ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Gov. Martin O'Malley has named Dr. Laura Herrera to serve as Maryland's acting health secretary effective Jan. 1.
Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Maryland's current health secretary, is leaving at the end of the month. He announced in an email on Wednesday that Herrera will take his place until O'Malley's term ends Jan. 21.
Herrera is the deputy secretary for public health at the department.
Sharfstein will be joining the full-time faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in January.