PHOTO: Archuleta County Health District Investigative Committee chair Mozhdeh Bruss (left) and SJBPH Board of Health member Karin Daniels, October 2021. Courtesy UnitedForFreedom.us
At a special meeting yesterday, the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners agreed to form two committees to work on the creation of a new Archuleta County Health Department. The need for a local health department has resulted from the pending dissolution of the San Juan Basin Public Health (SJBPH) district, which served both Archuelta County and La Plata County for the past 70 years.
The La Plata Board of County Commissioners initiated the dissolution of SJBPH, following disagreements between the two BOCCs, over public health policies and procedures. As a result, Archuleta County must, according to Colorado law, stand up its own health department by January 1, 2024.
The first unanimous vote by the three Archuleta commissioners created an ‘Oversight’ committee made up of County administrative staff. The role of this committee was not explained during the BOCC meeting. Some kind of ‘oversight’ by a group of people with no particular background in public health, but with considerable knowledge about the County bureaucracy?
The second unanimous vote by the three commissioners — Ronnie Maez, Warren Brown and Veronica Medina — established a citizen advisory committee of six volunteers plus a member of the Town of Pagosa Springs’ staff. The official name is the “Transitional Health Department Advisory Committee”.
Commissioner Medina had begun the discussion of the Transitional Committee by suggesting that the Town of Pagosa Springs have two seats on the committee. A staff person and an elected Council member, she thought.
But Commissioner Brown pushed back. He didn’t want the committee to become political.
“You know, I would not be opposed to a staff member attending, but we want to, in my opinion, keep this as apolitical as possible. I don’t think it would be appropriate mixing in an apparent political portion, with an elected official. Which is not to say that’s an absolute. But I think just on the side of caution. Because the Town does have a stake in this, representing the population, but I would be more accepting if it was a Town staff person.
“Just to keep things apolitical…”
I had to scratch my head, at the suggestion that the decisions about our new public health department could possibly escape the taint of politics, considering the fierce political polarization created by the public health industry’s approach to the COVID crisis, and considering the criticism that San Juan Basin Public Health underwent during that same period.
Following a short discussion, Commissioner Medina settled for one Town representative and six appointed volunteers. The other part of her motion directed the County Manager to schedule interviews for nine finalists, to be interviewed today (at 10am) and tomorrow (also at 10am) at the Administration Building. These are public meetings.
The BOCC had received 16 applications for the transitional committee, but it was apparent from yesterday’s discussion that nine of those candidates had been identified (somehow, by someone) as especially qualified to be finalists.
The finalists to be interviewed today at 10am include Dr. Rhonda Webb, Kathy Jean Campbell, Ashley Wilson and Dr. Mozhdeh Bruss.
The finalists to be interviewed tomorrow at 10am include Darra Marionneaux, Wayne Marionneaux, Sally Kennedy, John Ranson and Susanne Bryant.
A few of these names were familiar to me; the others were not.
Dr. Rhonda Webb is the CEO of the Pagosa Medical Center. She previously worked for Willis-Knighton Health System in Shreveport, Louisiana. She is registered to vote in Colorado as Unaffiliated.
Wayne Marionneaux is a dentist who appears to have worked for Willis-Knighton Health System in Shreveport, Louisiana. He does not appear to be registered to vote in Colorado.
Darra Marionneaux is also appears to be from Shreveport, Louisiana, and be married to Wayne Marionneaux. I was not able to learn anything about her background via a quick Google search. She does not appear to be registered to vote in Colorado.
Susanne Bryant is a dietician at Pagosa Springs Medical Center. She’s registered in Colorado as Unaffiliated.
Kathy Jean Campbell appears to be a person with an administrative background. She’s registered as a Democrat.
Ashley Wilson is Development and Evaluation Coordinator at Rise Above Violence here in Pagosa. She’s registered as Unaffiliated.
Dr. Mozhdeh Bruss has a background in children’s health, and served as chair of the 2021 Archuleta County Health District Investigative Committee, which explored the possibility of Archuleta County dissolving the San Juan Basin Public Health district… prior to La Plata County deciding, in 2022, to bring about the dissolution. She’s registered as Unaffiliated.
John Ranson is Managing Partner at RockChalk Properties, LLC and also works as a local real estate agent at Sherpa Rea Estate. He’s registered as a Republican.
Sally Kennedy worked as a Nurse Practitioner for 35 years, but now does curriculum development for Claflin University. She’s registered as a Republican.
I provided the party affiliations of the nine finalists — which is public information — because I personally see the formulation of a public health district as somewhat dependent upon the political philosophies of the people involved. Our three County commissioners all ran for office as Republicans, and I expect they will ultimately make decisions about the composition of the new Archuleta County Health Department based, at least partly, on their political beliefs.
There are, however, certain services that, according to Colorado law, a county public health department must provide, regardless of the political affiliations of the people running the agency.
Perhaps, as the “Transitional Health Department Advisory Committee” does its work, and conducts its public meetings, we will find that politics plays less of a role than I am imagining.
And perhaps Commissioner Brown will get his wish, that this whole thing can turn out to be free of politics.