Governor Ducey clearly did little to determine the interest that DHS director had in staying on as Directon of the Department of Health services. In what is now characterized as a surprise move, Dept of Health Services Director Will Humble submitted his resignation a little more than a month after Governor Ducey named him to continue running the agency.
Humble announced that effective March 3, he will be leaving the agency. In his letter Ducey wrote, “Our agency is in good shape as I prepare to transition from this position.” Humble also highlighted the department’s major accomplishments. Humble said that during his term, the department improved the state’s ability to respond to communicable disease outbreaks, reduced obesity, smoking rates and teen pregnancy rates, and developed a modern trauma system in rural Arizona.
In a separate memo to DHS staffers, Humble said they have a lot to be proud of as the agency has made “literally hundreds” of system improvements – from making it more convenient and quicker to get a birth certificate to saving hundreds of lives with its cardiac arrest initiatives. “Improving public health outcomes really does take a village,” he said, noting the work and commitment of other stakeholders in Arizona’s health system.
“Careers have a life cycle. Figuring out when it’s time to turn the page and to move on to something else is a hard thing to do. That time has come for me. After a lot of thinking, I’ve decided that it’s time for me to move on to something else,” he said, adding he doesn’t have any exact professional plans yet. However, Humble has been at the forefront of the state’s transition toward medical marijuana following the initiative’s passage in 2010.
“Governor Ducey greatly appreciates Director Humble’s service to the state and his assistance during the governor’s transition. He wishes him all the best in his next endeavor,” gubernatorial spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said. Brewer appointed Humble, a veteran at the Department of Health Services, as the agency’s director in 2009. Since joining the agency in 1992 he has held many key positions at the agency.
Governor Ducey now has an opportunity to make one more critical Departmental appointment.