Marcia K. Brand, Ph.D., was named director of HRSA’s Office of Rural Health Policy Jan. 2 by HRSA Administrator Claude Earl Fox, M.D., M.P.H.  She succeeds Wayne Myers, M.D., who retired late last year.

Before assuming her current position, Dr. Brand was ORHP’s deputy director.  Prior to that, she led HRSA’s effort to implement the State Planning Grant program and coordinate agency activities in the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.  Dr. Brand also coordinated the Secretary’s Initiative on Children’s Health and the President’s Federal Interagency Task Force on Children’s Health Insurance Outreach.

Dr. Brand has served as senior advisor to the deputy assistant secretary for health, working on the Secretary’s Initiative on the Future of Academic Health Centers, and as deputy director of the Bureau of Health Professions’ Office of Research and Planning.

Before joining HRSA, Dr. Brand worked in the U.S. Senate as a legislative aide to Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) on health, education and agricultural issues and held administrative and faculty positions at Thomas Jefferson University and Old Dominion University.

She has a doctoral degree in higher education from the University of Pennsylvania and master and bachelor of science degrees in dental hygiene from Old Dominion University.