Greenlee heads to Washington by the same route as Kathleen Sebelius. Greenlee, 49, was the Kansas secretary of aging since 2006, serving alongside Sebelius while she was Kansas governor. Annette Graham, executive director of the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging, credited Greenlee with instituting innovative programs during her tenure, including expanding dental care for seniors and creating a recognition program for nursing homes that work to make themselves more homelike for patients. "She really relates to older adults and is a great advocate," Graham said. Greenlee also previously served as the state long-term-care ombudsman, which is the overseer of nursing home patients and those in other long-term-care facilities; as Kansas assistant secretary of aging; as general counsel at the Kansas Insurance Department; and as chief of staff to Sebelius. She graduated from the University of Kansas with degrees in business administration and law.
Established: 1953 (as the Health, Education, and Welfare Department)
Address: 200 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20201
Phone: 202-619-0257
2009 Budget: $840.9 billion
Employment: 76,802
Web Site: www.dhhs.gov
Functions: HHS administers more than 300 health and service programs, including medical and social-science research; disease prevention and control; food and drug regulation; Medicare and Medicaid; substance-abuse treatment and prevention; preschool education and services; health services delivery for American Indians and Alaska natives; child-support enforcement; maternal and infant health; and financial assistance to low-income families.
