Commissioner to Leave HHSC over contracting scandal as Deputy Takes Over
Kyle Janek, the head of the state’s embattled Health and Human Services Commission, will step down July 1 and be replaced by his deputy, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday.
Abbott announced that Chris Traylor, who had been poised to retire from the health agency, will take over for Janek. Traylor is a former commissioner of the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services.
“I thank Dr. Janek for his years of dedication and service to the state of Texas,” Abbott said in a statement. “I look forward to working with Chris Traylor to make needed reforms to ensure that the millions of Texans who rely on the vital services HHSC performs are able to have the utmost trust in the agency."
News of Janek's departure came the same day Abbott announced he had signed into law legislation aimed at cleaning up the agency, which has been dogged by a contracting scandal. Government-issued reports have been sharply critical of Janek's leadership, and lawmakers have called for him to step down.
Read more: http://www.texastribune.org/2015/06/05/source-janek-leave-hhsc-former-deputy-takes-over/