Fran Phillips, the Acting Anne Arundel County Health Officer, was named the new Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services, the Maryland Department of Health announced Thursday.
Phillips will play a primary role in the state's fight against the heroin and opioid epidemic, the department said. She will manage the state's rural health plan and lead programs targeted at asthma, lead poisoning, smoking cessation, and more.
Phillips has been the Acting Anne Arundel County Health Officer since 2017. She was the Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services at the Maryland Department of Health from 2008 to 2013, and the Health Officer for Anne Arundel County from 1993-2008.
“Anne Arundel County has been blessed to have such dedicated public servant like Fran serving our citizens,” said Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh. “She leaves an incredible legacy of public service in our jurisdiction, and we wish her well as she pursues this incredible opportunity.”
The role of Acting Health Officer will be assumed by Billie Penley, the current budget director for the Department of Health.
