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Health department leader search continues; public invited to Saturday health fair

Commercial-News - 5/19/2023

May 19—DANVILLE — The Vermilion County Health Department Board of Health was expected to appoint interim public health administrator Jana Messmore as public health administrator at its Tuesday night meeting.

The appointment was posted on the agenda. However, according to Messmore, "I had a change of heart (Tuesday) and decided to not pursue the position. I'm quite content where I am in environmental health. The position will be reposted soon."

The appointment was to be effective May 16.

Messmore is director of environmental health and has been serving as interim public health administrator since November as the board continued its search for a new public health administrator.

The board in March approved a mutual separation agreement with former Vermilion County Public Health Administrator Doug Toole.

Toole resigned his administrator position Nov. 16, 2022.

The settlement stemmed from a lawsuit Toole filed that alleged the board had violated the provisions of the Open Meetings Act.

The board reinstated Toole's employment retroactively to Nov. 16, 2022, with the settlement. Then immediately following Toole's reinstatement, he submitted his resignation to the board, effective March 27, 2023.

The agreement also called for the board to pay Toole back wages from Nov. 16, 2022 until March 27, provide an additional three months' severance in addition to the back wages and reimburse Toole for incurred attorneys' fees and costs to bring the lawsuit. The exact amount of the settlement wasn't disclosed.

Health Fair

The health department and NAACP Danville will have a Health Equity Health Fair on Saturday in the front parking lot of the health department, 200 S. College St., Danville, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending at noon.

"NAACP Danville has been instrumental in ensuring vulnerable and under served residents of Danville have had access to valuable resources throughout the pandemic. It just makes sense for the health department to partner with the organization to hold this event to mark the end of the PHE declaration," Messmore said.

Health department staff from every department will be onsite to talk to residents about the services that are offered at the health department. WIC staff will be available to offer information about the program and to sign qualifying participants up. Immunizations staff will be able to schedule students for back-to-school immunizations. Environmental health and vital records staff also will be onsite. Narcan trainings will be offered at 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Attendees will be entered into a drawing to win tickets to Indiana Beach.

"The NAACP Navigator Program, the Vermilion County Health Department and Champaign Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana are still concerned about your health and well-being. According to the federal government, our grant will be over soon but we are still here until June 30," said NAACP Danville President Edward J. Butler. "Come on out and be with us on May 20. Thank you and stay healthy."

NAACP Danville will offer COVID-19 education material on moving forward after the expiration of the PHE and COVID-19 cleaning kits.

Champaign Immigrant Services of Champaign-Urbana, OSF and Precious Time Pampering will be onsite with information about their services.

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