RALEIGH – North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine for her work in creating a strategic alignment to bring about critical improvements in health.
“We have a top-notch leader in Secretary Cohen who puts the health, safety and wellbeing of all North Carolinians above all else,” said Governor Roy Cooper. “Secretary Cohen has helped accomplish great improvements in our Medicaid system, our public’s health, and behavioral health and human services, all while working closely with me to lead our charge through this pandemic. She represents the epitome of what it means to serve our state.”
In her election, NAM cited Secretary Cohen “for creating a strategic alignment of Medicaid, public health, and behavioral health and human services designed to bring about critical improvements in health during her tenure as North Carolina’s secretary of health and human services.”
NAM elects no more than 90 regular members and 10 international members annually. Election to the Academy is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. New members are elected by current members through a process that recognizes individuals who have made major contributions to the advancement of the medical sciences, health care and public health.
“It’s a tremendous honor to join the National Academy of Medicine and be recognized for our work in North Carolina to knit together our communities and our health care system,” Secretary Cohen said. “This honor recognizes the work of the entire NCDHHS team and the Cooper administration who have prioritized the health and wellbeing of all North Carolinians.”
Secretary Cohen has been recognized as a national leader for her work at NCDHHS. In February of 2019, Modern Healthcare named Secretary Cohen one of the Top 25 Women Leaders in Healthcare. In September of 2020, Secretary Cohen was awarded the Leadership in Public Health Practice Award from Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health for her strong leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic response, including her use of data and ability to communicate with empathy, compassion and transparency.
Founded in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, NAM is one of three academies that make up the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (the National Academies) in the United States. Operating under the 1863 Congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academies are private, nonprofit institutions that work outside of government to provide objective advice on matters of science, technology and health.
