The resignation of Georgia’s top health official comes as Governor Sonny Perdue is putting a more direct focus on healthcare budget cuts.

Dr. Rhonda Meadows leaves her post as Department of Community Health commissioner the end of this month. In a memo to department staff, she called her decision to leave hard, but the correct one personally.

In her 4-and-a-half years on the job, Meadows has managed all aspects of state public health. Overriding everything has been trying to navigate a projected health department budget shortfall in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

With Governor’s Perdue call this week for deeper cuts to the state’s Medicaid system, there would appear to be more of a challenge for the Meadows successor.

But Perdue spokesman Bert Brantley says state health officials have done well in such a tough budget climate:

"Dr. Meadows really did a fantastic job, and so I don’t think you’ll see a major shift in the way they do their business over there."

Department of Community Health chief-of-staff Dr. Carla Denise Edwards will take-over as acting commissioner in April.

Tags: Georgia, Medicaid, health, budget cuts, Governor Sonny Perdue, Department of Community Health, Dr. Rhonda Meadows