Randy Yohe Published

Major Staffing Changes, Hiring Freeze Next Steps For DHHR Restructuring

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Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Bill Crouch announced Wednesday morning additional changes as a result of the organizationalstudy of DHHR by the McChrystal Group. The announcement follows notices this week promoting two DHHR upper level staffers to Deputy Secretary positions.

A press release notes that DHHR is centralizing the reporting structures of the staff who work in the job functions of Finance, Management Information Services, Human Resources Management and Purchasing.

Finance staff in each bureau and office will report to Tara Buckner, DHHR’s Chief Financial Officer. Technology staff will report to Shaun Charles, DHHR’s chief information officer. Purchasing staff will report to Warren Keefer, director of the Office of Administration. All human resources staff will report to Angie Ferris, DHHR’s director of the Office of Human Resources Management.

DHHR has also instituted a temporary hiring freeze. Positions of critical need will still be filled, but requests to hire must be approved by the respective Deputy Secretary and sent to the Office of Human Resources Management for review and final approval by the Secretary. Crouch said positions will still be filled like in Child and Adult Protective Services.

“That does not include CPS and APS workers and others in those areas,” Crouch said. “We have job fairs scheduled and our state facilities will not be impacted by this freeze.”

Crouch said the latest changes will help break down the department “Silos” that the study said has impeded communication and positive outcomes.

“DHHR has important work to do to help the residents of West Virginia,” Crouch said in the release. “We strongly believe that these organizational changes are steps in the right direction, and we will continue to make wise decisions going forward. By getting the right people in the right places, we continue the critically important work of the Department to meet the needs of both the people and the State of West Virginia.”

For more information on DHHR’s organizational changes, visithttps://dhhr.wv.gov/Pages/DHHR-Moving-Forward.aspx.