Governor Jindal Appoints Kathy Kliebert to Serve as Interim DHH Secretary

Press Release

Today, Governor Bobby Jindal appointed current Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH), Kathy Kliebert, to serve as Interim Secretary of the agency upon the resignation of Secretary Bruce Greenstein. Greenstein's resignation is effective on May 1st. Courtney Phillips, who currently serves as Chief of Staff at DHH, will replace Kathy Kliebert and serve as Interim Deputy Secretary.

Governor Jindal said, "Bruce has successfully led one of the largest transformations of our state's healthcare delivery system. He helped us reform one of the most antiquated hospital delivery systems in the country into public-private partnerships that will strengthen our commitment to delivering high-quality healthcare services and better train Louisiana's future doctors and nurses. As a tireless advocate for people to live healthier lives, Bruce implemented programs that improved Louisiana's historically poor health outcomes.

"I have worked closely with Kathy over the past five years as she helped us successfully transition individuals out of institutions into more effective and appropriate community-based services. She is a longtime public servant with a strong commitment to caring for our state's most vulnerable populations, and I know she will serve the people of Louisiana well as Secretary as we continue to improve healthcare services for our people."

Kathy Kliebert Biography
Kathy Kliebert currently serves as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals. As Deputy Secretary, Kliebert supervises a number of offices including the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, Office of Behavioral Health, Office of Public Health, and Office of Aging and Adult Services. She also serves as the coordinator for DHH's Human Services Interagency Council (HSIC) working with the local governing entities that provide developmental disability and behavioral health services.

Kliebert previously served as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Behavioral Health where she oversaw the transition of combining the offices of mental health and addictive disorders to better serve Louisianians in need. Prior to that appointment, Kliebert served as assistant secretary for the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD) since 2004 where she successfully led a multi-year transition to move individuals out of institutions into community-based services, reducing the institution population by more than 26 percent.

Prior to taking her role as assistant secretary of OCDD, Kliebert served as diversification director of the Metropolitan/Peltier-Lawless Development Centers in New Orleans and Thibodaux where she led the expansion of community-based options for people with developmental disabilities. She has 21 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker and has a master's degree in social work. She also serves as Secretary of the Louisiana Educational Television Board.

Courtney Phillips Biography
Courtney Phillips currently serves as the Chief of Staff for the Department of Health and Hospitals. She has served in various capacities since joining the Department in 2003, ranging from Medicaid program manager overseeing the Money follows the Person and waiver programs to serving as the Chief of Staff for the Department's Deputy Secretary. She is currently a doctoral student in Public Policy at Southern University. Her areas of specialization include healthcare and education policy. She has a B.S. in Education from Louisiana State University and a M.P.A. with an emphasis in healthcare from Louisiana State University.

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