County Executive Sara Innamorato is set to refresh the Board of Health, replacing five out of the seven current board members, officials confirmed Thursday.
Lee Harrison, chair of the Board of Health and a professor of medicine and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, plans to resign at that time. Joylette Portlock, executive director of the nonprofit Sustainable Pittsburgh, will be the only member to be renewed for another term.
Ms. Innamorato’s office was not immediately available for comment.
The news of the sweep was not a shock to those who were told their appointments were not being renewed, but it’s the first time in recent memory that nearly the entire board will be replaced at once.
“There’s going to be a whole learning period for the new people,” said William Youngblood, vice chair of ACHD’s board and a member for 18 years. “They’re going to lose all that history of how we got to where we are.”
Board of Health members are appointed for four-year terms and rule on various elements of health in Allegheny County, including public health and infectious disease, air quality, wastewater, food quality and more. The group holds public meetings every two months at the county courthouse, where they vote on measures, hear public comments and provide updates on the status of health-related topics.
The county executive nominates the board’s members, which the County Council then needs to confirm.
Those familiar with the replacements said Ms. Innamorato intends to reappoint the board to nine full members; the board has had two vacancies since the summer.
The county is expected to announce the change and the new members Friday.
Mr. Youngblood said Ms. Innamorato called him Wednesday afternoon to tell him his appointment would not be renewed.
“We were expecting it. It was no surprise,” he said. “I told her that if any of the new board members have any questions, they’re welcome to call me.”
But many whose appointments are ending are concerned the mass exodus will also mean the loss of important institutional knowledge.
Mr. Youngblood expects it will take multiple years for new members to be caught up to speed with the inner workings of the department, which includes multiple specialties.
He stressed to Ms. Innamorato on the phone that the new team should involve a mixture of disciplines in addition to medical experts.
Ellen Stewart, a doctor who has served on the board for roughly 14 years, concurred that there will be a loss of institutional knowledge and experience among new members.
She said that it is Ms. Innamorato’s choice on who she appoints to the board when terms expire, and that it will be good to have fresh perspectives.
The restructuring of the health department years ago, where multiple deputy positions were added within the department, was a good change, she said. She added that other accomplishments during her service included her work to help open Bethlehem Haven’s 28-bed shelter facility, and helping with Grow Pittsburgh, a local organization that teaches kids about gardening and access to healthy food.
Donald Burke served on the board for 13 years and resigned this past summer. He said he was surprised by the overhaul but supported turnover generally and respected the work of his fellow board members greatly.
“I’m sorry to see there’s a complete board changeover, but it’s her prerogative to do so,” he said. “I’ve never seen a whole board replaced at the same time.”
Lee Harrison, on the other hand, is not concerned about the overhaul.
“Joylette Portlock is fabulous, and she knows the inner workings of the Board of Health,” he said. “With her guidance, I think it will be fine.”
Dr. Harrison said the change has been in the works “for a long time,” and that he’s been impressed with the thought and intention Ms. Innamorato has placed into the decision, and on improving public health in the county.
One of the board’s most important actions in recent months was approving the department’s request to increase permitting and related fees for the county’s air quality program and asbestos abatement.
After approving the measure in September in a 5–1 vote, the recommendations were then sent to the County Council. But some council members were concerned about the huge increase in some of the fees, and have delayed voting on them until further review. U.S. Steel has opposed the fees.
The next Board of Health meeting is scheduled for Dec. 4 and is streamed on Facebook.
Correction (Nov. 15, 2024): An earlier version of this story misstated the term length for Board of Health members. It is four years. Also, the timing of when those terms were up was incorrect; many terms have already expired.
First Published: November 14, 2024, 10:52 p.m.
Updated: November 15, 2024, 9:03 p.m.
