HARRISBURG, PA — Gov. Josh Shapiro on Thursday abruptly withdrew his nomination of former Allegheny County Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen to be the state’s next health secretary. Bogen has been serving as acting state health director since Shapiro took office in January.
The Shapiro administration did not provide a reason for the move. But The Philadelphia Inquirerreported that Bogen did not have enough votes in the state Senate to be confirmed.
Bogen can be renominated for the role or remain as acting secretary until Shapiro appoints a replacement.
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Bogen was confirmed by the county board of health in March 2020. She helped coordinate the county’s efforts to coordinate a response to the COVID-1 pandemic.
Before her appointment, she was a member of the Pittsburgh region medical and research community for more than two decades.
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Bogen held a primary academic appointment as professor of pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh, and secondary appointments in psychiatry and clinical and translational science. She also served as the vice chair of education for the Department of Pediatrics at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.
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