CHARLESTON — State Chief Health Officer Dr. Rahul Gupta spent his last day on the job Wednesday.
Gupta will take over next week as the senior vice president and chief medical and health officer of the March of Dimes, an announcement that came back in September.
Gupta said Wednesday he’s been busy transitioning out since that announcement.
“We’ve just tried to make sure that we don’t miss a beat with my departure. Things have been done to great satisfaction,” Gupta said.
State Department of Health and Human Resources Secretary Bill Crouch announced Wednesday Dr. Cathy Slemp would be the interim chief health officer beginning Thursday. She was acting chief health officer from 2002 to 2011.
There are 130 programs under the Bureau of Public Health.
“Cathy’s prior experience as State Health Officer and her many years with the Department offer a unique perspective to hit the ground running on day one,” Crouch said in a news release. “I am confident her wealth of experience will serve the public health needs of West Virginia. We are so pleased to welcome Cathy back to DHHR and appreciate her willingness to serve in this interim role.”Gupta, who has been the state’s chief health officer since 2015, previously said he was looking forward to the new challenge.
“I’m pleased to be joining March of Dimes, an organization that’s fighting for the health of all families, no matter who they are, where they live or what they can afford,” Gupta said.
Gupta came to West Virginia from Nashville in 2009. His first job was as the chief executive and medical director at the Kanawha/Charleston Health Department. He led the organization through an H1N1 scare, a controversial indoor smoking ban implementation and the response to the 2014 chemical spill and drinking water emergency. The opioid crisis has dominated his time as chief health officer, a job he took three years ago.
Gupta said Wednesday a lot of people suffered during the 2014 water emergency.
“I didn’t expect that,” he said. “We were at that time wholly unprepared as a state. It has caused us to be one of the best (states) in the nation to be able now to protect our waters and I think that’s also critical.”
Gupta said he’ll miss the “warmness” of the people in West Virginia.
