KY Health and Family Services chief to retire August 1, Dr. Steven Stack named to head department

By Sarah Ladd
Kentucky Lantern

Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services Secretary Eric Friedlander will retire Aug. 1, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday. 

Kentucky Public Health Commissioner Dr. Steven Stack will succeed him as CHFS secretary. 

The sprawling cabinet has a broad range of health and social services duties, from protecting children and vulnerable adults to administering the Medicaid program and inspecting nursing homes. It oversees billions of dollars in state and federal spending.

Speaking of the two men, Beshear said “their level of service goes beyond mere professionalism.” He praised them for “living out their values at the highest level, selflessly serving all of our neighbors.” 

Both Stack and Friedlander were instrumental in guiding Kentucky through the COVID-19 pandemic and pushing back against vaccine misinformation. 

“It has been an honor to serve,” Friedlander said during Beshear’s weekly press conference. 

He also said his job over the last few years would have been more difficult “if we didn’t have a governor that actually believed in science.” 

“To the Cabinet for Health and Family Services employees, the government employees who’ve come under a lot of stress… you’ve seen it at the federal level, their jobs denigrated. Thank you. It has been an honor to serve you,” Friedlander said. “Public service is a calling. Public service means that the people that work for all of government…we work to lift people up. We work to lift individuals and communities when they face challenges. We work to lift them up. Partners, cabinet employees, we always try to be the light when folks come across challenges.”

Stack echoed that, thanking Beshear for supporting “me in being able to be factual and straight with the people of Kentucky.” 

“It feels now that we’re entering a third act with all sorts of challenges coming from the federal government,” Stack said. “Public health and health and family services is essential to ensuring that we have healthier people and healthier communities. If we fail to invest in these services and supports to ensure that all of us have the opportunity to thrive, we will all be worse off for it.” 

Beshear said the choice of Stack’s replacement will be “collaborative.” 

Friedlander has been in his current role since 2020, though he’s worked in the cabinet for about four decades. He formerly worked as chief resiliency officer for the Louisville government. 

Stack will bring to the secretary position a 20-year medical career, according to his official state biography. Born in Cleveland, Stack has been an adjunct professor at the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business, served on the  American Medical Association (AMA) board of trustees and worked as the medical director for St. Joseph East in Lexington, St. Joseph in Mt. Sterling and Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.