Schuyler hires dedicated health director

SCHUYLER COUNTY--Schuyler County has hired Dr. Nancy King to be the county's interim public health director and will no longer share the position with Yates County. County Administrator Tim O'Hearn said the move was not reflective of Annmarie Flanagan, who will now just be the Yates County Health Department director, but is instead reflective of the current realities created by COVID-19.
"While we value our partnership with Yates and will continue to explore future shared service opportunities, in retrospect, overseeing two public health departments in the midst of a pandemic may have been too much to ask of one person," said O'Hearn.
King, who started in her position in August, is now Schuyler's third health department director in less than a year.
"The resurgence of the virus, most notably the Delta variant, has only compounded the demands of this position," said O'Hearn. "The decision to provide a dedicated director was made with the health of Schuyler County residents at the forefront and increases our capacity to serve our constituency."
A retired OB-GYN physician of thirty-plus years, Dr. King has experience working with the Red Cross and FEMA. Dr. King said she felt compelled to take the position.
"I have a strong urge to the community and thought I could step in and help out," said Dr. King.
King added that while her position currently has an "interim" status, she is keeping an open mind about the possibility of taking the position full time and would strongly consider accepting if asked. For his part, O'Hearn said that is a topic he would certainly entertain.
While the hiring was a direct response to the COVID pandemic, O'Hearn said he expects other benefits.
"We are fortunate that Dr. King has agreed to serve in this role in the interim and her experience and expertise is invaluable not only in our COVID response but in meeting all the other mandated requirements of a county health department," O'Hearn stated.
Along with providing a dedicated director for the Schuyler Public Health Department, O'Hearn said the current compensation package represents a reduction in cost from the previous agreement.
"It should be noted that this decision in no way diminishes our desire to partner with Yates County nor is it a reflection on any individual's performance," O'Hearn said. "While not every shared arrangement will be a success it is important to note that both counties are willing to at least try. Our track record speaks to the success of this spirit of collaboration between Schuyler and Yates and I look forward to future successes."TEXT TEXT TEXT