Diana Dooley

Diana Dooley was secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency from January 2011 until June 2018, when she was appointed chief of staff to Governor Jerry Brown. As secretary, she led 13 state departments and chaired the independent health benefit exchange, Covered California. Under her leadership, California was a national leader in implementing the Affordable Care Act, notably reducing the uninsured rate from nearly 20% to under 7%. She also used the federal law, together with state legislative and administrative actions, to make improvements in the quality of healthcare delivery, increase transparency and consumer engagement, and promote the integration and coordination of medical, behavioral, and social services in the furtherance of whole-person care. She entered the health care field in 2000 when she became general counsel and vice president of Valley Children’s Hospital, later serving as president and CEO of the California Children’s Hospital Association. She currently serves on Public Policy Institute of California’s Statewide Leadership Council. She received her bachelor’s degree in social science from California State University, Fresno, and her law degree from the San Joaquin College of Law.