Longtime Texas Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Cecile Erwin Young is set to retire in the new year, Governor Greg Abbott's office announced. Young, who has been with the agency almost four decades, will step down on January 2, 2026. In a statement obtained by the Office of the Texas Governor's website, Abbott praised the Commissioner's "lifelong dedication to improving the health and well-being of Texans."
“Commissioner Young served Texas selflessly for almost four decades, and her lifelong dedication to improving the health and well-being of Texans is unmatched,” said Governor Abbott. The role Young played at the helm of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission saw efforts to stabilize the system's operations, an increase in transparency, and notable reforms to the Commission's regulatory framework. Under her watch, HHSC also secured a 10-year federal Medicaid 1115 Transformation Waiver extension aimed to support the state's health care safety net, as reported by the Office of the Texas Governor.
Commissioner Young herself spoke of the honor she felt serving Texans and working with dedicated staff. “This agency impacts every Texan, and I have been honored to serve the people of this state alongside our dedicated staff,” Young told the Office of the Texas Governor's website.
Young's tenure is marked by a series of substantial changes within the agency, including an overhaul of the Medicaid managed care procurement process. A focus on maternal health led to the implementation of several improvements in that area. Commissioner's direction was pivotal to not just the development of the agency's first artificial intelligence policy but also the significant expansion and renovation of state psychiatric hospitals, as per the Office of the Texas Governor.
While details on Young's successor remain undisclosed, the Office of the Texas Governor indicates an announcement regarding the new Executive Commissioner will come at a later date. Cecile Erwin Young's legacy, shaped by nearly four decades of public service, encompasses a range of advancements in Texas' health care infrastructure and policy that will continue to impact the state's residents well beyond her retirement.
