NEWS RELEASE
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson announced Tuesday that Dr. Paul Coomes, emeritus professor of economics at the University of Louisville, has been appointed as the new executive director of the Office of Health Policy in the Cabinet for CHFS. Coomes will lead the office responsible for health planning and policy research as well as administering the state’s Certificate of Need Program.
Coomes holds a bachelor’s degree from Brescia University, master’s degree from Indiana University and doctorate degree from the University of Texas. He has been intricately involved in influencing public policy through his research and work with numerous local organizations like Great Louisville Inc. and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
“We are thrilled to have Dr. Coomes join our staff in the Office of Health Policy,” said Sec. Glisson. “The office plays an integral role in managing growth and working to ensure a high level of quality within the healthcare industry. With experience in both the academic and private sector, Dr. Coomes has the experience and skills needed to drive policy that improves health outcomes in the Commonwealth.”
Coome’s scholarly research has appeared in many journals, including the Journal of Labor Economics, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Real Estate Economics, Journal of Urban Economics, Journal of Regional Science, Environment and Planning A, Urban Studies, Economic Development Quarterly and the Journal of Economic and Social Measurement. He is also a past chair of the Economics department at UofL, past president of the Kentucky Economic Association and was the 2014 Distinguished Economist of that organization.
“I am honored to play a role in improving the health of Kentuckians. The talent and passion of the people working in this Cabinet is impressive,” said Dr. Coomes.
Coomes lives with his wife in eastern Jefferson County. He is descended from William and Jane Coomes, who arrived in 1774 at Fort Harrod, Kentucky—where Jane became the first school teacher in the state.