I am Carole Johnson, and this week, I am joining HRSA as the Administrator. I am especially delighted to join HRSA in this role, having spent time earlier in my career as part of the agency’s health care workforce team. Returning to HRSA as Administrator is an honor, and I look forward to working each day with the incredibly committed staff, grantees and partners who make up the HRSA community. I want to share my appreciation for Deputy Administrator Diana Espinosa’s dedication to the communities that HRSA serves and leadership as Acting Administrator over the past year.
Like you, I am deeply committed to HRSA’s mission of improving health outcomes and achieving health equity. I have seen firsthand HRSA’s tireless efforts to provide equitable access to COVID-19 vaccination and services and to support health care providers struggling with the financial impacts of the pandemic through my work with the White House COVID-19 Response Team. As Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, which provides health care and social services to one-in-five New Jerseyans, I saw the impact of HRSA programs on ensuring access to affordable primary care, supporting health professionals who serve in underserved communities, and reducing disparities in infant and maternal health outcomes and HIV care. I have also had the opportunity to work closely with HRSA and others inside and outside of government on implementing the Affordable Care Act and combating the opioid epidemic.
It’s an extraordinary list of services and supports that this team delivers in communities across the country, and it only happens with the help and partnership of so many community leaders. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and feedback on how we can become an even stronger agency as we work to advance health equity and improve access to care and services for those who need it most.
With best wishes for the new year,
Carole Johnson