Washington’s new DSHS Secretary Angela Ramirez reflects on her transition from federal policymaking to state service, her first-week crisis responding to a fatal shooting at Eastern State Hospital, and the rapid-fire federal mandates reshaping SNAP, Medicaid and the state’s safety-net programs. She discusses her California upbringing, early comedy-writing detour, and leadership philosophy grounded in collaboration and calm under pressure. The interview explores challenges from HR 1, workforce shortages, behavioral-health capacity, and DSHS’s role in serving Washington’s most vulnerable residents.
