Fran Phillips – Courtesy Baltimore Sun
During his press conference Wednesday, Governor Hogan announced Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Fran Phillips is retiring and Dr. Jinlene Chan, currently Assistant Secretary and Chief Medical Officer, will serve the role on an interim basis. Ms. Phillips has helped lead Maryland’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As reported by The Baltimore Sun,
Since 2018, Phillips had been serving as deputy state health secretary for public health, her second time as a high-ranking state health employee. She also had a long career in Anne Arundel County, serving twice as that county’s health officer and once as its interim fire chief.
Hogan said Chan would have “some very big shoes to fill.”
Hogan, a Republican, said Phillips has been the state’s “field general,” working around the clock “to marshal an unprecedented public health response to this global pandemic.”
“She’s been a trusted adviser to me, a guiding force to our entire team and a steady and calming presence to Marylanders who are looking for reassurance,” Hogan said. “She’s simply done an amazing job.”
Dr. Jinlene Chan
Dr. Chan has served on the front lines of Maryland’s coronavirus response, leading the state’s testing task force for the past five months.
Chan said the state has “come quite a long way” since the first coronavirus cases were confirmed on March 5.
“We have taken huge steps and worked around the clock — multitudes of individuals in public health, in health care, in private business, in schools and
in so many other sectors — to work to keep Marylanders safe,” she said.
Moving forward, Chan said state officials will keep “a really close eye” on other states that are hotspots for the virus. She said Maryland residents must abide by “small inconveniences” such as wearing masks, washing hands, practicing social distancing and avoiding gatherings to keep the spread of the virus manageable in Maryland.
