Kim Larson appointed to be Hill County Health Officer

In a meeting Monday morning the Hill County Health Board officially accepted the resignation, effective Oct. 1, of Hill County Health Officer Jessica Sheehy, who said due to personal and professional obligations she could no longer fill that role, and the board appointed Hill County Public Health Director Kim Larson to fill the role of health officer while maintaining her current role.

All of the board members thanked Sheehy for her work as health officer and commended her performance.

Members of the board discussed possibilities for filling the role of health officer during the meeting including attempting to find someone new for the position.

Board Member Erica McKeon-Hanson said she believes it’s absolutely imperative that whoever fills the position have a background in public health not just clinical care, and supported the idea of Larson taking that role.

“I would be concerned about anyone without a background in public health,” McKeon-Hanson said, “I think that is absolutely paramount, especially in the time that we are. If Kim is in that role, she can immediately hit the ground running and have the utmost confidence in her skills.”

Board Member Kristi Kline said she would prefer that the person in the role of Health Officer be an M.D.

McKeon-Hanson said having that designation may not make for the best candidate.

McKeon-Hanson said while the person in the position absolutely should have medical experience, public health is very different from clinical medicine and Larson agreed.

“I’m not saying that providers don’t know anything,” Larson said, “But it’s really important to know that clinical care is completely different than public health. They don’t look at the big picture and say, ‘How is this going to affect the entire population of Hill County what can we do to protect the entire community,’ they see their one patient that comes in and treat them. It’s not all about prevention and it’s not all environmental health, and just because someone is a M.D. doesn’t make them the best candidate.”

Kline raised concerns about how the health officer would be seen by the public, a contingent of which, she said, has been very resistant to taking the advice of public health amid the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that a health officer lacking a M.D. might serve to discredit them in the eyes of the public, even if they were highly qualified in public health.

“There’s also the public that has to believe it,” she said.

Larson said the questioning of public health has been pretty universal regardless of credentials, and while negative sentiments toward public health are out there it’s something public health officials can handle, pointing to Yellowstone County as an example.

She said this perception is part of the reason the Hill County Health Department, as well as many other across the state, have emphasized education over enforcement wherever possible.

Larson said the only thing she wouldn’t be able to do in taking Sheehy’s place is sign off on standing orders because she cannot fill the role of medical director for the department, a position that Sheehy held as well as being health officer.

The people at the meeting expressed some confusion about whether someone needed to be a M.D. to sign off on those orders or if authority was granted by the position itself. Larson said in an email this morning that they’re seeking clarification from the state.

Larson also expressed concern over the idea of having the state appoint a health officer, which would happen if no one was chosen for the position.

She said she’s worried that the state might pick someone with no experience working with or in Hill County.

McKeon-Hanson, as well as other members of the board, also expressed worries about that possibility. She said she fears an appointed officer could be an unnecessary outside influence and Larson is already a full-time employee and will put Hill County first.

Kline said she had no doubt that Larson could do the job well but expressed concern about giving her an increased workload.

Larson said she doesn’t see a whole lot being added to her plate in taking this position and said Sheehy has expressed that she’s more than willing to offer advice when needed.

Klein also expressed concern about the emotional toll of the job amid the pandemic, but Larson said she doesn’t see her taking on the role as adding significantly to that burden, especially since she’s not one of the department’s contact tracers who she said are facing verbal abuse from members of the public on a daily basis.

Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson asked if Larson would be able to tell the board if the job was getting to be too much for her and she answered yes.

Peterson then made a motion to accept Larson as Hill County’s new health officer and begin the search for someone to fill the role of medical director.

After some further discussion the motion was passed unanimously.

Hill County Commissioner Mike Wendland said the board could see how Larson does filling both roles and make adjustments if necessary.