Sam S. Shekar, M.D., M.P.H., was appointed Associate Administrator for Primary Health Care in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on July 29, 2002.

HRSA works to fill in the health care gaps for people who live outside the economic and medical mainstream. The agency uses its $7.2 billion annual budget (FY 2004) to expand access to quality health care for all Americans through an array of grants to state and local governments, health care providers and health professions training programs.

As head of HRSA's Bureau of Primary Health Care, Dr. Shekar manages the $1.6 billion health center program, which funds more than 900 consolidated health centers that provide services at over 3,650 comprehensive primary care clinics. These health centers—the foundation of the U.S. health care safety net—in 2003 provided preventive and primary health care services to an estimated 12.4 million people, including nearly 5 million uninsured and Medicaid beneficiaries.

In addition, Dr. Shekar oversees President Bush's Health Center Initiative, which is designed to add 1,200 new and expanded health center sites by 2006 and increase the number of patients treated annually to 16 million. In the first two years of the initiative, over 2 million new patients and 550 new or expanded sites have been added to the national health center system.

From 2000-2002, Dr. Shekar was HRSA's Associate Administrator for Health Professions. Working with a staff of 450, Dr. Shekar administered annual budgets of nearly $1 billion through 46 federal programs to support the education, training, recruitment, placement and retention of America's physicians, nurses, dentists, public health professionals and other providers.

From 1998-2000, Dr. Shekar was HRSA's Associate Administrator for Field Operations, where he directed the Agency's regional programs through 10 field offices and 300 staff. Prior to this assignment, he was the Public Health Service's (PHS) Regional Health Administrator for New England (HHS Region I).

Dr. Shekar is a Public Health Leadership Institute alumnus, a former PHS Primary Care Policy Fellow, and has received two Secretary's Distinguished Service Awards. He is a Board-Certified Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine and holds a medical license in Maryland. He received his B.S., M.D. and M.P.H. degrees from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Shekar is a Rear Admiral and Assistant Surgeon General in the U.S. Public Health Service.

Go to: Key Staff Directory | HRSA | HHS