by Sonny Albarado, Arkansas Advocate
June 11, 2025

Arkansas State Medicaid Director Janet Mann will become secretary of the Department of Human Services next month as Secretary Kristi Putnam returns to Kentucky, the governor’s office announced Wednesday.

Mann serves as DHS’ deputy secretary of programs as well as medicaid director. She has over 20 years of experience in healthcare and healthcare finance and previously served as chief financial officer and director of the division of medical services for the department.

Putnam was deputy secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services when Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders picked her to lead Arkansas’ Human Services Department in 2023.

“Over the past two-and-a-half years, Kristi has overhauled the Department of Human Services and brought much-needed reforms to the programs her agency oversees, including foster care, Medicaid, maternal health, food stamps, and more,” Sanders said in the press release announcing Putnam’s departure and Mann’s promotion.

“I am grateful that we have someone as qualified as Janet to take over for Kristi and seamlessly continue to make positive changes at DHS,” Sanders said. “Janet has an encyclopedic knowledge of her agency and I know she is the exact right person to lead DHS into the future.”

Sanders said Putnam will be returning to Kentucky. Putnam said her “whole career has focused on serving families, and this move back to Kentucky is so I can serve my own family in a bigger way,” according to the release.

Putnam described Mann as “the absolute right person to step up as secretary.” The incoming secretary “is one of the most creative policy experts I have ever known, and will take DHS to new levels of success,” Putnam said.

Mann said she is honored that Sanders selected her and is looking forward “to continue the great work Kristi and I have been able to accomplish in this administration.”

As DHS deputy secretary of programs, Mann oversees the department’s divisions of aging, substance abuse and mental health, developmental disabilities, provider services and quality assurance, eligibility, child welfare and youth services, as well as Medicaid.  The department is the state’s largest agency with a total budget of about $11 billion, and its programs serve approximately 1 in 3 Arkansans.

Mann’s background includes a stint as the deputy administrator for Mississippi Medicaid and as a consultant to several states’ Medicaid agencies on finance, reporting, managed care, program integrity, organizational assessments and eligibility, according to the press release.  She holds a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the University of Alabama and is a Certified Public Accountant.

The governor’s press release said she, Putnam and Mann have worked closely together “to deliver transformational change to the people of Arkansas.” It cited Arkansas’ “welfare to work requirement,” changes initiated by the Governor’s Maternal Health Strategic Committee to support pregnant people and a foster care and adoption initiative that has reduced the number of children in foster care.

The release also cited the state’s first-in-the-nation law preventing pharmacy benefit managers from operating drug stores in Arkansas and the newly approved ban on the use of SNAP benefits for soft drinks and candy.

Arkansas Advocate is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com.

The post Kristi Putnam steps down as Arkansas Human Services secretary appeared first on arkansasadvocate.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

The content highlights policy initiatives and personnel changes under Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, a known Republican figure. It emphasizes welfare reform, Medicaid work requirements, and conservative-leaning policies such as restrictions on SNAP benefits. The tone is positive toward these changes and leaders, reflecting a moderate conservative perspective focused on government efficiency and traditional social policy priorities without extreme rhetoric or partisan attacks.

SUMMARY: FEMA is assisting Kansans affected by recent tornadoes and floods, providing federal aid to help with recovery. Eligibility depends on the physical damage caused. Assistance covers home repairs—including water and sewage systems—damaged vehicles, rental or temporary housing, relocation, storage, uninsured medical expenses, and school-related costs like books and computers. Recipients are urged to keep receipts for all repairs and replacements as proof. The application requires insurance proof, social security number, contact info, damage details, and banking info for direct deposit. An inspector will typically contact applicants within 10 days. For help, call 1-800-621-3362 or visit disasterassistance.gov.

After multiple rounds of severe weather hit the state, many Arkansans are eligible for federal assistance from FEMA. Here’s how it works.

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SUMMARY: The Arkansas Board of Corrections met following the capture of Grant Hardin, the first inmate to escape Calico Rock prison by walking out the front gate in a makeshift police uniform. Board members noted the escape happened due to guards failing to verify Hardin’s identity, labeling it a personnel failure rather than a policy issue. Suggestions included implementing secure passes for gate access. Hardin was captured less than two weeks later nearby. The board also approved a $57 million pay-as-you-go contract for designing a new 3,000-bed state prison in Franklin County, though plans remain flexible and under review by state police.

Arkansas BOC members discuss Grant Hardin escape, capture

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