Dr. Khaldun stepping down as Michigan’s chief medical executive

Michigan Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun addresses reporters outside the COVID-19 mass vaccination clinic at Ford Field in downtown Detroit, Wednesday, March 24, 2021. (Mike Mulholland | MLive.com)
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Michigan’s lead medical executive is stepping down from her role within the governor’s administration to pursue a new opportunity outside state government, state officials said Friday.

Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive for the state of Michigan and chief deputy director of health for the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, announced her resignation Friday, Sept. 24. Her last day with the state will be Thursday, Sept. 30.

Khaldun said she has accepted a new position, which will be announced “in the coming weeks.” She will be staying in Michigan and will continue to work as a part-time emergency medicine physician at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

In the meantime, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is appointing Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, senior public health physician for MDHHS, to serve as the chief medical executive in the short term while a nationwide search is conducted to determine a long-term replacement. She will start Friday, Oct. 1.

“Thanks to Dr. J’s around-the-clock leadership, our state acted quickly with the best available data and science to slow the spread of COVID-19 and save countless lives during the pandemic,” Whitmer said. “Michigan has one of the lowest number of cases per capita, and numerous studies show that the tough decisions we made helped save thousands of lives.”

Whitmer praised Khaldun for working by her side throughout the pandemic, and for “sounding the alarm” on COVID-19 disproportionately impacting people of color.

“While we wish we could keep Dr. J at the helm, I wish her the best of luck as she moves on to a well-deserved opportunity,” Whitmer said. “The state of Michigan and I are incredibly grateful for your service.”

Khaldun has provided medical guidance for the state as a cabinet member of the governor since April 2019. In that role, she has provided oversight for public health and aging programs, Medicaid, and behavioral health for the state.

Throughout the pandemic, she has been the lead strategist for the state’s COVID-19 response, and has regularly appeared alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer during virtual public updates on the pandemic.

Last month, reporters asked Khaldun about the state’s decision not to require students and staff to wear masks in schools this fall -- unlike last year -- as another wave of COVID-19 cases hits the country. She indicated that she recommended a mask mandate and if it were followed, “it would likely decrease the spread of COVID-19 in schools.”

However, the governor has repeatedly said local mask policies are the “best way to move forward.”

Related: Whitmer built a national reputation fighting COVID-19 with tough restrictions. That’s not her tactic anymore.

Asked Friday if there were any policy disagreements that led to Khaldun’s stepping down, Whitmer said “Oh no, not at all,” adding that the two have always had “a very respectful dialogue” and she is “sad to see her go.”

“I have learned so much from Dr. J,” Whitmer said. “I’m not an epidemiologist, I’m not a public health expert, I’m not a medical doctor. I surround myself by the smartest people I can find and I listen and I ask questions and she has been just an incredibly steady hand throughout this tumultuous time.”

Khaldun pointed to her new career opportunity as the reason for her departure. Asked if she was receiving any financial payout for leaving and if she expects to return to state government at some point down the road, she said there was no payout and she is “certainly open to future opportunities in government.”

“I’ve loved my work and what I’ve been able to do for the communities I’ve served,” she said.

State statute requires there to be a chief medical executive in place, but the appointment does not need consent from the legislature. Bagdasarian noted she would “love to” throw her hat into the ring for the position long-term.

Khaldun’s position within the health department -- chief deputy for health -- will need to be filled by Director Elizabeth Hertel. No replacement has been announced for that role, but Hertel said the plan is to have an individual separate from the chief medical executive to take on those responsibilities.

Dr. Bagdasarian has served the state health department since July 2020. She specializes in infectious disease and public health, and previously served as an infection prevention and control consultant for the World Health Organization, and as a physician/epidemiologist for the National University Hospital in Singapore.

Whitmer said she looks forward to collaborating with her new chief medical executive in the continued fight against COVID-19.

“Michiganders across the state have benefited from Dr. Bagdasarian’s expertise through her work leading the state’s COVID-19 testing strategy to keep everyone safe,” Whitmer said. “Dr. Bagdasarian is a world-renowned medical expert with a wealth of experience. She is a proven leader who will continue to guide us through the pandemic.”

Bagdasarian received her medical degree from Wayne State University and her master of public health from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She completed training in internal medicine and infectious diseases at Michigan Medicine.

“These past months have been full of unprecedented challenges and change on the public health front, and there is much work to be done,” Bagdasarian said. “We can’t thank Dr. Khaldun enough for her work and leadership during her years with the city of Detroit, the state of Michigan and MDHHS. I am honored to be named the state’s chief medical executive.”

Related: Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun stepped into the national spotlight as Michigan battled coronavirus

Before joining the state health department, Khaldun served as director and health officer for the Detroit Health Department. In that role, she “oversaw a robust community health assessment, spear-headed new human service and maternal and infant health efforts and led Detroit’s response to the largest Hepatitis A outbreak in modern U.S. history,” according to her state bio.

Khaldun also had prior experience as the chief medical officer for Baltimore’s city health department; as director of the Center for Injury Prevention and Control at George Washington University; and as founder and director of the Fellowship in Health Policy in the University of Maryland Department of Emergency Medicine.

She obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, a medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree in health policy from George Washington University.

Earlier this year, she was one of 12 individuals selected for President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force. The task force was charged with issuing a range of recommendations to help inform the COVID-19 response and recovery efforts, including equitable allocation of resources and relief funds, effective outreach, and communication to underserved and minority populations.

Khaldun’s selection for the national project marked her second time being tapped by the sitting president, having previously served as a fellow in then-President Barack Obama’s Office of Health Reform within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Her departure is the second significant loss of health department leadership this year, following the January resignation of former MDHHS director Robert Gordon. Months after he left, Gordon acknowledged he and Gov. Whitmer disagreed on decisions regarding “gray areas” of science surrounding coronavirus precautions.

“When you’re in a role like this - I was serving as an at-will appointee - it’s important that the governor is comfortable with you in that role and that you’re comfortable in that role,” Gordon said. “When it was clear that was no longer the case, I resigned.”

Friday’s leadership change announcement comes in the midst of Michigan’s fourth wave of COVID-19 cases. The state has averaged 2,697 new daily cases over the last week, as its ranking nationally climbed from 43rd most new daily cases per capita a week ago to 35th.

Read more on MLive:

Coronavirus data for Friday, Sept. 24: Teens account for largest COVID case increase in Michigan

Michigan hospitals weigh vaccine mandates against staffing shortages as COVID cases rise

Should I immunize my child against COVID-19? Doctors answer parent questions

CDC endorses booster shots for older Americans, people with underlying conditions, at-risk workers

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