DHHS's Priorities for Addressing Early Childhood Health and Education in North Carolina

Investing in and improving early childhood health and education is a top priority of Governor Roy Cooper, and the Department of Health and Human Services has many of the tools to make sure that all children in the state, regardless of their zip code, get off to the best start in life. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will share some of the early successes of the administration's partnership with the General Assembly to fund an additional 3,500 new Pre-K slots over the next two years, as well as the department's priorities in expanding access to healthcare for kids, improving birth outcomes statewide, investing in high-quality child care that helps prepare children for school and life, and reforming the state's social services and child welfare system.

Cohen is an internal medicine physician and has experience leading complex health organizations. Before coming to DHHS, she was the chief operating officer and chief of staff at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. She brings a deep understanding of health care to the state and has been responsible for implementing policies for Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and the Federal Marketplace.