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Gov.-elect Mike Braun selected Dr. Gloria Sachdev to lead the state’s health and family services as secretary, his transition team announced Thursday morning.
She will oversee four major state agencies: the Department of Health, the Family and Social Services Administration, the Department of Child Services and the Department of Veteran Affairs.
“Dr. Sachdev’s proven track record of transforming health care delivery and costs makes her the ideal choice to lead Indiana’s health initiatives,” Braun said in written remarks. “Her expertise in pharmacy, health care policy and coalition-building will be invaluable as we work to improve health outcomes for Hoosiers.”
Included in her job responsibilities is the FSSA, which is seeking to reduce the state’s Medicaid burden after a nearly $1 billion shortfall and its ever-growing annual expense. On Tuesday, state leaders and lawmakers will have a better sense of the future costs when the state releases its revenue, economic and Medicaid forecasts.
Braun’s transition team said in a news release that his administration will seek to address high health care costs and improve access to services while preserving coverage for pre-existing conditions and reducing the mental health issues that weigh on the criminal justice system.
Sachdev, a pharmacist, is currently the president and CEO of the Employers’ Forum of Indiana, an employer-led nonprofit that seeks to improve the value of health care services. She also has led health care-focused GPS Consulting for the past 15 years as the president and CEO.
Prior, she spent 19 years as a professor teaching in the pharmacy department at Purdue University. She also taught at the Indiana University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Sachdev is Braun’s final secretary appointment. Braun announced a new streamlined cabinet structure on Nov. 21 that uses eight policy secretaries and Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith to oversee core governing areas.
The seven other secretaries are Lisa Hershman for management and budget, Matthew Ubelhor for transportation and infrastructure, David Adams for commerce, Katie Jenner for education, Mike Speedy for business affairs, Jennifer-Ruth Green for secretary of public safety and Suzanne Jaworowski for energy and natural resources.
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