Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin has chosen experts from the medical and public health community, including hospital CEOs, to be part of his medical advisory team.
The team will provide updates on the pandemic and advice on how to address related challenges, according to a Jan. 11 news release from Mr. Youngkin.
"I have been receiving briefings about the coronavirus and omicron variant regularly, and we are going to stay on top of this," he said. "I recognize the severity of the virus and the significant loss that it has caused. Virginians should rest assured that we are monitoring this variant and doing everything we can to be smart about this. I will enter office ready to reopen Virginia, support our healthcare heroes, and protect the lives and livelihoods of Virginians."
The team will be chaired by Marty Makary, MD, a physician and health policy expert at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
Members also include:
- Nancy Howell Agee, president and CEO of Carilion Clinic (Roanoke, Va.)
- Kathy Gorman, MSN, RN, executive vice president and COO of Children's National (District of Columbia)
- Alan Levine, chairman, president and CEO of Ballad Health (Johnson City, Tenn.)
- Bogdan Neughebauer, MD, PhD, CMO of Sentara Leigh Hospital (Norfolk, Va.)
- Anand Shah, MD, former deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs at the FDA
Additionally, there are three ex-officio members: Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources John Littel; state Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant; and state Sen. Todd Pillion.
Read more about the team here.