HHS Public Affairs Office Leadership

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
Jeffrey A. Nesbit
Email: Jeffrey A. Nesbit

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs
Samira Burns
Email: Samira.Burns@hhs.gov

Health Care Portfolio

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for Health Care
Sara Lonardo
Email: sara.lonardo@hhs.gov

Agencies: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Office of Health Reform, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)

Issues: Health Care, Health Equity, Medicaid, Medicare, Affordable Care Act, Marketplace, Open Enrollment/ Special Enrollment Period, Maternal Health, Drug Pricing, Pricing Transparency, Telehealth, Health Technology, Provider Relief Fund

Public Health Portfolio

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for Public Health
Heather Purcell
Email: heather.purcell@hhs.gov

Agencies: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, ARPA-H

Issues: Biomedical Research, Public Health, Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices, Opioids, Vaccines, Infectious Diseases, Prevention, Tobacco, Emergency Preparedness and Response, Global Health, Risk Communication, COVID-19 response

Public Education Campaign Portfolio

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for Public Education
May Malik
Email: maysoon.malik@hhs.gov

Issues:  We Can Do This, COVID-19 Public Education Campaign

Human Services Portfolio

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs for Human Services
Samira Burns
Email: Samira.Burns@hhs.gov

Agencies: Administration for Children and Families, Administration for Community Living , Departmental Appeals Board, Indian Health Service, Office for Civil Rights, Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration

Issues: Child Care, Fatherhood, Head Start, Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Division

Deputy Agency Chief FOIA Officer
William Holzerland
Email: William.Holzerland@hhs.gov
FOIA questions or concerns: HHS.ACFO@hhs.gov

Acting Executive Officer

Lindsey “L.A.” Ross
Email: Lindsey.Ross@hhs.gov

Digital Communications Division

Acting Chief Digital Officer
Lindsey "L.A." Ross
Email: Lindsey.Ross@hhs.gov

Broadcast Communications Division

Director
Michael Wilker
Email: Michael.Wilker@hhs.gov