600 people wanted Tri-Cities public health doctor removed. Here’s how the board responded

The Benton Franklin Health District board members made clear they support their bicounty health officer, passing a resolution Wednesday praising Dr. Amy Person.

And it credited her with saving lives while facing hostility from some in the community.

An online petition signed by 600 people urged the board, made up of the six Benton and Franklin county commissioners, to ask her to step down.

They want her replaced by a panel of local experts, saying she has too much authority.

But the five health board members attending the December meeting were unanimous in their support of Dr. Person. Benton County Commissioner Jim Beaver was absent.

Their support comes at the same time that other health officers in Washington state are being forced out or resigning, and there has been a push to eliminate one county’s health department altogether.

“The Board of Health expresses great appreciation and heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Amy Person for her selfless sacrifices and efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 and respond to the unprecedented challenges facing our communities as a result (of) COVID-19,” the resolution said.

All community members should support the work of Benton Franklin Health District staff and comply with guidance provided through Dr. Person’s leadership, the resolution said.

She has worked “tirelessly, above and beyond the nature of her employment requirements” to provide consistent guidance to the community based on the most recent and reputable scientific health knowledge about COVID-19, the resolution said.

“Dr. Person is publicly outspoken on community-wide use of safety protocols to reopen our businesses, and has made the welfare of our community youth a front and center issue, advocating for the value and safety of in-school learning,” the resolution said.

Health officer harassed

As a result of her leadership, Dr. Person has been harassed and faced hostility both in person and through email from those who do not want to follow safety precautions or believe the precautions are inadequate, the resolution said.

Some of the criticism of Dr. Person has been based on her recommendation to provide some in-class instruction to elementary-grade students, with some parents and teachers thinking schooling should continue to be virtual and others upset that more students are not being allowed to return to in-person classes.

Dr. Person makes recommendations and advises public school officials in the Tri-Cities area, who make their own decision for each district on how to hold classes.

“It is not in any fashion a single person’s decision,” Dr. Person said.

Guidance to school districts is done in collaboration with the Washington state Department of Health and is based on review of scientific literature and best practices across the nation.

As the health district board was meeting Wednesday, Gov. Jay Inslee announced the state is revising its guidance for schools to reopen.

Based on the new case rates for Benton and Franklin counties, school districts are encouraged to offer in-class learning for elementary school students with the highest needs in groups of 15 or fewer.

Children in third-grade and younger or those with disabilities or who are homeless should be given priority, with older elementary school children allowed to return to class if schools demonstrate they can reopen safely.

Petition for panel

The petition posted Nov. 5 at Change.org said that a panel of local scientists and health experts should be making future decisions and issuing directives for businesses and school district reopenings during the pandemic.

“We need health experts from across the community to bring their knowledge and research in for sound discussion that is not political and not fear-based, but rather based on science and real data in our community,” the petition said.

The local health district, in cooperation with the Washington state Department of Health, maintains COVID data for the Tri-Cities area.

The December meeting was the first of the Benton Franklin Health District Board since the petition was posted.

Controversy in Washington state

Other counties also have faced recent controversies over their public health leadership.

The Spokane Regional Health District administrator forced out Spokane County Health Officer Dr. Bob Lutz after some community members were angered by his concerns over reopening businesses too soon.

Dr. Teresa Everson, the Yakima County health officer, resigned in November saying her family could no longer sustain the costs of the position.

The Seattle Times reports that eight counties in Washington state now have vacancies in their top health position.

And two Pierce County Council members recently moved to do away with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department and do its work through a county executive department.

Gov. Jay Inslee intervened on Monday, Jan. 14, ordering a pause on most efforts to terminate agreements creating health districts and combined city-county health departments during the pandemic.

Dr. Person is employed only part-time by the health district.

She has degrees from the University of Chicago in chemistry with a concentration in psychology, the University of Illinois in medicine and the University of Wisconsin in health care informatics.

Her career has include being a transport physician for critically ill patients, a pediatrician for high-risk and underserved populations, a pediatric urgent care physician, and an epidemiology and disease prediction investigator.

She has served on governing and advisory boards for the Washington state Public Health Association and Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland.

“Dr. Person is held in esteem by the highly educated and experienced workforce of the Benton-Franklin Health District, local hospitals and other health service organizations throughout our counties and state,” the resolution said.

This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 5:11 PM.