Kiame Mahaniah has mentored and taught students at Tufts University School of Medicine for close to 20 years as a clinical assistant professor of family medicine, a role he plans to maintain as he steps into a new role for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as the Secretary of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS). 

Mahaniah, who in 2023 was selected to serve as the Undersecretary of Health in the same agency, will work closely with Robert Goldstein, A05, M12, GBS12, the Commissioner of Public Health for the state. Mahaniah’s new role began July 14.

“We’re honored and proud to have educators and alumni who positively impact health science and policy, especially in the Executive Office of Health and Human Services for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Helen Boucher, dean of Tufts University School of Medicine and Chief Academic Officer of Tufts Medicine. “The achievements of both Dr. Mahaniah and Dr. Goldstein reflect the values that guide students at the School of Medicine, including our commitment to humanism, excellence, and social responsibility.”

As the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mahaniah will oversee a $32 billion budget within the state’s largest secretariat, supervising 11 agencies and the MassHealth program, including the Department of Public Health, the Department of Mental Health, and the Department of Children and Families. 

Mahaniah’s career in community medicine and addiction led him to serve as the chief executive officer of Lynn Community Health Center, a School of Medicine clinical partner, and as the chief medical officer of North Shore Community Health. 

At Tufts, Mahaniah has 15 years of experience as a Competency-based Apprenticeship in Primary Care (CAP) preceptor, where he also co-teaches the Perspectives in Medicine course. Mahaniah was awarded the CAP Teaching Award for his outstanding contributions to student outcomes, and one student was so impacted by Mahaniah’s mentorship that he was asked to officiate the student’s wedding—an honor he gladly accepted. 

“When Dr. Mahaniah began his career of public service in the EOHHS, one of the first things he did was to obtain special permission to continue teaching Tufts students,” said Wayne Altman, Jaharis Family Chair of Family Medicine and professor at the School of Medicine. “He also requested that the one day he sees patients be a Monday because that is the one day that the CAP students come. Kiame loves his CAP students, and they love him.”

In 2023, the same year Mahaniah joined the staff of the Healey administration, Goldstein was appointed the Commissioner of Public Health.

As an undergraduate and medical school student, Goldstein began working in public health at the student-run medical education program, the Sharewood Project. As commissioner, in 2024, Goldstein developed and implemented a 5-year strategic plan which aims to deliver health equity for all. As a former infectious disease faculty member at Massachusetts General Hospital, Goldstein founded the MGH Transgender Health Program and was its medical director. He was also previously an advisor to former Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky. 

Goldstein works under the advisement of and in partnership with more than a dozen bureaus and offices within the department. Damian Archer, assistant dean at the School of Medicine and CEO of Outer Cape Health Services, and Ramnath Subbaraman, associate professor in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at the School of Medicine, were both recently appointed to the Department of Public Health’s Public Health Council.

As part of the council, Archer and Subbaraman will widely share rules and regulations, advise the department and commissioner on policymaking, and be part of the body that grants the commissioner the authority to take action if a public health emergency is declared by the governor. 

"Through teaching, mentorship, practice, community engagement, and research, our faculty members are dedicated to improving public health outcomes here in Massachusetts and beyond," said Margie Skeer, chair of Tufts University School of Medicine's Department of Public Health and Community Medicine. "Now more than ever, I'm incredibly proud to know that a Tufts School of Medicine alum and three faculty members are forwarding our mission to have a sustained positive impact on the health of individuals, communities, and the world."