INDIANAPOLIS, IN - A new commission will recommend improvements to Indiana's public health system, which state officials say continues to be the state's "Achilles' heel."

The 15-member Governor's Public Health Commission was established in a new executive order issued by Governor Eric Holcomb. It will examine the state's preparedness for health emergencies, funding plans, governance models at the state and local levels, data collection measures, and adolescent health care access.

The announcement comes during an upswing in COVID-19 cases, but Holcomb made clear the mission of the body will not be limited to the pandemic.

The group's goal is to make recommendations for changes that can be shared with the Indiana General Assembly and enacted through new policy during the 2023 legislative session. Holcomb acknowledged ways in which the state has already addressed problem areas, such as infant mortality, but conceded that much more needs to be done.

It will be led by former state senator Luke Kenley and Dr. Judy Monroe , who heads the CDC Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization that supports the work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.