Health Officer Departs Anne Arundel County Job, Gets Promoted To State Agency

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Anne Arundel County's top doctor is leaving his post after getting promoted to a statewide agency.

After four years as the health officer, Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman will soon start as the deputy secretary for public health services at the Maryland Department of Health.

Kalyanaraman's last day with the Anne Arundel County Department of Health is March 21.

The county health department and County Executive Steuart Pittman announced the news on Friday.

"We’ve accomplished a lot, including responding to a global pandemic, that improved the health of all residents in Anne Arundel County, particularly those with the greatest needs," Kalyanaraman said in a press release. "I look forward to the opportunity to continue advancing public health at the state level."

COVID-19 Response

Kalyanaraman was known for his role in the county's COVID-19 capacity and masking policies.

Supporters claimed those regulations were necessary to manage the pandemic's death toll and limit hospitalizations.

Opponents argued that these were unnecessary restrictions that hurt local businesses. They also said residents could make their own health decisions.

The county's masking and capacity policies both led to court battles.

Pittman tried to shut down indoor dining a second time. That temporary closure was supposed to run from December 2020 into January 2021. The matter was settled out of court, letting eateries stay open.

A judge in January 2022 overruled the motion to end the county's second mask mandate early. That face covering rule continued until it expired as scheduled later that month.

Aside from advising Pittman's pandemic policies, Kalyanaraman set up the county's case management systems.

Kalyanaraman started a contact tracing program and led Anne Arundel County to Maryland's third-lowest COVID-19 death rate, the press release said.

The health officer also developed the Community Health Ambassadors program to encourage faith-based organizations to conduct health outreach. He similarly launched the award-winning Office of Health Equity and Racial Justice to address health disparities along racial, ethnic, income and geographical lines.

"We all knew that Dr. Kalyanaraman was a superstar when we hired him, and he turned out to be exactly the leader that we needed," Pittman said in the release. "Dr. Kalyanaraman led with compassion, strength, and brilliance, integrating public health into every corner of local governance, and leading our defense against a virus that took the lives of 1,255 county residents."

Other Projects

Gun violence was another top focus for Kalyanaraman. He convened the Gun Violence Intervention Team, which examined the problem as a public health issue. That group released its first report last June.

Kalyanaraman additionally expanded substance abuse treatment and harm reduction services. The county also saw a multiyear decrease in opioid overdoses and deaths, the press release said.

"I was proud to work with someone so dedicated to serving the residents of our county," Anne Arundel County Council Chair Pete Smith said.

Under Kalyanaraman, the Department of Health also relaunched the Healthy Anne Arundel Coalition to tackle community-identified health priorities. The department added services in South County at the Lula Scott Community Center, provided clinical care for substance use disorder and tuberculosis, and produced its first behavioral health plan.

"Dr. Kalyanaraman’s knowledge and leadership has been invaluable over the last four years when we have had to make some tough decisions to ensure the resilience of our communities," County Council Vice Chair Allison Pickard said.

The county will release more information on the appointment of a new health officer in the coming days.

"I am thrilled that [Gov. Wes Moore] recognized Dr. Kalyanaraman’s talents and is putting him into a position where he can continue to deliver not only for the nearly 600,000 residents of our county, but also for the 6 million residents of Maryland," Pittman said. "I look forward to working with him in his new role."