BOISE, ID – Governor Brad Little has appointed Juliet Charron as the next director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW), the state’s largest agency. She will assume the role on September 15, 2025.
Charron will replace Alex Adams, who was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as Assistant Secretary for the Administration of Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Adams’ nomination was advanced to the full Senate by the Senate Finance Committee on July 31.
Charron is currently serving as Deputy Director over Medicaid and Behavioral Health at DHW, where she oversees the Medicaid program that serves approximately 350,000 Idaho residents, as well as the Division of Behavioral Health.
Before joining Idaho’s DHW, Charron held leadership positions with Texas Medicaid and the Texas Office of Inspector General. She also previously worked with a community-based health plan in Arizona. Her educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in public policy, planning, and management from the University of Oregon and a master’s degree in public health from the University of Arizona.
As Deputy Director, Charron focused on contract and financial oversight, improved coordination of care for individuals with complex needs, promoted data-informed cost management, and emphasized public transparency and stakeholder engagement. She also worked to strengthen collaboration between Idaho Medicaid and the state’s five federally recognized tribes.
Charron’s appointment comes as the department continues its work across a broad range of public health, welfare, and Medicaid services affecting hundreds of thousands of Idahoans.
For more information about DHW leadership, visit: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/about-dhw/leadership-bios-and-photos
