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CHARLESTON -- A healthcare executive for one of West Virginia's largest assisted living providers whose previous employer is now an adviser for Gov. Jim Justice will be the new chief operating officer for the Department of Health of Human Resources.
According to DHHR, Jessica Hudson was hired as the beleaguered department's new COO to be effective Monday, Jan. 9. Hudson's appointment is one of three new appointments made by DHHR since last week as part of the $1 million McChrystal Group's organizational assessment and strategic plan for DHHR.
As chief operating officer, Hudson will oversee the Office of Human Resources, the Office of Finance, the Office of Management Information Services, the Office of Administration and the Office of Constituent Services.
"I am confident in Jessica's vast experience as a healthcare leader," DHHR Cabinet Secretary Bill Crouch said in a statement. "By creating this new position, we will be establishing a direct line of oversight and communication with our administrative support offices to ensure successful and cross-functional outcomes. We will continue to eliminate some of the silos that have developed over the years by placing the right people in leadership positions."
DHHR announced a new reporting structure last week for staff who work in finance, management information services, human resources management and purchasing in DHHR's bureaus. Instead of reporting to their bureau commissioners, those employees will report directly to the offices Hudson will oversee.
Hudson was the chief financial officer and director of mergers and acquisition for Stonerise Healthcare LLC. She worked for Stonerise since 2007 as vice president of revenue and operations, taking on the CFO role in 2013.
"I look forward to using my knowledge and experience from the private health care sector as the Chief Financial Officer leading more than 3,000 team members in enterprise operations, human resources and financial affairs in my new position at DHHR," Hudson said. "I am very excited to join Team DHHR as a public servant and appreciate Secretary Crouch's confidence in me."
Stonerise, a senior transitional care company with 17 facilities in West Virginia and Ohio, was previously owned by Larry Pack, a former one-term Republican member of the House of Delegates representing Kanawha County. Pack, one of the state's two representatives in the Republican National Committee, sold Stonerise in July to CommuniCare Health Services. Pack co-founded Stonerise and served as its chief executive officer.
Justice announced Pack's employment as a senior adviser in August. Pack joined Roman Stauffer, Justice's senior adviser for federal affairs and outreach, as part of the team advising the governor as he finishes up the last nearly two years of his final term.
Prior to July, Pack also had business connections to Crouch. According to the West Virginia Secretary of State's Office, Pack and Crouch were listed as officers in So Park LLC. The LLC was first filed in 1995 and is listed under the category of real estate and rental and leasing. But the LLC was dissolved in July, the same month that Pack sold Stonerise.
DHHR has come under scrutiny over the last year, with Justice vetoing a bill that would have required DHHR be split into two departments. Instead, Justice called for a top-to-bottom review of DHHR, with the McChrystal Group winning a $1 million contract to create an organizational assessment and strategic plan for DHHR.
Far from a top-to-bottom review, lawmakers have expressed dissatisfaction with the McChrystal Group report which recommended the creation of three new deputy secretary positions, integration teams to facilitate better communication, and other upper management changes.
DHHR appointed Christina Mullins, the commissioner for DHHR's Bureau for Behavioral Health, as the deputy secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders overseeing the Bureau for Behavioral Health and the Office of Drug Control Policy. Nicholas Stuchell, the general counsel of DHHR's Bureau for Behavioral Health and the Office of Drug Control Policy, was appointed Wednesday as the interim commissioner of the Bureau for Behavioral Health.
Cammie Chapman, DHHR's associate general counsel, was appointed as the deputy secretary of Child and Adult Services, overseeing DHHR's Bureau for Child Support and Bureau for Social Services. The remaining position to be filled is deputy secretary for Access and Eligibility who will oversee the bureaus for Family Assistance and Medical Services.