Former Marlborough Hospital President Named State Sec. of Health

John Polanowicz will replace JudyAnn Bigby as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

"They come to their new positions with the expertise, the talent, the respect and the vision to achieve our bold agenda over the next two years,” said Governor Deval Patrick of his four new cabinet secretary appointees. “Time is of the essence, and I have a team of leaders to take on the challenges and seize the opportunities we all know are on the horizon.”

Polanowicz currently serves as the President and CEO of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. Prior to that, the West Point graduate and Stanford MBA served for eight years as the President of Marlborough Hospital.

Dr. Bigby has led the largest agency in state government for the past six years and is universally regarded as a tireless advocate for those who often have no one to advocate for them, according to a release from the governor.

He has served as President of St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center in Brighton since 2011, overseeing the largest steward hospital with 272 beds and approximately 2,000 employees.

Glen Shor will replace Jay Gonzalez as Secretary of Administration and Finance. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, the state's official public health insurance exchange.

Matt Malone will replace Paul Reville as Secretary of Education.

Sheriff Andrea Cabral will replace Marybeth Heffernan as Secretary of Public Safety and Security. In ten years as Suffolk County Sheriff, Cabral has been lauded for reforming prisoner reentry programs and modernizing the county’s correctional facilities.

The transition will take place next month as the Patrick-Murray Administration prepares for the beginning of the 2013-2014 legislative session.