Former HHS Acting Secretary and Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan Joins SIU Medicine Population Science and Policy Advisory Board

Springfield, IL – SIU Medicine Department of Population Science and Policy (PSP), an academic medical department dedicated to improving the social determinants of health in rural and underserved Illinois, is proud to announce the addition of Eric Hargan, former Acting Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and current CEO of The Hargan Group, to its advisory board effective October 2021. 

Hargan, a native of southern Illinois, served as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 2017 to 2021. As Deputy Secretary, he oversaw the development and approval of all HHS, CMS and FDA regulations and significant guidances, while leading policy and strategy development. He brings more than 25 years of experience in public health, policy, regulatory reform and health innovation. He earned a B.A. cum laude from Harvard University and his J.D. from Columbia University Law School. 

“We are absolutely honored that Former Deputy Secretary Hargan has chosen to join our Advisory Board,” said Dr. Sameer Vohra, founding chair of PSP. “His incredible experience, paired with his intimate knowledge of and affinity for rural Illinois, will provide valuable insight into our work. We are grateful for his willingness to serve the Department, the School of Medicine, and our service region.” 

“I am thrilled to join the Department of Population Science and Policy’s Advisory Board. It is an honor to be welcomed back home into this community of innovators working to improve health in Southern Illinois, my home. I look forward to serving alongside this prestigious group of health experts,” said Hargan.

The Department of Population Science and Policy was launched in 2018 to advance the social mission of SIU Medicine and find innovative solutions to improve health beyond the confines of a hospital or clinic. Today, PSP works to understand the challenges of people in central and southern Illinois and provides innovative, sustainable solutions to improve health in their communities. The department has led projects focused on rural children’s growth and development, cancer, asthma, opioids, and rural sexual-gender minorities. PSP is currently leading the 2021 Illinois Rural Health Summit series of policy briefs and webinars designed to improve health in rural Illinois.