Gov. Rick Scott announced this week that three veterans of state government will remain in his administration.
Scott announced Tuesday the retention of Elizabeth Dudek as secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA).
Secretary Dudek has been part of my team since the very beginning and I am confident she will continue to do an outstanding job as secretary, Scott said on Tuesday. Under her leadership, Florida has accomplished historic Medicaid reform and we have taken steps to provide our veterans with access to the best care possible. She has also done an outstanding job making sure our hospitals are prepared to respond to any potential case of Ebola. I know she will continue to be committed to improving health care for all Florida families.
It is an honor to have the opportunity to continue my service at AHCA, Dudek said. We work tirelessly each day so all Floridians have the opportunity to lead a healthy and safe life, and we will focus on accomplishing this goal each day.
Dudek was named by Scott to her current post in March 2011 after serving more than 20 years with AHCA, rising to the post of deputy secretary for the Division of Health Quality Assurance.
Earlier in the week Scott named Mike Carroll as secretary of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Carroll had been serving as interim secretary since April, after working in the department for 24 years.
Since April, Mike Carroll has provided strong leadership at the Department of Children and Families, Scott said. With over two decades of faithful service to Florida families, I am confident he will be an excellent DCF secretary. He brings a common-sense approach to the services the agency provides and he has a passion for serving Floridas most vulnerable children.
It is an honor to be named the secretary of the Department of Children and Families today, Carroll said. I am committed to our agencys mission that every Florida child can live in a healthy and safe home. We will continue to find ways to accomplish this goal and serve Florida families better each and every day.
During his almost quarter of a century with DCF, Carroll rose to the post of regional managing director for the SunCoast Region which stretches over 11 counties from Pasco County to Collier County.
Scott also announced on Tuesday that he was keeping Barbara Palmer as director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD). Palmer took over the post in August 2012 after serving as chief of staff for the agency for a year and, before that, working as an assistant secretary for administration at the Department of Children and Families.
I am happy to announce the reappointment of Barbara Palmer today, Scott said Tuesday. Under her leadership, APD has been able to eliminate the critical needs waitlist and Florida has also become the first state in the nation to guarantee disabled children of active-duty service members the chance to receive care while their parents are deployed in Florida. We are committed to providing every family with the opportunity to live the American dream, and I know Barbara will continue to make sure we work each day to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and their families.
This job is a true passion and I would like to thank Gov. Scott for the honor of todays reappointment, Palmer said. Our team at APD will continue to strive to serve Florida families and remain focused on our mission to make Florida the best state in the nation for every family.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
