St. Clair County gets 7 applicants for listed health officer job, 4 for medical director

More than a month after posting St. Clair County’s split chief health positions, applications for both the public health officer and medical director roles are under review.

But it’s still too soon to say when or how they’ll be filled.

In February, the county’s board of commissioners voted to split and advertise the roles still held simultaneously by Dr. Annette Mercatante, as she has in the health department for more than a decade. Soon after, the county began taking steps to list them as separate openings.

As of the end of last week, seven applications had been received for the health officer role and four for the medical director position. This week, County Administrator Karry Helping said those numbers hadn’t changed.

While the officer role is no longer posted, Hepting said, “The medical director position remains open due to receiving so few applicants, and not all the applicants we have received meet the minimum qualifications.”

The medical director role is part-time at 16 hours and requires a doctorate or medical degree, according to its job description, and they must be a licensed physician. A master’s degree in public health is also preferred. Meanwhile, the officer role has the master’s requirement and is full-time.

Candidates for both jobs require a greenlight from the state due to qualifications overall. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the minimum for review is two weeks with an average turnaround of 30 days.

Mercatante, who has said she did not plan to apply for either posting, has a contract that ends in June.

“There have been no discussions to extend Dr. Mercatante’s contract, at this time,” Hepting said via email. “The county will work with the state to ensure we have individuals in the required positions, interim if necessary, to avoid a shutdown of services.”

Hepting said the state is aware of the county’s changeover timeline, aiding in the process.

The formal credentialing process does not start until candidates are selected, which she said has not happened with either position.

“I have been in communication with the state regarding potential candidates and whether or not they meet the requirements. They have been very responsive, so despite their document indicating they need 30 days for a formal review, I have been receiving a much faster response.”

Previously, officials said positions could be reposted depending on the number of applicants. As of Tuesday, the current listing for the medical director position was to end in two days.

Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jackie20Smith.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: County gets 7 applicants for listed health officer job, 4 for medical director