New Health Director To Lead Kane Co. Through Coronavirus Pandemic

Jason Addy
·2 min read

KANE COUNTY, IL — Kane County has a new leader in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic after officials approved Kathy Fosser’s promotion to interim executive director of the county’s health department.

Fosser, who has more than a decade’s experience with the Kane County Health Department, is set to hold the position until Kane County officials can name a permanent successor to former director Barb Jeffers next year.

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Jeffers retired Nov. 30 after serving as the health department’s executive for more than eight years. During that time, she helped lead Kane County through outbreaks of tuberculosis, the Ebola virus and the Zika virus before the coronavirus pandemic started in the spring.

Coronavirus cases surged to record levels during Jeffers’ last month in office, with the county recording more than 13,500 in November.

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Kane County also reported 78 deaths from COVID-19 during November, seven more than the county recorded over the previous three and a half months, according to statistics from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

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The Kane County Health Department’s “small but mighty” team is leveraging its partnerships throughout the county to provide antigen testing, contact tracing and other essential services to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus, Fosser said in a news release.

“As Interim Executive Director, I am proud that we have a highly skilled and competent team that continues to care for our Kane (County) residents through tirelessly working to address this exhausting pandemic,” Fosser said.

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Fosser worked for more than two decades at the Forest Preserve District of DuPage before joining the Kane County Health Department in 2007. Four years later, Fosser joined the county’s Department of Employment and Education, which is now called the Office of Community Reinvestment. She returned to the health department in 2013.

She holds an associate’s degree from the College of DuPage, a bachelor’s degree from Aurora University and a master’s degree from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management.

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This article originally appeared on the Aurora Patch