In a surprise to even her peers, Patricia McManaman, head of the state Department of Human Services, is stepping down due to personal reasons, the state announced Friday.
Justin Fujioka, press secretary for Gov. Neil Abercrombie, said McManaman is not resigning, though he didn’t know when she will return to the position.
McManaman declined interview requests.
"She is stepping down until further notice because she has to take care of personal matters," Fujioka said. "There is nothing forced. She is still director."
McManaman’s departure is the second time in nearly two months there’s been a change in a top Abercrombie Cabinet post.
State Health Director Loretta Fuddy died of a cardiac arrhythmia due to stress following a Dec. 11 plane crash off Molokai. A Makani Kai Cessna Grand Caravan with nine aboard crashed into the ocean after takeoff about a half-mile from Kalaupapa.
Fuddy was the only passenger to die. Abercrombie has yet to name a permanent health director.
McManaman is credited with launching a $95 million online eligibility system for Medicaid, the government health insurance program for low-income residents, and reducing the mandatory waiting period for public benefits to seven days from 21, according to a news release on her departure.
But DHS is still in a critical stage in overhauling Medicaid eligibility under the new automated system known as Kolea. The department is working out the technical kinks in the system, which it hopes will eventually support other public assistance programs.
McManaman had been with the Abercrombie administration since 2010.
"The Department of Human Services exists to improve the lives of the most vulnerable and needy in our communities," McManaman said in a statement. "I have worked alongside dedicated people in the department who truly believe in the work of helping others.
"I am extremely humbled and grateful to have served with them and know there will be a seamless transition to continue the work started under this Administration."
Deputy Director Barbara Yamashita has been named acting director.
McManaman practiced law in Hawaii for more than 30 years, holding a variety of public-interest legal positions prior to being named DHS director. In addition, she also served as a per-diem judge in District and Family Court for 17 years.
McManaman "has been a tireless partner in the implementation of the Hawai‘i Health Connector and Affordable Care in Act in Hawaii," said Tom Matsuda, interim executive director of the Hawai‘i Health Connector, the state’s online marketplace created by President Barack Obama’s signature health law.
"She was an advocate of improving the health and wellness of Hawaii’s residents," he said.
