The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) announced the appointment of Melinda “Mendy” Richard as assistant secretary for the Department's Office of Aging and Adult Services (OAAS). Richard most recently served as the deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Community Preparedness and Health Protection in the Office of Public Health (OPH).
Richard will begin her new role as assistant secretary on Feb. 28. She will take over leadership from Interim Assistant Secretary Elizabeth Adkins, who will move into the role of OAAS deputy assistant secretary.
OAAS was formed within the Department of Health as a healthcare reform initiative, bringing together all of the long-term care programs that serve elder residents and people with adult-onset disabilities.
Richard joined LDH in 2016 following more than 20 years of public service with the Louisiana State University Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Department of Public Safety – Louisiana State Police Crime Lab, and the Division of Administration. She graduated from Louisiana State University and the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans with a bachelor of science degree in medical technology. Richard is a member of the American Society for Quality and is a licensed clinical laboratory scientist certified by the American Society for Clinical Pathology. She is also a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt.