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St. Joseph County Commissioners appoint new County Health Officer
St. Joseph County Commissioners appoint new County Health Officer.{ } { } WSBT Photo.
County Commissioners unanimously voted Dr. Joseph Cerbin as the new County Health Officer.
The County’s Board of Health first voted for Cerbin last week.
But, that decision wasn’t unanimous, as health board member Heidi Beidinger opposed the decision.
She says it’s not because she doesn’t feel Cerbin is a good fit for the role, but because the board was thought to be voting on an interim officer.
She says the board found out the day of, it was a vote for a permanent role due to state law.
RELATED: New health officer: Interim or permanent?
Despite Cerbin saying he is only available four months of a four year contract, the Board of Health approved him.
The decision then moved on to the County Council, which faced a similar discussion, but eventually passed the bill appointing him, too.
County Commissioners passed the bill unanimously.
“He’s saying that he wants to work part time and it’s four months. I mean technically, that’s the definition of the ‘interim Health Officer,’ I mean let’s get real,” said Heidi Beidinger, Ph.D. St. Joseph County Board of Health Member, “we now need to do our due diligence and identify a Health Officer during these next four months.”
There are still questions as to how this contract will work if Cerbin is only staying a short time.
County officials say the process will start over in four months and they hope to find someone willing to fill to role long-term.
“Well I think you heard the people in the audience, those folks who spoke; urging the health board to begin the process to make sure that, at the end of the four month period, we have well in advance identified a permanent successor to Dr. Cerbin and move on,” said Carl Baxmeyer, (R) St. Joseph County District 1 Commissioner.
Outgoing health officer Dr. Robert Einterz will give a closing speech about his time serving the county later this week.
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