Jefferson City - On January 13, 2025, Governor Mike Parson announced that Director Paula F. Nickelson will retire effective March 1, 2025, from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Her retirement brings a distinguished 25-year career at DHSS to a close. She will continue to serve as director of DHSS under Governor Mike Kehoe’s leadership until retirement.

“Director Nickelson’s career has been defined by her consistent willingness to accept challenges, lead others through tough times, and repeatedly step up whenever her state needed her,” Governor Parson said. “Paula has been a calming presence and problem solver throughout numerous public health challenges facing our state and nation, including 9/11 and COVID-19. After 25 years of dedicated work, the result of Paula’s efforts will be felt for a long time as we see healthier opportunities for everyone that calls this state home, no matter where they live. She has been a trusted advisor to Teresa and me, and we are proud to call her a friend.”

“Serving in this role has been the honor of my professional career,” Director Nickelson said. “My heart is full of pride for this team and the crucial work we have accomplished together on behalf of the Missourians we serve. I will remain a staunch advocate for public health and the state of Missouri in retirement.”

Director Nickelson ushered in major change at DHSS by leading the department through significant innovations and achievements during her tenure. Within one year of assuming the role, she announced the end of the COVID-19 pandemic in Missouri by transitioning the state’s response to an endemic state. Nickelson was also responsible for seeing through the department’s rebranding efforts, launching a new strategic plan, mission, and vision, and hiring multiple key leadership roles never before available, including the state’s first chief medical officer, chief health information officer, health economist, health policy analyst, and workforce director. Under her leadership the State Board of Health and Senior Services was re-established, the department achieved re-accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board, and the state’s first multi-agency laboratory campus began construction.

A priority area for Director Nickelson was rebuilding trust and relationships with the public, state and federal lawmakers, local public health agencies and Missouri’s health care stakeholder groups. By working alongside the Missouri legislature, Nickelson was able to secure significant policy changes that will improve the state’s health care landscape for years to come. This includes beginning to address the state’s health care workforce shortages with the publication of the first-ever public health and health care workforce recommendation report and establishment of a state strategy to increase physician residency slots, increasing state funding to Missouri’s historically-underfunded local public health agencies, and initiating a maternal mortality prevention plan.

Nickelson assured key data and technology efforts propelled the department into readiness for the coming decade. This work was inclusive of a comprehensive state data landscape assessment, and the implementation of new systems for vital records, infectious disease surveillance and multiple inspection efforts. She also focused on the adoption of a new model for public health in Missouri, which describes foundational programs and capabilities that must be available to every Missouri resident and in every community to assure the best opportunity for health.   

Director Nickelson was elected to represent Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska on the national stage as the Region VII director for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, and most recently to serve that organization as Secretary-Treasurer. She was a frequent presenter at a wide variety of national and international organizations on diverse issues impacting public health.

Director Nickelson has led DHSS since March 2022 when she was appointed by Governor Parson. Prior to serving as director, Nickelson held a variety of positions at DHSS and specialized in public health and health care management, emergency planning and response, chronic disease prevention, and maternal-child health.