secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health ; Cynthia Persily , Ph . D ., secretary of the West Virginia Department of Human Services ; and Michael Caruso , secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health Facilities . Each began working with their respective departments on July 5 , 2023 , in preparation for the official transition .
Each new department will be structured as follows :
• The West Virginia 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 the Inspector General , Human Rights Commission , Developmental Disabilities Council , Advisory Council on Rare Diseases , Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and Early Intervention Interagency Coordinating Council .
• The West Virginia 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 , Office of Drug Control Policy , Commission to Study Residential Placement of Children , Family Protection Services Board , James “ Tiger ” Morton Catastrophic Illness Commission and Women ’ s Commission .
• The West Virginia 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 Office of Shared Administration , developed by the three cabinet secretaries in a memorandum of understanding , will provide shared services from centralized units such as finance , human resources management , management information services and constituent services .
Photo by Will Price .
Photo by Will Price .
Rethinking
HB 2006 was written and passed largely due to concerns over inefficiencies in the sizable department , and this reorganization provides a rare opportunity in government to create something new .
“ The restructuring of the DHHR provides us with an opportunity to work collaboratively to create a more focused , strategic and coordinated approach to health and human services ,” Persily says . “ This can lead to more comprehensive solutions for the people of West Virginia and improve their quality of life .”
In June , Young , Persily and Caruso provided members of the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability with updates on the restructuring process , including the identification of critical vacancies , concerns over the number of open positions , plans for financial review and potential improvements to the department ’ s health management information systems , among other things . However , the leaders asked for grace and flexibility during the massive undertaking .
The concern of any budget-conscious citizen or elected official is , of course , the cost of reorganizing and possibly expanding an already large agency and inadvertently adding additional levels of bureaucracy to health and social services access . HB 2006 was designed to be budget neutral by streamlining and eliminating several existing positions while establishing the new secretarial positions . The bill does not call for a mandatory reduction in jobs or services , and Young does not anticipate any job loss .
“ There are many job vacancies within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources , and it remains important to continue to fill vacant positions to ensure access to vital services for West Virginians . If warranted , additional positions may be added after an analysis of functions and outcomes by the secretaries and their teams ,” she says .
According to Young , the restructuring will also enable more efficient resource allocation , which should have positive fiscal effects .
“ With guidance from the Justice administration , resources can be directed toward the most critical priorities and programs , ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used more effectively to address key health and human services needs ,” she says .
WWW . WVEXECUTIVE . COM WINTER 2024 43