President Bush announced today that he intends to nominate Claude Allen as deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, a selection HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said would strengthen the department at a critical time for health care in America.

Secretary Thompson said Allen, the secretary of Health and Human Resources in Virginia, is a proven leader at the state level in an important array of fields facing the department and all American families. "Claude has shown himself to be a visionary and strong leader in Virginia," Secretary Thompson said. "President Bush's intention to nominate him to serve as deputy secretary shows a clear signal that this administration is committed to providing quality health care and services to all Americans. Claude's experience and state-level perspective are just what we need at the Department of Health and Human Services." "Claude has been a valued advisor and friend to me for many years, and the president could not have made a better choice," Gov. Gilmore said. "Claude has served Virginia faithfully as secretary of Health and Human Resources during my administration. We are truly losing a remarkable leader here in Virginia, but our loss is certainly the nation's gain. I now look forward to seeing Claude's bold and visionary leadership affect public policy on a national scale."

Gov. Gilmore appointed Allen as Health and Human Resources Secretary in January 1998. He was responsible for overseeing 13 agencies and 15,000 employees, and focused on providing quality health care for all Virginians while continuing to implement the state's successful welfare reform initiative.

As secretary, Allen led Gov. Gilmore's initiative for Virginia's Patients Bill of Rights passed in 1999 that gave patients the right to appeal adverse coverage decisions made by their health plan and receive direct access to physician specialists. Before joining the Gilmore administration, Secretary Allen was counsel to the Virginia attorney general and, later, deputy attorney general for the Civil Litigation Division in the attorney general's office.