Update — Dec. 22, 3:54 p.m.
Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy announced Tuesday that he’s splitting the state’s health department in two.
He and Alaska Department of Health and Social Services Commissioner Adam Crum say the department is too big, too unwieldy and needs sharpened focus to better serve Alaskans.
Crum said his department has more than 3,500 employees, the largest in the state.
“We are operating under the tyranny of time,” Crum said. “There is just not enough time and bandwidth in the day for the commissioner’s office and staff to do anything other than move from fire to fire and crisis to crisis.”
Dunleavy’s plan is to create two new state agencies through an executive order.
One would be the Department of Family and Community Services, it’s focus would be protecting vulnerable Alaskans. That means the Division of Juvenile Justice, the Office of Children’s Services, the Alaska Psychiatric Institute and the Alaska Pioneer Homes management would be nested under it.
The second agency will be the Department of Health, it will include the Senior & Disabilities Services, Behavioral Health, Public Health, Public Assistance and Health Care Services divisions.
Beyond those agency divisions, it’s not clear how the reorganization will work. The executive order hasn’t been drafted yet, and Dunleavy said he doesn’t know how much it would cost.
“We don’t feel there really is going to be a cost,” he said. “As a matter of fact, we believe that over time the division — probably a short period of time — the dividing out of these two departments will result in better services delivered which will then result in, we think, more efficiencies and less call upon the Legislature, for example, for more resources to patch holes in the organization of the department because of less oversight, less management.”
But, he said he doesn’t think anyone working for the health department currently needs to worry about keeping their jobs.
“We don’t see any need for reapplication, the individuals that are in the programs, in the divisions will stay where they are, will do the jobs that they are,” he said.
It’s not clear how long the process will take. According to documentation on the governor’s website, if the executive order goes into effect, Gov. Dunleavy will need to appoint a new commissioner who will then need to be confirmed by the Legislature.
The state is soliciting questions about the reorganization, you can send yours to dhssreorg@alaska.gov.
Update — Dec. 22, 2:20 p.m.
By executive order, Gov. Mike Dunleavy said he will create two new state agencies. One, the Department of Family and Community Services will include the Division of Juvenile Justice, the Office of Children’s Services, the Alaska Psychiatric Institute and the Alaska Pioneer Homes
The second agency will be a Department of Health. That department will include the Senior & Disabilities Services, Behavioral Health, Public Health, Public Assistance and Health Care Services divisions.
Dunleavy said the idea is to provide better services for Alaskans as the department has continued to grow.
Original post — Dec. 22, 2:00 p.m.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy and members of his administration will discuss a reorganization plan for Alaska’s Department of Health and Social Services at 2 p.m. today.
Dunleavy will be joined by DHSS Commissioner Adam Crum, Deputy Commissioner Heather Carpenter and special assistant Suzanne Cunningham.
The State’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anne Zink will also give the latest update on the state’s vaccination program. Acting Attorney General Ed Sniffen will also attend the meeting.
There are currently two vaccinations for COVID-19 circulating in Alaska, one from the company Pfizer and the other from Moderna. Both require two doses.
According to a health department media release, 5,674 doses of the Pfizer vaccine have been administered in the state, out of the total 35,100 the state got. Alaska should be getting 26,800 doses of the Moderna vaccine — that doesn’t count vaccines allocated to Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense personnel operating in the state.
As those vaccines pour into the state, questions about who should get them and when are being decided Gov. Mike Dunleavy who has the ultimate authority. But, so far, the state has been following recommendations from a new advisory committee largely made up of health care providers, saying they’re best-suited to consider the science and data around the vaccine.
Right now, first in line are hospital-based front-line health care workers who are frequently exposed to COVID-19 patients and long-term care facility residents and staff, front-line emergency medical and fire personnel, community health aides and health care workers who are providing vaccines. According to a state media release, the next phase of treatment is expected to start Jan. 4 and will include other healthcare workers and those who provide personal care or home and community-based services. There will be a public comment meeting over the state’s plan for who should be next in line on Dec. 28. Details on that meeting can be found here.
Dunleavy’s administration is also expected to give an update on federal COVID -19 relief legislation.
You can stream the conference here or on the Governor’s Facebook page.
