Senator Michelle Benson (R-Ham Lake), chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Finance Committee, released the following statement on the appointment of Jan Malcolm as the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health.

“Gov. Dayton chose wisely by selecting Jan Malcolm to be the new commissioner of the Department of Health. Having worked with Commissioner Malcolm previously on health care issues, I know her to be a thoughtful, fair-minded public servant with a good vision for Minnesota. She will be an important voice in this time of transition at MDH. I have already reached out to Commissioner Malcolm to set up a meeting, and I look forward to engaging with her on complex issues like reform at the Office of Health Facility Complaints.”