Justice names three new cabinet secretaries as DHHR moves ahead with division

Gov. Jim Justice named three new cabinet secretaries to lead the agencies being carved out of the Department of Health and Human Resources.

The governor named Dr. Sherri Young as secretary of the newly-established Department of Health, Dr. Cynthia Persily as secretary of the Department of Human Services and Michael Caruso as secretary of the Department of Health Facilities.

Justice called the appointments “really, really great stuff.”

West Virginia lawmakers passed House Bill 2006 to divide the enormous DHHR after months of consideration, and it has now gone into effect.

The full division of the agency isn’t supposed to take effect until 2024, so the secretaries are coming aboard to start preparing.

“I’ve said it 15,000 times but I welcome and I have always welcomed any way that we could possibly put something together to get better,” Justice said today. “I truly think we’re on a pathway to significantly make things better in DHHR.”

Jeff Coben

Dr. Jeffrey Coben, who has been acting secretary of DHHR, welcomed the new cabinet secretaries, saying he looks forward to assisting with the leadership transition in coming weeks.

“I believe we have some very strong, positive momentum at DHHR, and I’m very proud of the things we’ve been able to accomplish over these last several months,” Coben said.

Coben clarified, in response to a WV News question, that the appointments are ongoing rather than acting positions.

“The new cabinet secretary appointments can be made any time after the bill becomes effective,” Coben said.

“So I think the governor and his team have done a great job of appointing the new designated secretaries for each of the departments as quickly as possible so that over the course of the next six months they can work together to delineate the new structure as it moves forward in 2024 across the three departments.”

He described continued efforts to recruit and retain workers in the child welfare system, investments in technology and a focus on partnerships with community organizations.

“I’m extremely excited about the current department and the three new departments that we’ll be building together over the next several months,” Coben said.

 

Sherri Young

Young, former chief of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, said she is excited to get started.

“I want to take a look at what we have and what we need and try to help bolster what we have so we can address diabetes and other health issues such as heart disease and making sure that people have the healthcare that they need,” Young said.

“As a physician, I can tell you that being in a physician’s office and getting your medications — that’s 20 percent of what helps a person to become healthy. The other 80 percent is where they eat, where they are able to get their healthcare, if they have transportation. We have work to do.”

 





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