Val Arkoosh

Val Arkoosh
Arkoosh in 2020
Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 17, 2023
Acting until June 29, 2023
GovernorJosh Shapiro
Preceded byMeg Snead (acting)
Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners
In office
November 2016 – January 17, 2023
Preceded byJosh Shapiro
Succeeded byKenneth E. Lawrence, Jr.
Member of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners
In office
January 2015 – January 17, 2023
Preceded byLeslie Richards
Succeeded byJamila H. Winder
Personal details
Bornc. 1961
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseJeffrey Harbison
Children3
Residence(s)Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationNorthwestern University
University of Nebraska College of Medicine (M.D.)
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (MPH)

Valerie A. Arkoosh[1] (c. 1961[2]) is an American anesthesiologist and politician who is the current secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, serving since 2023. Arkoosh was formerly the chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners from 2016 to 2023.[3]

Education and medical career

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Arkoosh earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Northwestern University in 1982 and a doctorate from University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1986.[4] She earned her Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2007.[1]

She was a professor of clinical anesthesiology and clinical obstetrics and gynecology at the Perelman School of Medicine of the University of Pennsylvania and previously taught at Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College and Drexel University College of Medicine, where she chaired the school's anesthesiology department from 1999 to 2004.[4][1] In 2007, Arkoosh joined the board of the National Physicians Alliance (NPA).[5] From 2010 to 2012, she was president of the NPA as it supported the passage of the Affordable Care Act and healthcare as a human right.[4][2] Arkoosh also chaired the Board of Health of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2014.[5]

Political career

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Arkoosh ran for Congress in 2014 for Pennsylvania's 13th congressional district when Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz vacated the seat to run for governor.[6] She was unsuccessful in the Democratic primary.

Montgomery County commissioner

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In January 2015, was appointed to a vacated seat on the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. She was elected to a full term the following November.[1] That year she signed a "standing order" allowing pharmacies in the county to dispense naloxone upon request.[4] Arkoosh served as vice chair of the board until November 2016 when she was made chair. She was given a second term as chair in 2020 after being reelected in 2019. As chair, Arkoosh instituted a fifteen dollars per hour minimum wage and paid parental leave for county employees.[1]

2022 U.S. Senate campaign

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On April 5, 2021, Arkoosh launched her campaign for the Democratic nomination for the 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania following the retirement of Pat Toomey.[7] Arkoosh dropped out of the race in February 2022 after receiving just 17 votes of support out of the 290 Pennsylvania Democratic Committeemen.[8][9]

Secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Human Services

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In January 2023, Arkoosh was nominated by governor-elect Josh Shapiro to serve as secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services.[10] She automatically became full secretary on June 29 after the Pennsylvania State Senate failed to act within the constitutionally prescribed 25-legislative-day period to confirm her nomination.[11] In the first year of her leadership, Arkoosh directed the department to eliminate a two-year Medicaid enrollment backlog and increased the coverage for doulas and medicine for homeless people.[12]

Personal life

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Arkoosh lives in Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Jeffrey Harbison,[5] and their three children.[1]

Electoral history

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2014 United States House of Representatives Democratic primary election, PA-13[13][14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brendan Boyle 24,775 40.61
Democratic Marjorie Margolies 16,723 27.41
Democratic Daylin Leach 10,130 16.60
Democratic Val Arkoosh 9,386 15.38
Total votes 61,014 100.00
2015 Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Democratic primary election[15]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Josh Shapiro (incumbent) 30,645 54.12
Democratic Val Arkoosh (incumbent) 25,864 45.68
Write-in 111 0.20
Total votes 56,620 100.00
2015 Montgomery County Board of Commissioners election[16]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Josh Shapiro (incumbent) 97,212 30.90
Democratic Val Arkoosh (incumbent) 88,958 28.27
Republican Joe Gale 65,740 20.90
Republican Steven Tolbert Jr. 62,644 19.91
Write-in 64 0.02
Total votes 314,618 100.00
2019 Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Democratic primary election[17]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Val Arkoosh (incumbent) 48,599 46.09
Democratic Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr. (incumbent) 46,998 44.58
Democratic Ray Sosa 9,836 9.33
Total votes 105,393 100.00
2019 Montgomery County Board of Commissioners election[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Val Arkoosh (incumbent) 127,089 32.29
Democratic Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr. (incumbent) 124,247 31.57
Republican Joe Gale (incumbent) 74,023 18.81
Republican Fred Conner 68,176 17.32
Total votes 393,535 100.00

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Department of Human Services Leadership". Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Keegan, Gibson (April 10, 2013). "PA-13: Arkoosh Nets $218K in 2 Weeks". PoliticsPA. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  3. ^ "Past Commissioners". Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d Burns, Caitlin (March 29, 2019). "Campus News Drs. Arkoosh, Brown to Receive Honorary Degrees at Arcadia University Commencements, May 16 & 17". Arcadia University. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c McCrystal, Laura (November 27, 2016). "Valerie Arkoosh takes the reins of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
  6. ^ Lachman, Samantha (February 24, 2014). "Philadelphia Doctor Touts Obamacare In Campaign For Congress". HuffPost. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  7. ^ Terruso, Julia (April 5, 2021). "Montco Commissioner Val Arkoosh is running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  8. ^ Chinchilla, Rudy (February 4, 2022). "Montco Commissioner Val Arkoosh Drops Out of U.S. Senate Race". NBC10 Philadelphia. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  9. ^ "Arkoosh ends Senate campaign amid tough Democratic field". AP News. February 4, 2022. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  10. ^ Levy, Marc (January 11, 2023). "Arkoosh to lead Shapiro's sprawling human services agency". Associated Press. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  11. ^ McGoldrick, Gillian (June 29, 2023). "Al Schmidt, Philly's former top Republican elections official, is now officially Pa. secretary of state". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 29, 2023.
  12. ^ Stark, Karl (December 5, 2023). "Val Arkoosh, Pa.'s Human Services Head, Describes Her Strategy for Change". Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved August 24, 2024.
  13. ^ "2014 General Primary Tuesday, May 20, 2014 Official Returns PHILADELPHIA". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  14. ^ "2014 General Primary Tuesday, May 20, 2014 Official Returns MONTGOMERY". electionreturns.pa.gov. Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  15. ^ "MONTGOMERY COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS PRIMARY ELECTION MAY 19, 2015" (PDF). Montgomery County, PA. June 5, 2015. pp. 1–2. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  16. ^ "MONTGOMERY COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS MUNICIPAL GENERAL ELECTION NOVEMBER 3, 2015" (PDF). Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. November 20, 2015. p. 1. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  17. ^ "MONTGOMERY COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS Primary Election May 21, 2019" (PDF). Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. June 14, 2019. p. 2. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  18. ^ "MONTGOMERY COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS General Election November 5, 2019" (PDF). Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. December 5, 2019. p. 2. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
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