(C) Daily Montanan This story was originally published by Daily Montanan and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Adam Meier out at state health department; Gianforte health policy advisor to take over in August – Daily Montanan [1] ['Keith Schubert', 'More From Author', '- June'] Date: 2022-06-30 Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Adam Meier will be leaving his post on August 12, and the Governor’s health policy advisor will take over leading the department, according to a Thursday press release from the Governor’s office. Meier will be transitioning out of his role due to “an ongoing family health issue,” the Governor’s office said. Charlie Brereton, who currently serves as Chief of Staff of DPHHS, a new position created by Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration, will take over for Meier. Brereton is also Gianforte’s health policy advisor. “Adam’s expertise, leadership, and heart for public service have been outstanding assets to our administration and the people of Montana,” Gov. Gianforte said in the press release. “Under Adam’s leadership, DPHHS has closed critical gaps in treatment for Montanans struggling with addiction, reorganized itself to better serve the people of Montana, and promoted the role of parents as the ultimate decision makers on matters pertaining to the health of their children – all while leading the state’s response to a global pandemic. I appreciate his many contributions and innovative ideas.” A spokesperson for DPHHS did not immediately respond to questions about Meier’s family issues. Meier took over leadership of DPPHS in February after serving as Kentucky’s cabinet secretary for Health and Family Services. In Kentucky, he also held the position of deputy chief of staff for policy under former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, a Republican. Meier was at the center of the state’s COVID-19 response, and Gianforte specifically praised Meier’s role in implementing House Bill 702, which prohibits discrimination based on vaccination status. During his time, Meier also faced several challenges, including the loss of federal funding at the state psychiatric hospital after a federal investigation found the hospital was out of step with federal guidelines, leading to the death of four patients in five months. Meier called his departure an “unexpected turn” in his tenure as director. “Despite navigating many challenges, I am proud of what we’ve accomplished during the first 18 months of the Gianforte administration. DPHHS is well positioned to continue addressing issues that have long plagued the health and human services ecosystem here in Montana. While this is an unexpected turn in my tenure as director, I have the utmost confidence that our progress will continue under Charlie’s leadership,” he said in the release. Brereton, who will take over for Meier on August 12, has served as the Governor’s chief counselor on health and human services matters since January 2021. Gianforte pointed to his trust in Brereton as a reason for the selection. “Adam’s right hand and my trusted health policy advisor in the Governor’s office for the last 18 months, Charlie will make an exceptional director of our state’s largest agency,” Gianforte said in the release. DPPHS is one of the state’s largest agencies overseeing 13 divisions. Before serving under Gianforte, Brereton, who has a Bachelor of Arts from George Washington University, worked for several members of Congress and specialized in national health care matters. Most recently, before joining the Gianforte administration, he served on a select health policy team for former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-TN, who chaired the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. And he has served as a public policy advisor in the health care practice of the global law firm Squire Patton Boggs LLP. In the release, Brereton said he looks forward to taking on the new role. “It’s an honor to serve the people of Montana as director of DPHHS and build upon the progress we’ve made to efficiently and effectively serve Montanans, expand their access to high-quality, affordable health care, and promote their health, well-being, self-reliance, and freedoms,” Brereton said. “Our work has only begun, and I look forward to driving the administration’s health and human services objectives alongside [END] --- [1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/2022/06/30/adam-meier-out-at-state-health-department-gianforte-health-policy-advisor-to-take-over-in-august/ Published and (C) by Daily Montanan Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/montanan/