Policy & Practice February 2015

our do’ers profile

In Our Do’ers Profile, we highlight some of the hardworking and talented individuals in public human services. This issue features WilliamA. Hazel, Jr. , Secretary of Health and Human Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Name: William A. Hazel Jr., MD, aka “Doctor Secretary”

we are working to align and integrate programs to provide more effec- tive, more efficient, and higher value services. This is a work in process and it probably never will end, but we have made sufficient progress that deserves acknowledgment. Some specific accomplishments include establishing our HHR technology infrastructure, along with gover- nance and data-sharing processes, that is allowing us to completely replace our eligibility systems; helping our Medicaid team implement sig- nificant reforms that have improved our services and reduced our costs; working with the Department of Justice to reach an agreement on devel- opment of community-based services for our populations with intellectual and developmental disabilities; and improving our services to youth at risk. I would be remiss if I did not include my appointment as Secretary of Health and Human Resources for a second term. This is truly something that I am very proud of. Future Challenges for the Delivery of Public Services: Our world is so complicated that the biggest challenge is how to tell our story so that the public and our legis- lators will support our work over the

long term. We are constantly working to refine our message.

Title: Secretary of Health and Human Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia Years of Service: Five

We must be able to state a vision and then to break it into terms that mean something to the folks who deal with the issues at the local level. What are we trying to do? How do we know if we are successful? What defines a job well done? And how much does all this cost? The vision itself must answer the question: “Why do we do it?” All of this requires a level of manage- ment discipline, alignment of goals and activities, intra-agency cooperation, data and data analytics, and measure- ment that, historically, we have not had. Little Known Facts About Me: I grew up on a farm in Fauquier County, Va., and never had a job off of the farm until college. I studied civil engineering in college but switched to medicine after my first knee surgery. Outside Interests: I am an avid reader and no weekend is complete without doing at least two crossword puzzles. Like a lot of people, I pretend to golf but talk about it more than I play it. Cindy (my wife) and I like to take long walks and travel although we do not get the opportunity to much of either. And did I mention that we have a very sweet granddaughter?

Rewards of the Job: There is no doubt that the best part of being secretary is being surrounded by great people. From my team in the office along with our great agency heads and staff, to my colleagues in the Cabinet and the Governor’s office, and to folks from around the com- monwealth with whom I have had the pleasure of meeting and working, there are so many good people who are striving to do the right things for our citizens daily. I get to travel around our beautiful and diverse state, learn our history and culture, and sample the local products. It really does not get much better. Accomplishments Most Proud Of: We have made tremen- dous strides in Health and Human Resources (HHR) to integrate our “cylinders of excellence” into a united team executing a citizen-centric program. In other words, while we are not necessarily breaking down the silos that serve their purposes,

Ourworld is so complicated that the biggest challenge is how to tell our story so that the public and our legislatorswill support ourwork over the long term.We are constantlyworking to refine ourmessage.

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