Fallin Names Cline Secretary Of HHS

Secretary of Health & Human Services
Dr. Terry Cline

Governor Fallin today announced she has selected Dr. Terry Cline to serve as secretary of health and human services.

Cline will remain commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

In his role as secretary, he will serve as the governor’s liaison to health and human services agencies in Oklahoma.

“Dr. Cline is a qualified health care professional and an experienced administrator who is committed to accountability and improving the effectiveness of our state health and human services agencies,” Fallin said. “Throughout his career, Dr. Cline has participated and overseen innovative programs that encourage healthier living and address many of the health challenges that confront our state. I know he will be a great help as we work together to address these issues.”

Cline was appointed commissioner of health in 2009 by the Oklahoma State Board of Health. He previously served as a health attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in the administrations of both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama.

In 2004, he was appointed secretary of health by former Governor Brad Henry.

“The governor has told me how important it is to her to improve the effectiveness of health and human services in Oklahoma,” Cline said. “I’m honored she has chosen me to be a part of the team and I’m ready to get to work.”

Cline previously served as an administrator for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency committed to improving accountability, capacity and effectiveness in the nation’s substance abuse and mental health service delivery systems.

Cline also has served as a local provider as clinical director of the Cambridge Youth Guidance Center in Cambridge, Mass., and as a staff psychologist at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass. Additionally, he was a clinical instructor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and chairman of the governing board for a Harvard teaching hospital in Cambridge, Mass.

Dr. Cline is an Ardmore native and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Oklahoma. He earned both a master’s degree and doctorate in clinical psychology from Oklahoma State University.

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