Meena Seshamani’s career has never followed just one line — and that’s exactly what makes her a powerful leader in health.

A surgeon, Oxford-trained health economist and former federal policymaker, Seshamani now serves as secretary of the Maryland Department of Health. And it’s here that she can apply her varied experiences for the benefit of Marylanders.

“We can and should connect the dots across systems — housing, food, education, health — to serve people more holistically,” she says. “At the Department of Health, we touch people’s lives from birth to death. That’s such a privilege.”

While training at Johns Hopkins, her research on health economics caught the attention of national policymakers. In her fourth year of residency, she was invited to help shape the Affordable Care Act. “At first I said no … I was a resident! But my mentors made space for me to go. And that was where I saw how you could shape the system to better serve the people.”

In subsequent years she moved back and forth between clinical care and public service — driving innovation and care transformation at MedStar Health, leading the Office of Health Reform under President Obama, and joining the Biden administration to advise on the COVID-19 response, before ultimately becoming Director of Medicare. There she led transformative efforts to expand access, address disparities, and improve affordability — championing drug price negotiation and integrated behavioral health, and reforming Medicare Advantage to benefit millions of enrollees.

“There were so many moments during the pandemic when I thought, ‘There’s got to be a better way,’” she says. “At Medicare, I could actually help build that better way.”

Now back in Maryland, she brings a collaborative, data-driven approach to state leadership. “Every stakeholder — patients, providers, payers, community leaders — has something important to offer,” she says. “To get results, you need partnership and collaboration.”