Theresa Eagleson will step down as head of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services at the end of this year.
Lizzy Whitehorn, who currently serves as first assistant deputy governor for health and human services, will take over as director on Jan. 1, pending Senate confirmation.
The change is one of several announced Wednesday by Gov. JB Pritzker, who also said that Paula Basta will depart as director of the Department of Aging, as will Marc Smith as director of the Department of Children and Family Services.
“Despite the excellent quality of the candidates who will fill their shoes, their full impact on state government can never truly be articulated or replicated, and I thank them for their years of service,” Pritzker said in a statement.
Eagleson has led the department since January 2019.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to lead this wonderful team of professionals at HFS, and I am grateful to Gov. Pritzker for giving us the opportunity to create transformational change within the larger healthcare landscape in this state, especially for nursing home residents,” Eagleson said in a statement.
Whitehorn has been in her current role since 2019. Along with helping to lead the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pritzker said she also spearheaded the Children’s Behavioral Health Transformation Initiative.
“Over the last four-and-a-half years, I’ve worked closely with the health and human service agencies and seen firsthand the results of interagency cooperation and coordination—a system that works better those we serve,” Whitehorn said. “I’m honored to continue this work at HFS to increase access to affordable and equitable healthcare and support the millions of Illinoisans who rely on our Medicaid system every day.”
Pritzker said his administration will conduct a national search to find replacements for Basta and Smith.