Pat Traynor Appointed to Serve as Interim commissioner of ND Health and Human Services

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(KNOX) – Gov. Kelly Armstrong  announced the appointment of Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF) Executive Director J. Patrick “Pat” Traynor to serve as interim commissioner of the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), effective June 2.

Traynor will take a one-year civil service leave from DMF to serve full-time as interim commissioner of state government’s largest agency, with an approved two-year budget of over $5.7 billion, including federal funds, and a team of nearly 2,500 authorized FTEs. The HHS commissioner is a member of the governor’s Cabinet.

“Pat Traynor is uniquely qualified to lead Health and Human Services in its mission to make North Dakota the healthiest state in the nation and promote physical, behavioral and economic health and well-being,” Armstrong said. “His track record of making organizations more efficient and effective will serve North Dakota citizens well as we continue to see high demand for the wide range of services provided by HHS.”

Traynor previously served as executive director and CEO of the North Dakota Workers Compensation Bureau, now Workforce Safety & Insurance, from 1994 to 2000. He and his team led major reforms to better serve employers and employees while also eliminating a $240 million unfunded liability and building a $350 million surplus.