Jan Malcolm | Director | United Therapeutics Leadership

Background

Ms. Malcolm is an accomplished leader in health policy, public health, and health care finance and delivery. She has demonstrated a career-long dedication to improving the health of the public and the care of complex populations. Twice Minnesota’s Commissioner of Health under three governors representing two political parties (from 1999-2003 and from 2018 until her retirement in January 2023), Ms. Malcolm earned a national reputation as one of the first health care leaders to highlight health disparities and the impact of social determinants of health.

As Health Commissioner during the COVID-19 pandemic, she also played an instrumental and visible role in educating the public, creating dynamic and user-friendly systems for sharing COVID-19 data with the people of Minnesota, and rapidly expanding testing capacity. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Minnesota Department of Health had a budget of over $600 million per year from all funding sources, and employed over 1,500 highly professional staff. During the pandemic the budget and staffing more than doubled with federal funds, staff re-deployments, and temporary contractors. In recognition of her many accomplishments, in February 2024 the American Medical Association (AMA) presented Ms. Malcolm with the AMA Award for Outstanding Government Service.

Prior to being re-appointed Commissioner in 2018, Ms. Malcolm was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, where she co-directed a national research and leadership development program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Ms. Malcolm also served as vice president of the Allina Health system from 1994 to 1999 and 2013 to 2016, with responsibilities spanning corporate communications, public affairs, government relations, health policy, community relations, and philanthropy. From 2005 to 2013, she served as CEO of the Courage Center, a leading provider of rehabilitation and health services for people with disabilities serving over 12,000 patients annually. She previously served on the boards of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, United Way of Minnesota, and Bush Foundation.

Ms. Malcolm received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and psychology from Dartmouth College. She was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Minnesota and an honorary doctor of human letters degree from Saint Catherine University.