Val Arkoosh | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Arkoosh in 2020 | |
| Secretary of thePennsylvania Department of Human Services | |
| Assumed office January 17, 2023 Acting until June 29, 2023 | |
| Governor | Josh Shapiro |
| Preceded by | Meg Snead (acting) |
| Chair of theMontgomery County Board of Commissioners | |
| In office November 2016 – January 17, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Josh Shapiro |
| Succeeded by | Kenneth E. Lawrence, Jr. |
| Member of theMontgomery County Board of Commissioners | |
| In office January 2015 – January 17, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Leslie Richards |
| Succeeded by | Jamila H. Winder |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1961 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jeffrey Harbison |
| Children | 3 |
| Residence(s) | Springfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania,U.S. |
| Education | Northwestern 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. A member of theDemocratic Party, she has served as secretary of thePennsylvania Department of Human Services under GovernorJosh Shapiro since 2023. From 2016 to 2023, Arkoosh was chair of theMontgomery County Board of Commissioners, where she served alongside Shapiro during his tenure on the board.[3]
Arkoosh formerly served on the board of health ofMontgomery County.[4] Arkoosh unsuccessfully ran to representPennsylvania's 13th congressional district in2014 and for theUnited States Senate in2022.
Arkoosh earned a bachelor's degree in economics fromNorthwestern University in 1982 and a doctorate fromUniversity of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1986.[5] She earned herMaster of Public Health fromJohns 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 theUniversity of Pennsylvania and previously taught atThomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel Medical College andDrexel University College of Medicine, where she chaired the school's anesthesiology department from 1999 to 2004.[5][1] In 2007, Arkoosh joined the board of theNational Physicians Alliance (NPA).[6] From 2010 to 2012, she was president of the NPA as it supported the passage of theAffordable Care Act andhealthcare as a human right.[5][2] Arkoosh also chaired the Board of Health ofMontgomery County, Pennsylvania from 2011 to 2014.[6]
Arkoosh ran for Congress in2014 forPennsylvania's 13th congressional district when CongresswomanAllyson Schwartz vacated the seat torun for governor.[7] She came in fourth place in the Democratic primary, losing to eventual winnerBrendan Boyle.
In January 2015, was appointed to a vacated seat on theMontgomery 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 dispensenaloxone upon request.[5] During her time on the Board of Commissioners, she served alongside futureAttorney General and GovernorJosh Shapiro.[3]
Arkoosh served as vice chair of the board until November 2016 when she was made chair. In January 2019, she was among a number of Pennsylvania legislators and county officials who went on a trip toIsrael designed to educate state officials on security issues in the Middle East.[8] 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]
On April 5, 2021, Arkoosh launched her campaign for the Democratic nomination for the2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania following the retirement ofPat Toomey.[9] She received the endorsement ofEMILY's List.[10] Arkoosh dropped out of the race in February 2022 after receiving just 17 votes of support out of the 290 Pennsylvania Democratic Committeemen.[11][12]
In January 2023, Arkoosh was nominated by governor-electJosh Shapiro to serve as secretary of thePennsylvania Department of Human Services.[13] She automatically became full secretary on June 29 after thePennsylvania State Senate failed to act within the constitutionally prescribed 25-legislative-day period to confirm her nomination.[14] In the first year of her leadership, Arkoosh directed the department to eliminate a two-yearMedicaid enrollment backlog and increased the coverage fordoulas and medicine for homeless people.[15]
Arkoosh lives inSpringfield Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Jeffrey Harbison,[6] and their three children.[1] She was diagnosed withCOVID-19 in January 2022, and reported mild symptoms.[16]
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
| 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 | ||
Authority control databases: Academics |
|---|