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Connecticut's Public Health Commissioner Leaving For Federal Post

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- Longtime Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Dr. Jewel Mullen is leaving to take a position with the U.S. Department of Health in Washington.

Dr. Jewel Mullen

Dr. Jewel Mullen

Photo Credit: State Of Connecticut

The state Department of Public Health made the announcement Friday.

In Washington, Mullen will be working under the assistant secretary for Health, Department and Health and Human Services.

"Serving Connecticut residents for nearly the past five years as the state’s Public Health Commissioner has been a tremendous privilege, as has working with the many dedicated professionals at DPH,” Mullen said in a statement. 

As Connecticut’s public health commissioner, Mullen has led efforts that include advancing population health improvement and health equity, reducing racial disparities in low birth weight and infant mortality, improving end-of-life care, and strengthening emergency preparedness and response.

Mullen launched several performance-based initiatives at DPH that promote a culture of quality. These include an agency quality plan that provides a comprehensive performance management framework for how DPH establishes, manages, deploys, and monitors quality throughout the agency, the completion of the LEAN process to improve programmatic areas, and leadership training for over 10 percent of the agency's staff.

Appointed public health commissioner by Gov. Dannel Malloy in December 2010 and reappointed in 2014, Mullen has combined clinical work, research, teaching, and administration throughout a career focused on improving the health of all people, especially the underserved.

During her tenure, Mullen also served as the 2014-15 president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, a national organization that represents the state health commissioners across the country. 

During her term, she led her presidential challenge which focused on building partnerships to promote healthy aging in communities. 

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