Cohen and Wiesman talk state response to COVID-19 pandemic

April 26, 2022

COVID-19 introduced many of us to the concept of public health and showed us the ways that health goes beyond the individual to impact whole communities. On April 21, the Carolina community had a unique opportunity to talk to two leaders who became the face of public health during an event that changed our lives and transformed the way we think about heath.

Dr. Mandy Cohen

Mandy Cohen, MD, MPH, is CEO of Aledade Care Solutions. Cohen spent nearly two years guiding North Carolinians through the evolving response to COVID-19 as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services under Governor Roy Cooper. She is also an adjunct professor of health policy and management at the Gillings School.

Dr. John Wiesman

John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH, is professor of practice in health policy and management at the Gillings School and director of the Executive Doctoral Program in Health Leadership. Dr. Wiesman served under Governor Jay Inslee as Washington State Secretary of Health during the pandemic and led the nation’s response to the first case of COVID-19.

View the video below of the recent talk, moderated by WUNC health reporter Jason deBruyn, to learn more about their experiences managing a statewide public health response over the past few years and the lessons that came from it.

Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.