Lambrew, Jeanne M.

Jeanne Lambrew

Department of Health and Human Services

Commissioner Lambrew is charged with leading the Department of Health and Human Service’s efforts to serve Maine’s most vulnerable, including providing health care and social service support to low-income children, families, the elderly and Mainers with disabilities or substance misuse disorders. Lambrew, PhD, has worked on improving the health system throughout her entire career. She held senior positions at the White House for ten years and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for four years. From 2011 to January 2017, she worked at the White House as the Deputy Assistant to the President for health policy. In that capacity, she helped ensure execution of the President’s health policy agenda including implementation and defense of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Her portfolio also included policy regarding Medicare, Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), long-term services and supports, and public health. From 2009 to 2010, she was the Director of the HHS Office of Health Reform. In that role, she coordinated work toward passage and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Jeanne M. Lambrew, Ph.D., is commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, which provides health care and social services to approximately a third of the state’s population, including children, families, the elderly, and those with disabilities, mental illness, and substance use disorders. Previously, Dr. Lambrew was a senior fellow at the Century Foundation and an adjunct professor at the New York University Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Prior to that, she worked in the Obama administration: in the first two years as director of the Office of Health Reform at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and from 2011 to January 2017 as the deputy assistant to the president for health policy. Prior to joining the Obama administration, Dr. Lambrew was an associate professor at both the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs in Austin, Texas, and the George Washington University School of Public Health. She also served as senior fellow for health policy at the Center for American Progress. In 1996, she was a research faculty member at Georgetown University. Earlier, Dr. Lambrew served in the Clinton administration in the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (1993–1995), the White House National Economic Council (1997–1999), and the White House Office of Management and Budget (2000–2001). She received her master’s and doctoral degrees in health policy from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Jeanne Lambrew is a United States professor of public affairs and health policy. She served in the Obama administration as Deputy Director of the White House Office of Health Reform.

In December 2018, Lambrew was nominated to serve as Commissioner of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services by Governor-elect Janet Mills.

Lambrew earned a master's and a Ph.D. in Health Policy at the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her bachelor's degree came from Amherst College.