Andrea Palm
Andrea Palm, HHS – Trellix Cybersecurity Summit 2024
Andrea Palm
Keynote Speaker
25th Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2021 – 2025)
Drawing on two decades at the highest levels of public service, Andrea Palm delivers actionable insight on leadership, innovation, and navigating the complexity of Washington and the healthcare ecosystem. As Deputy Secretary of HHS, she drove transformation across a $2 trillion enterprise by modernizing systems, leading crisis response, and through organizational change and large-scale implementation that continues to shape how care is delivered nationwide.
Request Availability
Contact WSB for Andrea Palm's speaking fee
Andrea Palm is a nationally recognized executive leader in public service and health policy with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of government, healthcare, and innovation. From 2021 to 2025, she served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), managing the day-to-day operations of the Department’s nearly $2 trillion budget and 80,000-person global workforce.
As Deputy Secretary, Palm led modernization efforts to strengthen HHS’s technology, data, and cybersecurity infrastructure—including the creation of the Department’s first Artificial Intelligence Strategic Plan. She oversaw the launch of the Medicare drug-price negotiation program, a landmark achievement of the Biden-Harris Administration, and advanced major behavioral-health integration and access initiatives. Palm also guided the nationwide operational transition to the simplified 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and managed the complex “unwinding” of Medicaid eligibility renewals following the end of the COVID-19 public-health emergency. Her leadership emphasized transparency, innovation, and people—driving department-wide engagement efforts that significantly improved employee satisfaction and retention.
Previously, Palm served as Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, leading one of the state’s largest agencies. She directed statewide programs including Medicaid, SNAP, and behavioral health, and led the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Palm also served in the Obama-Biden Administration, where she held senior leadership roles at HHS, including Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislation, Counselor, Chief of Staff, and Senior Counselor to the Secretary. In these capacities, she helped shape and implement the Affordable Care Act, spearheaded legislative and policy initiatives on public-health preparedness, and oversaw efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
Earlier in her career, Palm served on Capitol Hill, advising Democratic Members in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate on healthcare, public-health, and social-policy issues.
Featured Videos
Andrea Palm
Andrea Palm – AI in the NHS 2025
Andrea Palm
Andrea Palm on Strategies for Medicaid
Andrea Palm
Andrea Palm, HHS – Trellix Cybersecurity Summit 2024
Andrea Palm’s Speech Topics
-
Leading Through Complexity: Lessons from Government and Crisis Leadership
Drawing on her experience overseeing HHS’s $2 trillion portfolio and leading Wisconsin’s COVID-19 response, Andrea Palm explores what it takes to lead effectively when the stakes are high and systems are under strain. She shares candid insights on setting priorities amid uncertainty, communicating with clarity, and sustaining teams through challenge and change. Palm’s leadership lessons equip executives to balance strategy and execution while maintaining focus on mission and people.
-
Innovation, Technology, and Trust in the Age of AI
As technology reshapes healthcare, trust and governance are as essential as innovation. Andrea Palm draws on her leadership of HHS’s AI, data, and cybersecurity modernization to examine how leaders can embrace digital transformation responsibly. She explores frameworks for transparency, accountability, and ethical technology use that build confidence among patients, providers, and the public while advancing innovation that serves people.
-
Navigating Washington: Strategy, Policy, and the Future of Healthcare
In today’s complex healthcare landscape, the intersection of policy, politics, and innovation influences many of the most consequential decisions in the sector. Drawing on two decades in senior federal and state leadership—including her service as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services—Andrea Palm offers a rare insider’s view of how Washington really works. She helps executives and boards understand the forces shaping healthcare regulation, reimbursement, and innovation policy—and how to anticipate what’s coming next. With candor and clarity, she demystifies the political process, explains how to engage effectively with policymakers, and shares practical strategies for anticipating policy shifts and positioning organizations to adapt quickly and seize opportunity in a changing healthcare environment.
REQUEST AVAILABILITY
Tell us about your event and the speaker you are interested in booking and we will be in touch right away.