LONGVIEW — Former Deputy Cowlitz County Health Officer Steve Krager, who resigned Sunday, has reapplied for the position as an independent contractor rather than through Clark County.
Earlier this week the board temporarily contracted with a regional health officer to continue local services while looking for a permanent replacement.
Krager and former County Health Officer Dr. Alan Melnick resigned following a decision by the Cowlitz County Board of Health not to renew the county’s contract for their services with Clark County Public Health. Though employed by Clark County, Krager and Melnick also act as part-time health officers for Pacific, Skamania, Wahkiakum counties and formerly Cowlitz County.
During a Nov. 21 board of health meeting, board member and Cowlitz County Commissioner Arne Mortensen said he did not want to continue the current arrangement with Krager because he did not provide balanced information about COVID-19, but that he would be willing to consider hiring Krager directly rather than through Clark County.
“I do not know what forces Dr. Krager was operating under, because he wasn’t the boss,” Mortensen said at the meeting. “If he would like to go independent and assures me that there is no subservience to the Clark County entity or Dr. Melnick himself, I probably would entertain that discussion.”
The duties of the county health officer, which include signing birth and death certificates and issuing orders related to disease outbreaks, are temporarily being covered by Regional Health Officer Jay Miller while the board of health looks into hiring a permanent replacement. The board made the decision to hire Miller during a special meeting Wednesday, but have to request to use his services every two weeks during the yearlong contract.
Krager said that while board members sometimes asked him for additional information about COVID-19, he does not recall any specific disagreements about his decisions.
“I feel very strongly that I have done my best to present the most evidence-based recommendations,” he said.
Since deciding not to renew the contract with Clark County, the board has put out multiple requests for applications. As of the special meeting Wednesday, they had not reported receiving any responses other than from Krager and Melnick on behalf of Clark County and from Krager directly.
The Lewis County Board of Health also let go of Krager and Melnick as the county’s health officers in March 2022 in order to hire a local representative, which they selected that summer: Joe Wiley, M.D., who works at Providence Centralia Hospital, according to The Chronicle.
Krager said he is currently in discussions with Clark County Public Health about how best to handle the possibility of an independent contract, and he hopes he and Cowlitz County are able to come to an agreement to continue his employment.
“I’ve thought a lot about how to approach (the position) and I do feel, not obligation, but I know the people in the department I work with very closely and I want to continue working with them,” he said. “There is important work going on that I feel strongly about continuing.”
