeon general will absorb the duties of the State Health Officer, making the new position budget-neutral.
Abraham has been a practicing family medicine physician in Richland Parish for more than 30 years and served three terms in congress, representing Louisiana’s 5th Congressional District. Before earning his medical doctor degree from LSU Health Shreveport, he practiced veterinary medicine for 10 years.
The secretary of the Department of Health is responsible for implementing the surgeon general’s recommendations, overseeing fiscal matters, and ensuring the operations of the Department are carried out efficiently and effectively.
Harrington is a former hospital system executive with more than 25 years of service in both for-profit and not-for-profit health systems. He has a long record of developing innovative systems that engage people with a focus on growing patient safety and prioritizing financial viability. Harrington was previously president of Christus Health Louisiana and president and chief operating officer at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.
Another key leadership change at LDH is the promotion of Chief of Staff Drew Maranto to Undersecretary. In this role, Maranto will oversee the State Medicaid program, as well as eight administrative divisions with departmental responsibilities for budget preparation, financial planning, purchasing, personnel, accounting, data processing, and development of strategic and operational plans.
“It is an honor to serve as Louisiana’s first surgeon general, and I am particularly excited about the opportunity it will afford me to help modernize the Department, improve health outcomes, pursue innovative policy and work closely with agencies and institutions throughout Louisiana,” Abraham said.
