Dr. Don Williamson is stepping down next month to take a job as president of the Alabama Hospital Association.
For more than two decades, Williamson has served as Alabama's state health officer.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Williamson said he's proud of the work the state has done to establish a statewide trauma system and to provide health insurance to children. The state's ALL Kids program provides subsidized insurance to more than 80,000 children and has won Alabama praise for reducing rates of un-insurance for children.
He says his biggest frustration has been the state's persistently high rate of infant mortality and high rates of tobacco use.
