McMaster names new Health and Human Services director

Gov. Henry McMaster has named Joshua Baker as the new director of the S.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Baker is currently the department’s operations director, a job that manages about $2 billion in claims for the state’s 46,000 Medicaid providers.

Baker previously was budget director under then-Gov. Nikki Haley and was the primary author of her 2016 and 2017 executive budgets. Baker began his career in the medical field while in the U.S. Army, working in clinical laboratories.

If confirmed by the state Senate, Baker will succeed former HHS director Christian Soura.

This story was originally published November 9, 2017 at 3:29 PM with the headline "McMaster names new Health and Human Services director."