NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The applications have now closed for the March 29 Request for Qualifications for a doctor to act as a Medical Consultant to assist the county health officer. This is required because the county health officer is Karen Hammersmith, RN, since she is not a doctor.
"We've kind of closed the application process," said Reno County Administrator Randy Partington. "We have four good candidates that have shown an interest and provided some backup material. Now it's really putting that together, getting it to the five commissioners and putting it on an agenda, which is probably going to be the end of July."
Dr. Scott Pauly from the Hutchinson Clinic is the current Medical Consultant. Because County Commissioners have not been informed of all of the names, County Administrator Randy Partington would not release the names of all the applicants.
The position, as currently written in statute, is for public health. This isn't for just all general health items at the Health Department, the medical consultant is specifically for public emergencies, like the one with COVID-19.
The statute intends for this consultant to be an individual.
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