Marylou Sudders, MSW, ACSW, serves as the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and holds both a bachelor’s degree with honors and a master’s degree in social work from Boston University. Sudders oversees 12 agencies and the MassHealth program. Her work at HHS covers a wide range of issues, including: health coverage, child welfare, community-based services, and public health matters like the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 public health crisis.
In March 2020, Governor Baker appointed Secretary Sudders to head the COVID-19 Response Command Center, which leads a statewide response to the pandemic.
This event will give BU alumni the chance to hear directly from Secretary Sudders on various current events including: COVID-19 testing and treatment, the current vaccine rollout, collaboration with Federal and State partners, promoting telehealth through new legislation, how community-based services have evolved over the pandemic, and more.
The conversation will be facilitated by Karen Holmes Ward (COM), WCVB Director of Public Affairs, Community Services & Host of 'CityLine.'
Join us online on Wednesday, March 31, 4-5 pm ET as Marylou Sudders (SSW, CAS), Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, will cover the following key points:
- COVID-19 testing and treatment
- The COVID-19 vaccine rollout
- Collaboration with Federal and State partners
- Promoting telehealth through new legislation
- The evolution of community-based services
About the presenter: Marylou Sudders (SSW, CAS), MSW, ACSW, Secretary, Health and Human Services, Head of COVID-19 Response Command Center
Marylou Sudders serves as the Secretary of Health and Human Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, overseeing 12 agencies and MassHealth, with a combined budget of $24 billion and 22,000 public employees delivering essential services that touch the lives of 1 in 4 state residents. In March 2020, she was appointed by Governor Charlie Baker to lead the state’s COVID-19 Response Command Center.
Since joining Governor Baker’s cabinet in January 2015, Sudders has advanced strategic policy priorities, including: restructuring MassHealth into a population-based health coverage system, reforming the child welfare system, addressing the opioid epidemic, integrating physical and behavioral health care, and strengthening community-based services.
Sudders co-chairs the Governor’s Interagency Council on Housing and Homelessness, the Governor’s Interagency Council on Aging, and chairs the Autism Commission and the board of Massachusetts Health Connector, the state’s health insurance marketplace.
Sudders has held leadership roles across the public and private sectors, including serving as the Massachusetts Commissioner of Mental Health, a non-profit CEO, and associate professor and program chair at Boston College School of Social Work, a top ten nationally-ranked program.
Sudders holds a bachelor’s degree with honors and a master’s degree in social work from Boston University, and honorary doctorates from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology and Bridgewater State University. She is the recipient of many civic, social work, and professional honors.
About the facilitator: Karen Holmes Ward (COM), WCVB Director of Public Affairs, Community Services & Host of 'CityLine'
A member of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame, Karen Holmes Ward embodies the ideal of principled journalism.
As director of Public Affairs and Community Services for WCVB-TV, she oversees public service and community outreach efforts. She developed CommonWealth 5, a groundbreaking web initiative matching viewer-donors with nonprofits, and Extreme Makeover: My Hometown, which raises awareness of the need for affordable housing. Ms. Holmes Ward is executive producer and host of CityLine, an award-winning weekly television magazine that addresses the issues and concerns facing people of color in the Boston area.
She was also executive producer of Return to Glory, a film documenting the story of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment, one of the United States’ first black military units.
She has received numerous awards for both professional achievement and community service, including: Journalist of the Year Region I from the National Association of Black Journalists; the President’s Award from the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts; the Big Sisters of Greater Boston Achievement Award; and induction into the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Silver Circle, which honors professional excellence and lifetime achievement.
Ms. Holmes Ward graduated from Boston University with a degree in communication. She began her career as a writer for WEEI News Radio and rapidly advanced in media through positions such as news director, on-air host, and television reporter to her current executive position. She continues to focus much of her energy on promoting the common good, serving on the advisory boards of the Greater Boston Food Bank and the women’s shelter Rosie’s Place and mentoring dozens of other nonprofits in the use of television to advance their causes.
The webinar will be conducted using the online Zoom webinar platform. Access information and additional instructions on using the Zoom platform will be provided via email upon successful registration. This webinar is open to all members of the BU community including alumni, students, faculty, and staff.