Paul Mango, a senior health official during President-elect Donald Trump’s first term who was a member of Trump’s current transition team, has died at 65.
Mango was the deputy chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 2019 to 2021 under the Trump administration. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he served as HHS Secretary Alex Azar’s formal liaison to Operation Warp Speed where he was involved in the effort to accelerate the development of new vaccines and medicines to combat the coronavirus in the early days of the pandemic.
Just prior to that post, he served as the chief of staff at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). He unsuccessfully ran for governor of Pennsylvania, losing in the 2018 Republican primary.
“Paul was a mentor and friend who dedicated his life to serving his country, who led a life of amazing accomplishment, and who will be dearly missed,” said Brian Blase, president of the Paragon Health Institute, where Mango held a volunteer advisory role.
“Professionally, Paul’s unmatched leadership and management skills and attention to detail were instrumental in the success of Operation Warp Speed, saving many Americans’ lives,” Blase said.
“We remember Paul for his kindness, sincerity, and his dedication to making life better for all Americans,” the Paragon Health Institute said in a post on LinkedIn.
Mango authored a book chronicling the efforts to rapidly produce a COVID vaccine, “Warp Speed: Inside the Operation That Beat COVID, the Critics, and the Odds.”
The cause of death has not been publicly disclosed. Mango was married to Dawn Rucker and had five daughters.
In a LinkedIn post, Azar wrote, “Paul was instrumental in the creation and success of Operation Warp Speed, which saved millions of American lives. He was quite simply one of the finest human beings I’ve ever known. He was a servant leader in every respect in the finest tradition of the U.S. Army in which he so proudly served, never seeking personal fame or glory but only caring about the team and the result. We should all aspire to be more like Paul. All of my prayers go out to Dawn and the girls on this tragic day.”
Mango was working on the Trump transition team but was not named to a role within the new administration. He reportedly was in consideration for CMS administrator. In a recent interview with Staff Writer Noah Tong, Mango detailed how the new Trump coalition may go after the entrenched healthcare system.
He was tapped to be the CEO of new startup Longitude Health, an innovation consortium launched by four major health systems. Longitude Health is a for-profit holding company wholly and equally owned by the systems, which have committed to investing “tens of millions of dollars a year” collectively, Mango told Fierce Healthcare in October.
Many healthcare leaders responded to the news of Mango’s passing.
Zahy Abou-Atme, partner at McKinsey & Company, wrote on LinkedIn: “Yesterday we lost a giant of a man- Paul Mango, a force, a leader, a mentor, and a patriot who left a mark on everyone fortunate enough to cross his path, as well as the country he served so passionately. Those of us privileged to work with him will remember him for his drive and storytelling and his ability to inspire greatness in those around him. When Paul entered a room, his presence commanded respect, and everyone rose to their best.”
“I often find myself asking, ‘What would Paul do?’ It’s a question that will continue to guide me as I strive to embody the principles of leadership, dedication, and purpose that defined him,” Abou-Atme wrote.
Bob Kocher, venture capitalist at Venrock, wrote, “He was my first mentor at McKinsey and taught me a great deal about hospitals, business, and being a leader. While we have may differ on the exact ways to change health policies – I never had a doubt that we were both trying to achieve the same goals of a more affordable, higher quality, and more accessible health system. He was a patriotic servant leader. Great at synthesizing, problem solving, and getting things done. His work on warp speed contributed to saving millions of lives. I will miss him as well all of those who got to work with him.”
Before joining the government in 2018, Mango spent close 25 years at McKinsey & Company’s Health Care Practice both in the U.S. and globally. He started his professional career as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army, serving both in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and the 8th Infantry Division in Germany.
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