NC DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen

Nov. 30. NC Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. will be stepping down from the agency. Kody Kinsley, currently chief deputy secretary, will take her place beginning Jan. 1. Cohen has been a household word statewide since the pandemic began almost two years ago.

Kinsley

“Mandy Cohen has shown extraordinary leadership during her tenure and she has worked every day during this pandemic to help keep North Carolinians healthy and safe,” said Gov. Roy Cooper.

Background

Cohen, an internal medicine physician, was appointed in January of 2017 and has served as Secretary of DHHS leading the state during some of the most challenging times in North Carolina history.

Cohen plans to spend more time with her family while exploring new opportunities to carry on her work improving the health and well-being of communities, according to a NCDHHS press release.

Kinsley, a native of Wilmington, currently serves as the Chief Deputy Secretary for Health at NCDHHS and Operations Lead for NC’s COVID-19 pandemic response. During his nearly four years of service at NCDHHS, Kinsley has overseen the state’s response to the Opioid Epidemic; increased investments in services and supports for individuals with behavioral health needs and developmental disabilities; created strategic interventions to transition justice-involved populations to care; and has been a driving force behind the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response, including North Carolina’s vaccine distribution efforts.