DHEC chief resigns as coronavirus grips South Carolina; cites health, family reasons
South Carolina’s health department chief is resigning in the midst of a disease pandemic that has infected nearly 11,000 people, killed more than 400 and threatens thousands more state residents.
Rick Toomey, director of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, said Wednesday he has had his own physical challenges and wants to spend more time with his family.
Toomey’s resignation follows his decision in late March to take a leave of absence because of high blood pressure and heart problems. Toomey, 65, returned quietly several weeks later, but has kept a lower profile since his return.
Officials said he did not have the coronavirus then or now. The virus was first documented in South Carolina in early March.
Toomey, an affable former hospital administrator, took the helm at the agency in December 2018 after serving on the DHEC board as an appointee of Gov. Henry McMaster. The agency board had taken about 18 months to find a successor to the departed Catherine Heigel, finally settling on Toomey to lead the agency after a national search.
“With my recent health experience, that is under control and doing well, it made me take a step back to assess where I want to be in my life at this point in time,’’ Toomey said during a special DHEC board meeting. Toomey said the “commitment of being in Columbia five days a week was tough.’’
Toomey, a Greenville native who lives in Beaufort County, said he has some remorse in leaving, but the job of public health is never done. He said he wants to enjoy time with his new grandchild.
“There is a sense that the mission hasn’t been completed,’’ Toomey said. “But I’m not sure the mission of public health and environmental affairs is ever completed. We always have challenges, there’s always things out there that need to be monitored, regulated, embraced. So there is not a sense of complete abandonment, but there is a sense that … maybe I could have stayed a little bit longer.’’
There was no indication Wednesday that Toomey was forced to leave. Board members and McMaster heaped praise on his efforts at DHEC.
“You’ve been an outstanding individual,’’ board chairman Mark Elam said. “It will be a tough time to find someone capable of replacing you.’’
DHEC’s chief counsel, Marshall Taylor, will run the agency until a new director is found. Toomey’s last day will be June 10. Elam said the board will begin a new search for a director. When a new director is hired, that person will become the fourth DHEC chief since 2012.
The next director faces an array of challenges, but none greater than dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The disease continues to kill people daily, while infecting others. DHEC is in charge of advising the public how to avoid infection, testing people suspected of having the virus and seeking adequate funding and supplies from the state Legislature.
As director, Toomey won support from some lawmakers, who have applauded his openness, easy going manner and willingness to work with them. But his agency — one of the state’s largest — also has faced intense scrutiny over its handling of the coronavirus crisis since early March.
The agency’s COVID-19 response has drawn criticism, particularly the initially slow release of information about clusters of positive case and about nursing home outbreaks. Some lawmakers have expressed concern that the agency was not moving fast enough to test people for the virus, although DHEC said it had difficulty getting testing supplies in March. Others have expressed concern about the agency using an app to help trace potential outbreaks.
But the department has more recently begun putting additional data before the public about the coronavirus in South Carolina and it has scrambled to hire hundreds of contact tracers to track the virus in coming months.
One of DHEC’s biggest challenges now is protecting public health as the state reopens for business. Beaches have been jammed with vacationers, as have stores, since McMaster eased restrictions in recent weeks. But the agency has continued to say it is important for people to stay out of crowds and wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus.
DHEC is among South Carolina’s largest agencies, with more than 3,300 employees and a total budget that exceeds $600 million. The agency is one of the few combined health and environmental agencies in the country, meaning its programs touch most South Carolina residents in some way.
The department issues birth certificates, tracks water and air quality, oversees waste dumps, issues permits for businesses as diverse as tattoo parlors and restaurants to big industries, and operates health departments across the state. In its role as the state’s chief health agency, DHEC has been heavily involved in South Carolina’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Several lawmakers said the department’s response to coronavirus wasn’t ideal, but they are generally pleased DHEC has taken the proper steps during the crisis. Some said Toomey had done a solid job, despite working at DHEC for less than 18 months.
“This has been unprecedented, so I think, as far as dealing with this, they have worked with the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the appropriate officials to give the best guidance, direction and protocols,’’ said Sen. Thomas Alexander, an Oconee County Republican who chairs a subcommittee that oversees DHEC’s budget.
Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Richland, said one of DHEC’s biggest problems with its COVID-19 response — and other issues — is the lack of funding provided by the Legislature. Records show the agency has 1,000 fewer positions overall today than it did in 2008, before a devastating recession resulted in cuts to many state agencies.
“Given what they’ve got, I’d give them a C-plus,’’ Harpootlian said. “When you decimate state agencies like DHEC, this is what you get when you need them the most.’’
Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, said he would have preferred to see more coronavirus testing sooner, but overall, Toomey did a solid job at DHEC.
“In recent weeks, they have really stepped up their game,’’ Davis said of the department.
The pressure and long hours appeared to have had an effect on Toomey.
In late March, as the coronavirus was spreading across South Carolina, Toomey announced he would take a leave of absence because of problems with high blood pressure. Battling a heart condition and elevated blood pressure, Toomey took several weeks off in an attempt to improve the medication he was taking.
While Toomey’s tenure at DHEC was dominated by the COVID-19 crisis, he also had taken steps to focus on improving the crumbling water and sewer systems found in small communities. Many small South Carolina utilities face challenges providing quality water because they are strapped for cash, expertise and manpower.
This story was originally published May 27, 2020 at 5:30 PM.
