Governor announces immediate departure of New Mexico health secretary

After less than two years on the job, the state Department of Health Secretary is stepping down, effective immediately.  

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced in a news release on Nov. 20 that Patrick Allen would no longer be the Health secretary by the end of the day.  

“Pat has been a dedicated public servant, and I’m grateful for his contributions as secretary for the Department of Health. I wish him well in his next endeavor,” Lujan Grisham said in the news release, without providing a reason for the departure.  

Allen left behind a long career as a public official in Oregon before coming to New Mexico in 2023. He succeeded Dr. David Scrase, a physician who served as the state's Health and Human Services secretary concurrently with a stint as interim health secretary during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Scrase retired from state government in January 2023. 

According to the news release, Gina DeBlassie, the governor’s health policy advisor since 2022, will serve as interim cabinet secretary. 

“DeBlassie brings more than 30 years of healthcare expertise. Throughout her career, she has been a driving force behind legislation to improve healthcare access across New Mexico. Her leadership efforts have been instrumental in establishing the Health Care Authority and the Rural Health Care Delivery Fund,” the news release said.  

The news release noted also that DeBlassie served as chief operating officer for a national All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly provider program before joining Lujan Grisham’s cabinet.  

According to publicly available resume information, DeBlassie holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. DeBlassie was also the chief operating officer of InnovAge, one of the U.S.’s largest health care companies, providing medical care to ailing seniors.