WICKSTROM Susan D

From: Sent: To: Subject: GOLDBERG Bruce Tuesday, May 28, 2013 1:03 PM GOLDBERG Bruce Changes in Public Health

To: Public Health Division Staff / OHA Cabinet From: Bruce Goldberg As you know, this morning Dr. Mel Kohn announced that he will be leaving the role of Public Health Director in August. In follow up to that announcement I want to first and most importantly thank Mel for his service to his division, our agency, and to the people of our state. During his tenure he has worked to protect the publics health and help keep Oregonians healthy and safe. In short order, there will be a process to hire a public health director that will include input from community stakeholders and staff. In the meantime, I am pleased to announce that Bobby Green will begin this week as the Interim Deputy Director for the Public Health Division during the search for a public health director. This will allow Mike Skeels who is currently serving as deputy director to return to the public health lab. In making this change I wanted to honor Mike's request to make his current stint as deputy director a short-term assignment. We have so appreciated him going above and beyond the call of duty, juggling these two positions. I know you will all join me in thanking Mike for his service over the past several months. Those of you who have worked with Bobby know he has a long history of public service here in Oregon. He has been a member of the Eugene City Council, the Lane County Commission, and has served as president of the Association of Oregon Counties. While on the County Commission, he was a champion for public health in Lane County. He has been with the Oregon Health Authority since 2010, serving as our Director of Local Government Affairs. In that role he has worked with state and local officials on moving health system transformation forward. During his time at OHA Bobby has also been involved in agency-wide work to transform internally to meet the needs of the changing health care system and has become a critical part of our operations. In this role, he has brought internal and external partners to every effort he has been involved in. I believe his collaborative nature and strong leadership will be a good fit for the Public Health Division. I also want to thank the entire leadership team and everyone in the Public Health Division during this time of transition. The work you do every day makes the difference in the lives of every Oregonian. While change can be challenging, I recognize that people are rising to the occasion and are ready to embark on the next chapter. I look forward to writing that chapter together.
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