Justice names new DHHR cabinet secretaries
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May 26—Splitting up the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) has resulted in three new cabinet level positions.
Gov. Jim Justice said during his administration briefing Wednesday the new secretaries will do "phenomenal work."
Dr. Sherri Young, Associate Chief Medical Officer to the Vandalia Health Network, will be Secretary of the Department of Health; Cynthia Persily, PhD, Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences at the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, will head the Department of Human Services; and Michael Caruso, Healthcare consultant currently working with Orchard Park Hospital, will be Secretary of the Department of Health Facilities.
Young said the Department of Health will take a look at "what we have and what we need," taking advantage of everything in place that works well and seeing what else can be done.
"We have work to do," she said.
Persily said human services is vital because it serves the most vulnerable population in the state, dealing with children and families, including nutrition, health care and behavioral issues.
"Our goal to improve will begin with the quality of life for fellow West Virginians," she said. "I am ready to get to work."
Caruso said he is "grateful and honored" to be part of the new team.
"We have made incredible progress in DHHR, and the achievements have been remarkable because we are pulling the rope together," Justice said. "As we reorganize DHHR into three departments, I am confident that these cabinet secretaries will maintain the exceptional improvements we've made and continue to make us proud. There are so many positive things happening at DHHR, and we want to continue making things better as we transition to this new organizational structure. I am certain that our new cabinet secretaries will help us achieve that."
"I know you will do phenomenal work," Justice told the new secretaries.
Dr. Jeffrey Coben, Interim Cabinet Secretary for DHHR, will continue to assist during the reorganization process. Dr. Clay Marsh and Retired Major General James Hoyer will also continue to serve in advisory roles.
The DHHR, which has about 6,000 employees, has been the center of controversy for years related to efficiency in such a large department.
Justice ordered a study of the agency but did not take the advice of leaving the agency intact as the study recommended.
House Bill 2006 was passed during the 2023 legislative session to reorganize the DHHR into three separate departments, each overseen by its own cabinet-level secretary, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
All three new secretaries will begin working with their respective departments in the coming months in preparation for the January 1, 2024, official transition.
The Department of Health will include the Bureau for Public Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Center for Threat Preparedness, Health Care Authority, Office of Inspector General, and Human Rights Commission.
The Department of Human Services will include the Bureau for Behavioral Health, Bureau for Child Support Enforcement, Bureau for Family Assistance, Bureau for Medical Services, Bureau for Social Services, and Office of Drug Control Policy.
The Department of Health Facilities will include Hopemont Hospital, Jackie Withrow Hospital, John Manchin Sr. Health Care Center, Lakin Hospital, Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital, Welch Community Hospital, and William R. Sharpe, Jr. Hospital.
The three cabinet secretaries will also develop a memorandum of understanding to establish the Office of Shared Administration, which will provide shared services from centralized units such as finance, human resources management, management information services, and constituent services, according to Justice's Office.
— Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com
Contact Charles Boothe at cboothe@bdtonline.com
