Cecile Erwin Young, Texas’ health commissioner who was appointed during one of the state’s earliest and worst waves of COVID-19 cases, is retiring. Her last day will be Jan. 2.

“This agency impacts every Texan, and I have been honored to serve the people of this state alongside our dedicated staff,” she said in a news release.

Gov. Greg Abbott will appoint her successor.

Young took the helm of the health and human services department with nearly 37,000 employees in August 2020, as it navigated the COVID-19 pandemic , a crisis in its foster care system , and ongoing criticism of its contracting procedures .

Under Young’s leadership, the foster care system has been stabilized somewhat, some regulatory requirements for care were changed to reduce the burden on medical providers

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