Washington Co. Public Health seeks new director

By Mary Zielinski
Posted 7/21/21

In the final agenda item of the Washington County Board of Health meeting on July 15, Washington County Public Health administrator Danielle Pettit-Majewski tearfully confirmed her resignation from …

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Washington Co. Public Health seeks new director

Posted

In the final agenda item of the Washington County Board of Health meeting on July 15, Washington County Public Health administrator Danielle Pettit-Majewski tearfully confirmed her resignation from the post she has held since March 2013.

Her official letter was submitted to the board on July 8, announcing that her last day is August 4. She will be joining the staff of the Johnson County Public Health Department.

In her announcement she expressed “appreciation for the opportunity to serve this community,” and offered thanks to the staff and others. She made no reference to her position as a Washington City Council Member (Ward 1).

After formally accepting the resignation, board members immediately discussed steps to advertise the position, create a job description, and what venues in which to post the vacancy. 

In attendance was Burdette Ogden, regional community health consultant with the Iowa Department of Health, who outlined options for the board that ranged from hiring a new administrator, merging with anther health agency, sharing an administrator/director with another agency, a partnership with the local hospital for services and sharing a director with a nearby agency.

However, scope of the Washington County department may be too big for merging or sharing with another agency. In fact, Ogden did not recommend subcontracting for the position. It also was noted that in the past the hospital had not been interested in a form of partnership.

Because the process of seeking and receiving applications, reviewing and vetting applicants and interviewing could take several months, board members discussed obtaining an interim administrator, including having one from an adjoining county “fill in”.

Ogden suggested the board have an interim director in place by September, noting that “having the University of Iowa your backyard” offers many options. However, “You are probably looking at early November or even Thanksgiving before you can have someone,” she told the board.

Board Chairman Cathy Buffington reported she had talked with Jefferson County Health administrator Chris Estle about the interim post, who “was receptive to the idea.”

In a more immediate concern, the board agreed to a special meeting (set for 7 a.m. July 20) to appoint a privacy officer, signatory authority and job posting and to discuss obtaining an interim director.

In other business, the board:

• approved an updating of the board by-laws as recommended by its advisory committee;

• learned that the vendor doing illegal meat sales in Wellman was formally charged June 16 for the sale and transport of the products;

• learned that another issue of food sales via Facebook was investigated and that the individual was informed about licensing and given applications for them. Environmental Health director Jason Taylor reported the incident was due to “misinformation” on the part of the individual seller;

• was asked by Pettit-Majewski to keep in mind that public health may need a new location within a year and such a facility does meet public needs for American Recovery Funds. There are indications that the current location in the Federation Bank Building could be affected by a possible sale of the building within a year; and

• learned that there has been a gradual increase in clinic attendance for the Maternal, Child, Adult Health (MCAH) program.