Heather Howard

Biography

Heather Howard is a faculty affiliate of the Center for Health & Wellbeing and director of State Health and Value Strategies, a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded program that provides technical assistance to support state efforts to enhance the value of health care by improving population health and reforming the delivery of health care services. She served as New Jersey''s Commissioner of Health and Senior Services from 2008-2010, overseeing a cabinet-level agency with a budget of $3.5 billion and staff of 1,700 responsible for public health services, regulation of health care institutions, senior services, and health care policy and research.

Previously, Howard served as Governor Jon Corzine''s Chief Policy Counsel, directing his policy agenda. She also has significant federal experience, having worked as Senator Corzine''s Chief of Staff, as Associate Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and Senior Policy Advisor for First Lady Hillary Clinton, as an Honors Attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice''s Antitrust Division Health Care Task Force, and for the U.S. House of Representatives. She received her J.D., cum laude, from the New York University School of Law, and her B.A. cum laude, from Duke University.

Howard teaches courses in implementation of the Affordable Care Act, state and local health policy, public health and politics, and the social determinants of health.