On June 24, 2024, Dr. Edward Simmer, then-Director of the SCDHEC, announced that the agency would be split into two different entities. The two agencies will be the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Department of Public Health. The split became official and began separate operations on Monday, July 1, 2024. The change stems from a law signed by Governor McMaster last year. Dr. Simmer, who was Director of the SCDHEC and is currently the interim director of the newly formed SCDPH, is confident that the DPH can make South Carolina the healthiest state in the nation. He further noted that South Carolina ranks 45th out of 50 states in terms of overall health. As for the services the DPH will offer, these will be similar to those the DHEC already offered, such as obtaining birth certificates and requesting vaccinations. The processes will remain fundamentally the same. Going to the DHEC website will automatically redirect you to the DPH website. The agency's phone numbers will remain the same. Regarding the services received, Simmer commented, “The people who use our health departments and receive services from our health departments will continue to receive the same service in the same location and from the same people they trust and know that will not change.” Simmer goes on to say that the newly named DPH can now focus on serving individual communities, recognizing that the needs of a rural area are different than those of the City of Charleston, and can provide customized solutions for each of those regions. The other agency created from the reorganization will be the Department of Environmental Service (DES), which is also set to officially launch on July 1, 2024. According to a media release from the DES, this newly formed agency “will have specific roles and responsibilities for protecting and preserving the environment. The agency will be committed to achieving these goals for all South Carolinians through science, service and sustainability. The agency will continue to ensure that South Carolinians have clean air, land, water and coastal resources today and for generations to come.” Specifically, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resource's hydrology and aquatic pest programs will become part of the newly created SCDES. DHEC's retail food program and milk and dairy laboratory will be transferred to the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. SCDES will become part of the Governor's Cabinet. The restructuring to the new SCDES should not result in any gaps in services for the people of South Carolina, according to scdhec.gov.