The Reporter's Notebook from The Las Cruces Sun-News
An award-winning podcast featuring some of the most popular and impactful stories from the Las Cruces Sun-News. In this podcast, we attempt to pull back the curtain on the reporting process — taking you inside our newsroom, providing transparency and a look behind the scenes while getting to know our reporters and learning about their first-hand experiences.
The Reporter's Notebook from The Las Cruces Sun-News
The Reporter's Notebook Podcast, Ep. 63: NMDOH Secretary Patrick Allen
On this week's episode of The Reporter's Notebook Podcast, we’re talking to Patrick Allen, cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Department of Health. At the end of 2022, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham appointed Allen as the leader of the state’s health department following the resignation of Dr. David Scrase. Allen began his work in the department on Jan. 3.
Before coming to New Mexico, Allen worked as the director of the Oregon Health Authority. In Oregon, he led the agency’s response to COVID-19 and guided Oregon’s statewide Medicaid plan and behavioral health system.
We’ll talk about his plans and priorities for the department as the COVID-19 public health orders expire. New Mexico’s COVID-19 public health order expired Friday, March 31. Meanwhile, the federal government plans to end the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency on May 11, 2023.