WICKSTROM Susan D

From: Sent: To: Subject: KOHN Melvin A Tuesday, May 28, 2013 12:28 PM Mel Kohn (melvin.a.kohn@state.or.us) Time for change

Colleagues: Im writing this to let you know that I will be resigning as Public Health Director as of August 1. Ive been at the Public Health Division (PHD) fourteen years, including almost five years as the Public Health Director and State Public Health Officer, and its time for me to explore some new professional challenges. To ensure a smooth transition to my successor and to tie up several projects I will be continuing with the OHA Directors Office as a Senior Advisor for Public Health temporarily. I am very proud of what we have accomplished together during my time at PHD. To name a few of our most visible accomplishments: Weve been active participants in the first steps of health system transformation and the Early Learning Council, and are poised to do even more in these areas in the future. We led the states response to numerous communicable disease outbreaks, including the H1N1 pandemic Weve substantially grown our capacity to address chronic diseases and injuries, the leading causes of death and disability for Oregonians Weve strengthened and focused our regulatory programs. Weve begun rebuilding our EMS and Trauma systems Weve built the Oregon Environmental Public Health Tracking Network and the Oregon Violent Death Reporting System Weve modernized and electronified our vital records systems Weve worked with numerous partners to create a vision for a home visiting system that leverages the contributions of agencies and organizations across the state Weve built and grown a statewide public health preparedness system Weve reorganized the Division to better meet the public health threats and opportunities of the future Weve enhanced the working relationships across state and local public health and built a joint leadership team to guide our system moving forward Weve established or strengthened relationships with other agencies to help ensure that public health impacts are considered in policymaking outside of the traditional health sphere. Weve created a strategic plan and a health improvement plan, and were close to getting PHD and several county health departments nationally accredited. Weve become more sophisticated in our communications, and much more visible as a result.

This is not by any means a complete list of our accomplishments during my tenure, but you get the idea: weve done some incredible things together! And I am confident that this legacy will help ensure that PHD will continue to make an important contribution moving forward. You are an incredibly talented and resourceful group of people, and I could not have asked for better colleagues during my time at PHD. As I move into the next chapter in my career I hope that you will keep in touch and that our personal and professional paths will cross many times in the future.
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