Annapolis, MD (September 3, 2019) In a unanimous vote, the Anne Arundel County Council confirmed County Executive Steuart Pittman’s nomination of Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman as the county health officer. Passage of the resolution gives Maryland Governor Larry Hogan the authority to appoint Dr. Kalyanaraman as Anne Arundel County Health Officer.
“I believe that the effectiveness of government should be measured by the health and wellness of its people,” said County Executive Pittman. “Dr. Kalyanaraman has the vision and the experience to make Anne Arundel County a leader in these efforts.”
Prior to his nomination, Dr. Kalyanaraman was the Chief Health Officer for Health Care for the Homeless, a nonprofit organization with 250 staff that provides health care and housing support to 10,000 people annually. He has a bachelors of science degree from Yale University and received his doctor of medicine from SUNY Brooklyn School of Medicine. He is board certified in internal medicine and has nearly ten years of senior health management experience.
County Executive Pittman will hold a town hall meeting on September 19 to focus on public health and wellness. The meeting is scheduled from 6 - 8 p.m. at Annapolis High School. The town hall will feature Dr. Kalyanaraman and Kai Boggess-de Bruin, PhD, deputy chief administrative officer of health and human services. Ms. Boggess-de Bruin started her position on August 8.
Boggess-de Bruin is responsible for overseeing the county’s health and human service agencies. Her background includes experience in human services and information technology in the private, non-profit, and government sectors. Previously, Boggess-de Bruin served as the Assistant Director of Quality Assurance and Compliance for the Prince George’s County Department of Social Services where she was responsible for overseeing performance management, corrective action planning, data analysis and reporting, and change management for all department programs. Boggess-de Bruin holds a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Capella University and a Master’s Degree in Psychology from Regis University.
“I look forward to introducing Kai Boggess-de Bruin and Dr. Kalyanaraman to our communities and to our team of dedicated health and human services staff,” said County Executive Pittman.
Dr. Kalyanaraman is expected to begin his new position on September 9. Billie Penley has been serving as acting health officer since August 29, 2018. Ms. Penley succeeded Fran Phillips, who also served as acting health officer. The county has not had a permanent health officer since Dr. Jinlene Chan left the position on May 31, 2017. After the appointment of Dr. Kalyanaraman, Ms. Penley will resume her previous role as chief financial officer in the health department.