CHARLESTON, WV – Gov. Jim Justice announced today that he has received the organizational review of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) conducted by the McChrystal Group LLC, of Alexandria, VA.

In March 2022, Gov. Justice vetoed HB 4020, which would have split the DHHR into two different agencies. At the Governor’s direction, the McChrystal Group was hired to complete a top-to-bottom review of DHHR to identify its issues, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies. Consultants with the McChrystal Group spent the last few months embedded, physically and virtually, in DHHR and spent hundreds of hours with various department staff.

The report concludes: “To improve West Virginia’s health and human services outcomes, the status quo is not an option; DHHR requires bold organizational change. After completing this organization assessment and strategic plan, the McChrystal Team disagrees that splitting DHHR into two separate departments is the option that will provide the desired results. Instead, the McChrystal Team recommends that DHHR remain a single department and focus all improvement efforts – to both structure and process – around the strategic plan designed to address the highest priorities within West Virginia’s environment.”

You can read the full McChrystal Group report here.

“When I vetoed House Bill 4020, I committed to making our DHHR the best it can be so that our most vulnerable West Virginians are served with the highest degree of care,” Gov. Justice said. “I made the right decision to veto this bill in March 2022, and these national experts have confirmed my decision with their report.

“I have directed Secretary Crouch and his leadership team to immediately implement the McChrystal Group’s recommendations. They will do so in an effective and efficient way and will ensure there is no lapse in any vital support or services for the West Virginians who rely on the DHHR. I will also work closely with the Legislature on changes to laws or funding that may be necessary to implement these changes.

“I sincerely thank the McChrystal Group for their work on this report, and for their expertise in analyzing this important agency. I have the utmost faith in the great West Virginians who are employed by DHHR to rally together as a team and make the necessary changes to be a better organization for our state.”