The following legislative and administration re-assignments this past week affect the healthcare community:
With the resignation of House Ways & Means Chairman Brian Dempsey (D-Haverhill) to take a job at ML Strategies (which has a vibrant healthcare division), House Speaker Robert DeLeo (D-Winthrop) picked the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, Jeffrey Sanchez (D-Jamaica Plain), to fill the powerful House Ways & Means post. Peter Kocot (D-Northampton) becomes Health Care Financing chairman in the House.
MHA President & CEO Lynn Nicholas said, “The hospital community is grateful for the many years of insightful and prudent leadership that Chairman Dempsey provided. While we’re sorry to see him leave, we were gratified to learn his responsibilities were placed in the capable hands of Chairman Sanchez, who brings a deep appreciation of the challenges facing the healthcare sector.”
On the administration side, Governor Baker announced that his chief of staff Steven Kadish was stepping down, and will be replaced by Kristen Lepore, the secretary of Administration and Finance. Michael J. Heffernan, Department of Revenue commissioner, will take over A & F, and Heffernan’s chief of staff, Chris Harding, will become Revenue commissioner.