Priya A. Helweg, MA
Deputy Regional Director for Region 10
Priya Helweg is the Acting Regional Director and Executive Officer for the Region 10 Office of Intergovernmental and External Affairs, Office of the Secretary, US Department of Health and Human Services.
Priya provides executive level leadership and brings a regional perspective to HHS priority initiatives. Priya supports the Regional Office’s function as a nexus point for coordination with HHS divisions and regional federal agencies on White House priorities. The Region 10 office covers the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington and 272 federally recognized tribes.
Priya came to the ORD after 16 years as at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Formally an External Affairs Specialist for the Office of the Regional Administrator, CMS Seattle, Priya was the subject lead on outreach for the Affordable Care Act / Health Insurance Marketplace, Opioids and Substance Abuse, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and Medicare. Her primary responsibilities were to increase public awareness of CMS programs through partner engagement, training, and stakeholder relationships. Priya joined CMS Central Office in 2005 to provide outreach and training to American Indian/Alaska Native communities, support for the Tribal Technical Advisory Group, and serve as a subject matter expert for the newly formed Tribal Affairs Group. Priya moved to the Seattle Regional Office Division of Medicaid and Children’s Health Operations in 2007 and joined the Regional Administrators Office a few years later.
Priya came to CMS after working in Washington, DC for The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, The Morris K. Udall Foundation, and The Smithsonian Institution. She has a Masters in Anthropology from the University of British Columbia.