A longtime advocate for consumers in Massachusetts health care circles is taking on a senior post in the Healey administration.
Amy Rosenthal, executive director of the nonprofit Health Care For All, will join state government next month as undersecretary of health, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday.
Rosenthal will step into the role Nov. 17, succeeding Kiame Mahaniah, who was elevated to secretary of health and human services this summer after former Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh stepped down.
Rosenthal is leaving Health Care For All as lawmakers look to the nonprofit to play a leading role in the effort to make sure people retain their health insurance. The House on Wednesday passed legislation that allocates $10 million for a Health Care For All public awareness campaign to “inform vulnerable populations about new Medicaid work requirements put in place by the Federal Government.”
Rosenthal has led Health Care For All since 2017, expanding its size and sharpening its focus on health equity, community engagement and access to affordable health coverage, according to the organization. The nonprofit is a prominent voice for expanding subsidized insurance and preserving free preventive health care.
“Amy is the health policy leader and convener we need to drive creative solutions,” Mahaniah said in a statement released by the agency. “Her deep understanding of the people we serve – particularly access and affordability issues – and her strong relationships across the health care system in our state will serve Massachusetts residents well.”
Rosenthal previously spent more than a decade at the national advocacy group Community Catalyst, where she led campaigns to pass and defend the Affordable Care Act.
She also worked in the Massachusetts Legislature in the Senate Post Audit and Oversight Bureau, on Democrat Myrth York’s unsuccessful run for governor of Rhode Island in 2002 and at pediatric hospitals on public health initiatives, according to LinkedIn. Since 2014, she has lectured at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Her appointment comes as the Healey administration continues to navigate high-level turnover. Walsh was one of six Cabinet members to announce their departure a little over halfway through Healey’s first term. Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt became the latest to resign Thursday morning.
Rosenthal’s appointment does not require legislative confirmation. She will report directly to Mahaniah.
Health Care For All on Thursday afternoon announced that Ashley Blackburn has been promoted to deputy executive director, a new and permanent leadership role, and will also serve as interim executive director while the board conducts a national search for a permanent executive director.
“The strong team at HCFA is unwavering in their commitment to the organization’s mission. Whether they are answering calls on the HelpLine, staffing tables at community events or lobbying for policy changes at the State House, HCFA’s team is making a difference each and every day. We know the organization will continue to thrive and excel long after Amy’s departure,” HCFA Board Chair Trishan Panch said in a statement.