Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, Secretary of Health, Washington

Umair A. Shah, MD, MPH, is the Secretary of Health for the great state of Washington, appointed by Governor Jay Inslee in December 2020. He is the first Asian-American physician of South Asian descent to serve in this leadership role in the history of Washington, home to nearly 8 million people. Dr. Shah earned his BA (philosophy) from Vanderbilt University; his MD from the University of Toledo Health Science Center; and completed an Internal Medicine Residency, Primary Care/General Medicine Fellowship, & MPH (management), at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston. He also completed a global health policy internship at World Health Organization headquarters in Switzerland. Over his career, Dr. Shah has been a clinician, innovator, educator, and leader in health. He has been a champion for underserved communities, at the intersection of health and health care, while charting a fresh course in health by centering on the cornerstone values of equity, innovation, and engagement.

• Secretary's Corner

Jessica Todorovich, MS, Chief of Staff/Chief Operating Officer

Ms. Todorovich serves as the chief of staff for the Washington State Department of Health (DOH). A native of Washington, Jessica knew during her undergraduate studies in Politics and History at Whitman College, she would proudly serve in Washington State government. Her love of all things operations and people led her to complete her masters in Human Resources and Organizational Leadership. She is responsible for the daily operations of the agency with a focus on culture, people and service delivery.

She is passionate about breaking the status quo, developing and supporting leaders and fostering a culture of seeing others as people that matter. She has worked in Washington state government for 23+ years and has been with the agency since 2012.

• Executive Office of the Chief of Staff

Les Becker, MBA, Chief of Innovation

Mr. Becker joined the Department of Health in June 2021 as the new Chief of Innovation, leading the agency's first-ever Office of Innovation and Technology. He is responsible for building and supporting innovation work across the agency, including overseeing our existing data/informatics and health technology services areas.

He previously advanced an array of innovation, data systems, and technology work, including the nationally acclaimed Public Health Innovation Lab. He has also provided strategic consultation on the delivery and implementation of IT and data strategy services. Les has 18+ years of Public Service leadership and holds a B.A. in Management and MBA with a concentration in Finance from LeTourneau University.

• Executive Office of Innovation and Technology

Charles Chima, MD, DrPH, MS, Chief of Healthcare Innovation and Strategy

Dr. Chima works with his team to align public health, health care, and social care systems in Washington to improve equitable access to care, strengthen health workforce and systems, and foster innovation. Dr. Chima has led large-scale health systems strengthening initiatives in various communities across the United States. He was formerly the public health director and health officer for the City of Sioux Falls in South Dakota. He also served as a population health program director and faculty member at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. Chima holds advanced degrees in medicine, epidemiology, health informatics, and health services organization.

• Executive Office of Healthcare Innovation and Strategy

Lacy M. Fehrenbach, MPH, Chief of Prevention

Ms. Fehrenbach has focused her career on shaping policies and programs that address the upstream social and environmental factors that impact health outcomes and inequities so that all people, families, and communities can thrive. She recently served as Deputy Secretary of Health for COVID-19 response from June 2020 through January 2022. Prior to the pandemic, she served as Assistant Secretary of the Prevention and Community Health division. Before coming to Washington state, she worked on national public health policy in Washington, DC. Ms. Fehrenbach has more than 15 years of public health management and leadership experience, working on an array of issues including health system reform, child and family health, infectious disease, and chronic disease. She holds a BS in Molecular and Cell Biology from Texas A&M University, an MPH from the George Washington University and is certified in public health.

• Executive Office of Prevention, Safety and Health

Kristopher Holiday, MHA, Chief of Partnerships

The Chief of Partnerships leads the office responsible for coordinating and leading the department’s external relationships and partnership strategies, particularly with the private and academic sectors.

Mr. Holiday came to Washington in early 2021 to help lead DOH’s operational planning as part of the COVID-19 response before serving as Strategic Initiatives Director. In that role, Kris worked to connect agency strategic priorities to ongoing partnership work. A native of Houston, Kris graduated with a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from the University of Houston-Clear Lake. For several years he spearheaded complex projects at large healthcare and governmental organizations, including in global public health non-governmental organizations in several countries. He returned home to serve as Vice-President of Business Development for a start-up, then led several successful business ventures before returning to his healthcare roots.

• Executive Office of Strategic Partnerships

Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, MD, MPH, Chief Science Officer

Dr. Kwan-Gett has long focused on bringing together people, systems, and ideas—building collaborative relationships with state and local public health leaders in rural and urban regions on both sides of the Cascades. Previously he practiced pediatrics at Virginia Mason for over 12 years with an emphasis on behavioral health and did volunteer work with refugee communities globally and locally. As a medical epidemiologist at Public Health Seattle & King County, Tao led a team responsible for communicable disease prevention and control. Tao has also served as a faculty member at the University of Washington School of Public Health, where he directed the Northwest Center for Public Health Practice (NWCPHP) for two years, engaged in teaching and research, and trained health professionals in cross-sector collaboration and health equity at NWCPHP’s Northwest Public Health-Primary Care Leadership Institute.

• Executive Office of Health and Science

Elizabeth Perez, MPH, Chief of Public Affairs and Equity

Elizabeth Perez joined the Department of Health in March 2021 from serving five years as Director of the Harris County Public Health Office of Communications, Education, and Engagement. Ms. Perez was previously a Public Health and Communication Advisor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) where she managed the public engagement platforms, mobile apps, equity efforts, and campaigns for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Office of Minority Health. Prior to working at HHS, she worked at the National Coalition of Health Care, a think tank for Affordable Care Act advocacy, and in healthcare for over 10+years. Ms. Perez holds a Master’s in Health Policy and Leadership and a Health Administration, Radiation Science degrees all from Loma Linda University.

• Executive Office of Public Affairs and Equity

Kristin Peterson, JD, Chief of Policy

Kristin Peterson, JD, leads a dynamic team focused on government relations, policy development and evaluation, public health law, health economics, rulemaking, and systems transformation. Kristin’s career has centered on government relations, public health, health care law and policy. She has worked for elected officials at the state and federal level, for a health-related trade association, and for a boutique law firm that assisted clients with both innovative care models and regulatory needs. At the Department of Health, she has led government relations efforts, served as the agency’s first Review Judge, and led a complex division that managed issues related to health care systems and workforce. Kristin thrives on building collaborative relationships and emphasizes partner engagement as a critical component to policy development and system wide solutions that promote optimal health for all. Kristin received her B.A. from the Evergreen State College and her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law.

• Executive Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation

Atousa Salehi, MD, MBA, FACEP, Chief of Global & One Health

Dr. Salehi is a board-certified emergency physician with a longstanding commitment to health equity. She has over three decades of experience in clinical practice, health system management, and digital health innovations. Her career has been marked by serving at the forefront of emergency response and multiple pandemics, driving systemwide quality improvement initiatives, and developing and implementing transformative digital health solutions and innovative care models that enhanced access to care and improved health outcomes.   
 
As the inaugural chief of the office of Global and One health (OGO) at DOH, Dr. Salehi oversees the integration of global to local and one health frameworks into the state's transformative health mission. Under her leadership, OGO bridges global health learnings with the specific needs of Washington residents, and promotes integrated and wholistic strategies that are inclusive, sustainable, and focus on vulnerable communities in Washington. Her work advances comprehensive health solutions that have a meaningful impact in driving DOH's mission to tackle complex public health challenges through multisectoral partnerships and a one health approach.

• Executive Office of Global One

Nate Weed, MPH, Chief of Resilience

Nate Weed works with his team and partners to expand the resilience of public health and healthcare to address emergent health threats that impact people in Washington. Over the past 20 years he has led emergency response efforts at the state, local, and federal levels to a wide range of crises and now works to pass the knowledge and wisdom he’s gained to others. Nate holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wyoming and a Master of Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

• Executive Office of Resiliency and Health Security