The state Department of Health and Human Services has picked a new public affairs director.

Renee McCoy, a 25-year television news veteran, will become the department's chief spokeswoman. McCoy worked at WRAL and as a freelance reporter and anchor at NBC-17 and UNC-TV. McCoy started a Raleigh-based media consulting company in 1999.

McCoy worked as Director of Public Relations for the N.C. Department of Correction in 1986, during the administration of Gov. Jim Martin.

The public affairs post at Health and Human Services has been a high-profile one since February 2008 when a News & Observer series uncovered the massive failure in the state's attempts to reform the mental health system.

In the aftermath of the series, Gov. Mike Easley had then-public affairs director Debbie Crane fired. Crane's replacement, Tom Lawrence, has had to cope with frequent revelations about patient abuse or neglect at state institutions.

The department has adopted an agency-wide focus on enhancing trust and confidence in the Department, as well as a Zero Tolerance Policy in his approach to implementing changes at DHHS facilities across the state.

Update: McCoy will make $89,900 a year, according to the department. She started on Monday. 

Dempsey Benton is holding his cards tight.

The former Raleigh city manager, brought in by Gov. Mike Easley to clean up problems with the state's mental health system, is not saying whether he might stay at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

When asked by a staffer on Dome's behalf if he would continue in his job, Benton smiled but said nothing in response.

"I guess these things are up to the Gov.-elect and her team," said spokesman Tom Lawrence.

Perdue has said that fixing the mental health system is a priority, and Benton is among the most well-regarded of Easley's appointments, but it's not known if he's willing to stay at a rather difficult job.

On the other hand, with the state still facing problems, he would not be seen as accomplishing his goal if he leaves now.

As previously reported, he is one of three members of Easley's Cabinet who might stay.

The latest in late-breaking news from the state Department of Health and Human Services came in the form of a news release sent after 5 p.m. on Election Day about a legal settlement with a mental health provider the state was trying to shut down, Dominion Healthcare Services.

The state settled with the company two weeks ago. Dominion agreed to reimburse Medicaid $1.6 million, Lynn Bonner reports.

Tom Lawrence, spokesman for DHHS, said he didn't know about the settlement, and found out about it after a local newspaper picked up a press release from the company.

Lawrence said his office started working on the news release Tuesday morning, but a necessary clearance from state lawyers pushed its release to after 5.

The communication's office has no system for getting information from state attorneys about the status of DHHS cases, Lawrence said.

"These things are often handled, sometimes handled without us knowing what's going on," he said. "We don't keep up with the court stuff."

Should they?

"Maybe that's something we ought to be talking to the folks about," he said.

Gov. Mike Easley's administration is still having trouble turning over copies of the e-mails of its officials.

On June 27, The News & Observer filed a request with state Department of Health and Human Services for copies of e-mails since May 1 from six officials pertaining to the opening of Central Regional Hospital, the state's new mental hospital in Butner, reports Michael Biesecker.

It took 12 days, until July 8, for the department's public information staff to forward the request for e-mails to the six employees. DHHS public information staffer Mark Van Sciver instructed the six officials to gather the relevant e-mails and respond by July 23.

The first patients are scheduled to move into the hospital on or around July 21.

DHHS public affairs director Tom Lawrence said his office was not trying to delay the records request until after the opening and said those who had the e-mails were busy.

"We have a hospital to open," Lawrence said July 9.

Read more after the jump.

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