An update from Bob Einterz:
After retiring from Indiana University, Dr. Bob Einterz became the Health Officer of St. Joseph County, Indiana, leading the county’s Department of Health. Bob shares some updates about his new role:
Bob Einterz at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in 2019.
As Health Officer of St. Joseph County, I am responsible for leading the St. Joseph County Department of Health, a team of 50 individuals charged with promoting health, preventing illness, and treating a select group of conditions in a population of nearly 300,000 people. The County includes both rural and urban, including the cities of Mishawaka and South Bend. The SJC Department of Health includes experts in food security, disaster preparedness, maternal-child health, health education, and environmental health; vital records and immunization divisions; and, a terrific team of public health nurses skilled in outreach and contact tracing for multiple conditions and communicable diseases including lead poisoning, tuberculosis and COVID 19.
Because “health is politics” whether one is working in Indianapolis, Eldoret, or South Bend, a significant part of my job includes developing relationships and collaborating with governmental, business, academic and non-profit sector leaders; community activists and stakeholders; and everyday citizens or “wananchi.” The response by St. Joseph County to the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is being led by SJC Department of Health in partnership with high-level representation of the three major medical care systems in the county. We refer to this leadership structure as “Unified Command.” Though those three medical care systems are often considered competitive with one another, in the time of COVID 19, they have come together for common purpose and are providing a much-needed service to the community. In many ways, the role of my department as the non-partisan, honest broker mirrors the role played by IU in AMPATH.
The parallels between my former roles as the founding director of the IU Center for Global Health and the PI of numerous AMPATH-related grants with my current job are too many to count! To a certain degree, the jobs share common vision, mission and particularly values. Though the activities thus far in St. Joseph County are not as sophisticated as AMPATH’s activities in Kenya, my work is grounded in similar ideals emphasizing the power of the community, the vital importance of relationships and information systems, and the hope of awakening the inherent potential of academia, government, and civil institutions working together in a multi-sectoral approach toward a common goal.
I miss my many friends at IU and within AMPATH; but, I have been thrilled to watch the Center grow, adapt, and thrive under Adrian’s leadership. He is the right person for the job! His intelligence, skill, demeanor, judgement, and leadership are already propelling IUCGH and the AMPATH Consortium to the next level. I was particularly glad to see the outpouring of support for Adrian from the phiIanthropic community and many individual donors. I look forward to witnessing your continued success.