SC Director of Health Human Services resigns

Columbia, SC (WOLO) — After three years as the Director for the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Joshua Baker is stepping down. He was appointed to the position by Governor McMaster in 2017 and says his resignation will be effective January 11, 2021.

Governor McMaster release a statement about Baker having served the state over the past three years saying,

“Director Baker has served our state with distinction in several capacities for nearly a decade, and he will leave the Department of Health and Human Services better than it was when he arrived,”…“Over the past three years, he has simultaneously prioritized the health of South Carolinians and the financial health of our state as a whole. His leadership and expertise have served our people well and will be missed.”

In his letter of resignation , Baker writes in part,

“Over the past three years, we have fixed material weaknesses in our state’s Medicaid Eligibility and enrollment systems, implemented four major modules of the agency’s aging software infrastructure, maintained a strong financial position, and received federal approval for three waivers – two under the Healthy Connections Community Engagement Initiative and the Palmetto Coordinated System of Care – to improve the lives and health outcomes of South Carolinians,”

Governor McMaster says he will work along side state healthcare leaders and members of the General Assembly to help him through the process of assisting him in their search for the next Director of SCDHHS.

Click here for a complete look at Director Baker’s  Letter of Resignation