New Mexico Senate confirms Gallagher as health secretary

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Senate has confirmed Lynn Gallagher as the head of the state's public health agency. The unanimous vote came during Wednesday's floor session. Gallagher has held the top spot at the state Health Department since March 2016 when she was appointed by Gov. Susana Martinez following the death of then-Secretary Retta Ward. Gallagher's resume included recent stints as deputy health secretary and general counsel for the Long-Term Services Department, after an early career in business and finance in New York and Florida. The department said Gallagher has been focused on addressing substance misuse, teen births, diabetes and obesity. Officials say teen birth rates in New Mexico have declined to their lowest level in decades, and the childhood obesity rate continues to trend downward.