Here’s why Tri-City politicians should not be solely in charge of community health | Opinion

Anyone paying attention couldn’t have missed the irony of what happened at the recent Benton Franklin Health District Board meeting.

As three health-related professionals were being recommended to join the board, two county commissioners blasted masks and the COVID-19 vaccine.

If anything, the recent remarks by Franklin County Commissioner Clint Didier and Benton County Commissioner Will McKay affirmed why politicians shouldn’t be the only ones in charge of community health decisions.

Currently, the board is made up of six county commissioners — three each from Benton and Franklin counties. None are medical experts.

Didier insists the vaccine is harmful. He wants the health board at its April meeting to discuss sending a letter to the Washington state Department of Health opposing gift cards for those getting COVID-19 vaccinations.

McKay said the majority of the board disagreed with the state mask order and he hopes the next health officer will put up a fight against state regulations the board opposes.

Didier and McKay still don’t get it.

Do they not understand why the state is now requiring non-elected members to join the health district board? It’s an attempt to take politics out of public health district decisions.

During the height of the pandemic, public health officers in many counties were bullied by local elected officials upset by the state COVID-19 mandates. In our own community, Health Officer Dr. Amy Person endured months of questioning from Didier, McKay and others in the community about the effectiveness of masks and the COVID-19 vaccine.

She continually backed the science and the opinions of medical experts at the state level. That was her job.

Person had no authority to counter state COVID-19 mandates. No local health officer did.

And if any tried, there could have been serious consequences. They could have been removed from their posts or stripped of their medical licenses.

So McKay’s wish that the next health officer will put up a fight against the state is naive.

Dr. Person has since resigned from her bi-county position to become a regional medical officer for the state Department of Health. Dr. Aren Giske has been made an offer to replace her, but details are still being worked out with the local health district.

As for expanding the bi-county health district board, the candidates have solid medical or healthcare-related expertise, which is encouraging.

They include Kathleen Nusbaum, a Kennewick pharmacist and pharmacy manager, Dr. Wassim Khawandi, who oversees kidney dialysis facilities in the Tri-City area and Marcella Appel, the water resource project manager for the Benton Conservation District.

All three must have their appointments confirmed by both sets of county commissioners before they officially join the board. According to the health district website, the non-elected members will have voting power on all matters except those pertaining to setting or modifying permit, licensing and application fees.

There is still one open spot on the board, which is required to be picked by the American Indian Health Commission. The sooner that spot is filled, the better.

While COVID-19 is still a concern, for the most part, life feels much like it did before the pandemic. In fact, masking requirements in healthcare, long-term care and correctional facilities are set to end April 3.

The pandemic was a historic, tumultuous time and we all hope we never have to go through that broad of a health scare ever again.

But if we do, it will be important that leaders of the Benton Franklin Health District Board follow medical guidance rather than political emotion. Expanding the board with non-elected members is a much needed step to assure that.