The face of those and other initiatives under Gov. Greg Gianforte\u2019s administration has been Brereton<\/a> \u2014\u00a0unruffled, well-prepared and resolved, even when facing scrutiny from lawmakers and criticism by health care advocates.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been a great honor to serve Montanans as director of DPHHS,\u201d Brereton said in a statement provided by the governor\u2019s office. \u201cFew roles offer such an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people\u2019s lives, and I am proud of the progress our team has made across every aspect of the department and throughout Montana\u2019s health and human services system. I am confident that the dedicated public servants of DPHHS will continue carrying our initiatives forward under Governor Gianforte\u2019s leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n In the announcement of his departure, Gianforte called Brereton a \u201ctransformational\u201d leader. Fresh from work as a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C., Brereton originally started in the Gianforte administration as a healthcare policy adviser, and was promoted within a year to chief of staff at DPHHS, a new position. Roughly eight months later, at the age of 28, he was promoted to the directorship<\/a> after Gianforte\u2019s first pick, Adam Meier, left the job, citing family health issues.<\/p>\n \u201cUnder Charlie\u2019s leadership, Montana has made historic investments in our broken behavioral health system, secured significant, transformational funding from the Rural Health Transformation Program, and helped make Montanans more self-sufficient,\u201d Gianforte\u2019s statement said. \u201cI wish Charlie great success in the future and thank him for his service to the State of Montana.\u201d<\/p>\n The release did not say where Brereton would be working after leaving the department. Multiple state lawmakers and health care advocates told Montana Free Press Tuesday they also did not know. A spokesperson for the health department did not respond to an emailed inquiry.<\/p>\n The leadership change comes as the department is in the thick of allocating resources from the Rural Health Transformation Program, a $233 million pot of money<\/a> in the first year of a five-year grant meant to help Montana stabilize and build up its rural and frontier hospitals. The process \u2014 closely watched by health policy insiders and service providers \u2014\u00a0has already hit snags. In September, the department halted contract negotiations with a Florida-based company<\/a>, Indelible Health Solutions, LLC, that applied to lead part of Montana\u2019s project over a possible conflict of interest with another company, McKinsey & Company, that helped the state seek the federal grant in the first place, Lee newspapers reported.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In an emailed statement Tuesday, Ed Buttrey, the president and CEO of the Montana Hospital Association, one of the organizations selected to implement aspects of the Rural Health Transformation Program, said he is sure the initiative will stay on track after Brereton\u2019s exit.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAs we look forward to launching the Rural Health Transformation Program in Montana, we have full confidence in the capable team at Montana DPHHS,\u201d Buttrey said. \u201cWe also know the many partners in this effort, including the Department of Labor and Industry, the Governor\u2019s office, CMS, and the healthcare providers serving rural Montanans, remain committed to the program\u2019s success.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\tCharlie Brereton, Director of the Montana\u2019s Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), answers questions during at the Health and Human Services Interim Budget Committee meeting on Dec. 15, 2025, in Helena. Credit: Lauren Miller, Montana Free Press, CatchLight Local\/Report for America<\/p>\n![\"Lauren](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/20260106LM-DPHHSHearing-0012.jpg\")
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