AP: Arkoosh to lead Shapiro's sprawling human services agency

[BumRushDaShow]

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Dr. Val Arkoosh, an anesthesiologist who led Pennsylvania’s third-most populous county through the pandemic before mounting a failed run for U.S. Senate, will be nominated to lead the sprawling Department of Human Services under the incoming Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro.

Wednesday’s announcement by Shapiro also included his picks to lead the departments of Health, Drug and Alcohol Programs, Aging and Insurance.

Arkoosh, 62, is a former chair of anesthesiology at Drexel University College of Medicine who now chairs the three-member board of commissioners in Montgomery County, in suburban Philadelphia.

Shapiro, the state’s two-term elected attorney general, will be inaugurated Tuesday to become the 48th governor of Pennsylvania. On Montgomery County’s board, Arkoosh overlapped with Shapiro for two years before he was elected to attorney general. During the pandemic, Arkoosh held daily, livestreamed briefings about the county’s efforts to stem the spread of COVID-19, as it became the first county where Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the shutdown of schools and businesses.

https://apnews.com/article/josh-shapiro-politics-health-pennsylvania-state-government-be7f9db7e49ef7323cce4afc0008b387

I knew he was going to select Arkoosh for some role. She is a physician and was excellent during Montgomery County's daily/periodic COVID briefings that I watched along with Philly's.

Congrats to her!

(Montco is probably going to need a special election to replace her slot for the County Commissioners)

[FakeNoose]

1. Shapiro is selecting some very good people so far

I hope this continues.

[SheltieLover]

2. Excellent! 👏👏👏👏

[PRETZEL]

3. I wish Dr. Arkoosh luck

she carried on Josh's vision for Montco very well. She will be an excellent Secretary of HHS. I also heard that it's the Democratic Party who will choose her successor with the other 2 Commissioners voting to approve.

I also heard that Ken Lawrence, the other Democratic Commissioner is not seeking re-election after his term expires.

Fortunately, the Republican Party has pretty much given up trying to control the county. That's good news.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. I did hear about Ken Lawrence not seeking re-election at the end of his term

Hope that whatever pair of (D)s get in when all is said and done, can loudly counter the loon ass Joe Gale.

Arkoosh was always a master at putting him in his place (I used to watch their COVID pressers as I'm literally a couple blocks from the Montco border here in Philly and have a sister living there).

[PRETZEL]

5. I'd watch the meetings when our office had business in fromt of the Commissioners,

neither one of them woiuld put up with his bullshit, sometimes calling him out directly.

Joe Gale is virtually irrelevant, which is why he can be the ass he is. That's all he can do. He just doesn't realize it (or maybe he does and that's who he really is).

It will be interesting to see who is nominated to replace Dr. Arkoosh. I'm looking forward to it.