[ST. PAUL, MN] – Governor Tim Walz today announced that longtime health care leader and former Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm will serve as Senior Advisor on Hospitals and Health Systems to the Governor’s Office and the Health Subcabinet.

“Jan Malcolm is one of the most respected and experienced health leaders Minnesota has ever had, and I’m grateful she has agreed to lend her expertise to our state’s health system yet again,” said Governor Walz. “Her leadership will help us bring providers, policymakers, and communities together to confront the challenges facing our hospitals head-on, strengthen our health care system, and ensure every Minnesotan can get the care they need when they need it.”

In this role, Malcolm will work directly with hospital and health system leaders across the state to address financial challenges facing providers, strengthen coordination between the state and hospital systems, and develop recommendations for the Governor’s Office and Health Subcabinet to support hospitals and maintain access to care across the state.

Her service comes at a critical moment for Minnesota hospitals, which are facing rising costs, workforce shortages, and growing levels of uncompensated care. These pressures have placed significant strain on providers, including Hennepin Healthcare’s Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), a vital safety-net hospital serving patients statewide, operating one of Minnesota’s largest emergency departments, and one of only a few hospitals equipped to handle the most severe trauma emergencies. Hennepin Healthcare’s financial strain has been further intensified by federal Medicaid changes under “the One Big Beautiful Bill”, which reduces funding for hospitals serving large numbers of publicly insured patients. Combined with rising costs and workforce pressures, these challenges put HCMC at serious risk and underscore the urgent need for state action to ensure continued access to critical care.

“Facilities like HCMC are simply too important to lose,” said Governor Walz. “A closure would be devastating for patients, the community, and health systems across the region that rely on Hennepin Healthcare’s trauma care and specialty services. We will be working with the Legislature and local partners to find a path forward to preserve this critical statewide asset.”

Malcolm previously served as Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2023. She has spent decades improving public health and health care delivery in Minnesota and nationally and is widely respected for her leadership across the state’s health care community.