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Kathy Greenlee  

Assistant Secretary for Aging at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Obama

Kathy Greenlee is the Vice President of Aging & Health Policy at the Center for Practical Bioethics, where she is responsible for promoting increased use of Transportable Physician Orders for Patient Preferences (TPOPP) in Missouri and Kansas. TPOPP is part of a similar effort in other states. The nationwide approach is called the POLST paradigm. She advocates for increased use of advance directives, engages with community based aging and disability organizations around issues relating to advanced illness and end of life care, works to improve transitions of care by bridging between health care providers and community based organizations, and provides visibility and support for regional work in the area of elder abuse prevention and response. Prior to joining the Center for Practical Bioethics, she served as the Administrator of the Administration on Community Living (ACL) and Assistant Secretary for Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate in June 2009) from 2009 to 2016. In January 2011, Greenlee was designated as the Administrator of the CLASS (Community Living Assistance Supports and Services) program, a component of the Affordable Care Act signed into law by President Obama in March 2010. Greenlee served as Secretary of Aging in Kansas from 2006-2009, and before that as the Kansas State Long Term Care Ombudsman from 2004-2006. In addition, Ms. Greenlee served as Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations for then-Governor Kathleen Sebelius from 2002-2003. She also served as the General Counsel of the Kansas Insurance Department from 1999-2002 and oversaw the Senior Health Insurance Counseling program. Ms. Greenlee is a graduate of the University of Kansas with degrees in business administration and law.

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