After nearly two years, Christiansen resigns from role as WV state health officer

Dr. Matthew Christiansen, who has served as the state health officer since last year, has stepped down from his position, according to a news release sent Monday from the West Virginia Department of Health. 

Christiansen’s resignation was effective starting Friday, Dec. 13, according to the news release. A copy of Christiansen’s resignation letter was provided to West Virginia Watch by C.J. Harvey, director of communications for Gov. Jim Justice. The letter — which was undated — did not provide any further details on Christiansen’s resignation.

Christiansen was appointed as the state health officer in January 2023. He came to the position after serving several years as the director of the Office of Drug Control Policy.

“I am incredibly thankful to Gov. Justice and Secretary [Sherri] Young for the opportunity to serve as West Virginia’s state health officer. It has been the honor of a lifetime,” Christiansen said in the release and in his resignation letter. “I am incredibly proud of the work we have done in rebuilding public health after the pandemic, and I plan to bring the lessons I’ve learned here to my work going forward. Public health staff are unsung heroes who keep us healthy, and they deserve our respect and thanks every single day.”

Before joining the state ODCP in 2020, Christiansen practiced primary care and addiction medicine at Marshall Health, where he also worked as an associate professor within the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine’s Division of Addiction Sciences. 

Outside of working as the state health officer, Christiansen currently serves as the vice chair of the West Virginia First Foundation, the private nonprofit created to distribute the state’s share of opioid settlement funds. Christiansen was re-elected as the organization’s vice chair at a meeting last week.

As vice chair, Christiansen — along with three other First Foundation board members — also last week presented a funding proposal for a new regional addiction response project. The board unanimously approved allocating $20 million from the First Foundation’s funds to the project, which is called the Appalachian Continuum of Care for Overdose Reduction Network, or ACCORN.

West Virginia Watch later confirmed that Marshall University would be involved in facilitating the project through its Division of Addiction Sciences.

No information was shared in Monday’s news release regarding where Christiansen will go now that he is leaving his position with the state.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is released.