County finds its next (part-time) health officer
Dr. Seema Kengeri appointed to replace Dr. Greg Loomis after health board pushed to make role full-time. Plus, Mung Chiang added to U.S. Olympic Committee board. And more for your BiL Holiday Playlist
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COUNTY FINDS ITS NEXT (PART-TIME) HEALTH OFFICER
Dr. Seema Kengeri, a family practitioner with the Franciscan Physician Network in West Lafayette, will be Tippecanoe County’s next health officer, starting on Jan. 1, 2025.
Tippecanoe County commissioners approved her appointment Monday, following several months of back-and-forth with the county board of health about whether the next health officer move from part-time to a full-time position.
Kengeri will be a part-time health officer, while continuing her practice. She will replace Dr. Greg Loomis, who announced his resignation in July in a dispute with commissioners over the scope of the job.
“She understands public health and she clearly is very capable in a team environment,” Commissioner Tracy Brown said after Monday’s appointment. “She’s going to be stepping into a health department with some wonderful staff members I think she’s going to really enjoy working with, and I think they’re going to enjoy working with her.”
Kengeri, who said she was recruited to apply for the position, said she was ready for the role with a health department that has been running hard.
“I'm passionate about public health,” Kengeri said. “And as an epidemiologist, by my background, and going through COVID as a primary care physician, having all the health challenges that we have, and how much the staff has all been through, I want to make sure that when I am taking up this role to make sure the health department works cohesively.”
Kengeri has a master’s degree in public health and worked on cancer prevention research before finishing her residency through the Indiana University School of Medicine eight years ago. She’s also done research on obesity and medication. Kengeri said she moved to Greater Lafayette 20 years ago when her husband took a job as a professor at Purdue.
She said she’d met with Loomis to get his advice about the role.
“The core of the mission doesn’t change,” Kengeri said.
In October, Tippecanoe County Board of Health members came to county commissioners to get them to reconsider their recommendation to make the health officer’s role full-time. At that point, they’d told commissioners that they’d fielded 11 applicants to replace Loomis, none of whom had medical credentials for a position.
The health board and commissioners haven’t been on the same page about the role of the health officer for some time. In August, the health board brought commissioners a proposal for a full-time health officer, who would serve as a front-line physician on any number of public health matters. That followed months of Loomis pushing for a similar role that he’d steered the position toward in his two years, overseeing more aggressive health department outreach on addictions and recovery, ramp up efforts that had reduced the county’s fetal and infant mortality rates, cut into recidivism in the corrections system and be better prepared if and when an outbreak on par with COVID-19 came around.
The current position – one that doesn’t have a formal job description – comes with a $63,430 salary, according to county records. The health board presented commissioners with a job description, along with a recommended $275,000 salary, based on their understanding of the market and the ability to draw a physician to take on that role full time.
Commissioners rejected that, saying that they were wary about wrapping a position and the expectations for that job around one person and relying on funding from the state that wasn’t guaranteed.
On Monday, Brown said the appointment of Kengeri came with a unanimous recommendation from the health board.
“I think knowing her from just brief conversations that she has an idea of what the community needs are and figuring out how you plug the health department into that,” Brown said.
THIS AND THAT/OTHER READS …
PURDUE PRESIDENT NAMED TO U.S. OLYMPIC COMMITTEE: Purdue President Mung Chiang has been appointed to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the organization announced Monday.
Chiang will join the 16-member board in 2025 and serve the last two years of a four-year term of Gene Sykes, the board’s chair who now serves as a U.S. member of the International Olympic Committee.
“With the momentous trajectory of USOPC and the upcoming LA28 Games, it is indeed a pivotal time to continue advancing the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, supporting the amazing athletes on Team USA, and collaborating across a broad spectrum of constituents and partners in the exciting world of Olympic and Paralympic sport,” Chiang said in a release from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee.
With his appointment, Chiang will be eligible for two additional four-year terms beyond his initial two years, according to the committee. Purdue has had other ties to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympics in the past year: Purdue Global was named a preferred online university and degree provider of Team USA Learning Network; and Julie Dussliere, a Purdue graduate and a longtime executive with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee, began Oct. 1 as president and chief executive officer of Purdue for Life Foundation.
“Purdue Athletics and in general Purdue students, faculty, staff and alum have consistently contributed over decades to the Olympic and Paralympic sports through competitions, education, research and volunteering,” Chiang said in a statement from the university. “In addition, the newly combined power of Purdue and Indianapolis will further elevate this epicenter of sports technology and impact.”
IT’S STARTING TO LOOK LIKE A BiL HOLIDAY PLAYLIST
The inbox is still open for your three tracks for the Based in Lafayette Holiday/Seasonal Playlist, now with more than seven hours of music and growing every day thanks to BiL readers.
Today’s picks come from …
Grace Wereley-Bross
Grace Wereley-Bross is a West Side graduate and current freshman in Environmental Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. She particularly enjoys classic Christmas movies in which the acting is all performed by inanimate objects.
"One More Sleep 'til Christmas," Kermit the Frog – “The Muppet Christmas Carol” is a classic and a perennial watch in the WLHS Orchestra. The joy that Kermit and the Muppets bring is contagious, and I guarantee you will feel better about humanity after a watch. This song is the best of the bunch, capturing the childhood joy of Christmas Eve.
"Blue Christmas," Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox – This song first earned a place in my heart from the delightful stop-motion Christmas special “The Year Without a Santa Claus,” but this cover by Postmodern Jukebox brings a jazzy twist. The whole album is worth a listen for its soulful vocals, tap-dance breaks and bass solos.
"Mele Kalikimaka," Geoff Castellucci, The American Sirens – A recommendation from my sibling. Castellucci is best known for singing bass in the acapella group VoicePlay, and he brings his smooth voice and impressive vocal range to all of his songs. This cover never fails to bring a smile to my face.
Jon Neal
From Jon Neal: “I have been listening to Christmas music for over 69 years. I like the edgy tunes. No snow, commercialism, sappy, politics or religion.”
“Nuttin' for Christmas,” Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett – In 1955, 6-year-old Barry Gordon makes a Top 10 hit fronting the Art Mooney orchestra. "I'm getting nuttin' for Christmas, 'cause I ain't been nuttin' but bad." Somebody snitched on this bad boy who would rather do what he wants than be good to get presents. Take that commercialism!
“Christmas Will Really Be Christmas,” written by Ben Raleigh and J.W. Alexander – Chicago's Lou Rawls is backed by a big band in his 1967 release. "When hearts are filled with joy, instead of worry and fear. That's when the words, ‘Merry Christmas’ will be so much more sincere.” Peace, joy, happiness. What more do I need on Christmas?
“Yuletide Throwdown,” Blondie and Fab 5 Freddy – Blondie, who first brought rap to MTV, teamed up with Fab 5 Freddy for this 1981 hip hop rap throwdown. "Well it's on and on and on, on and on Christmas rapping to the break of dawn." Ain't the wack! I'm a Blondie fan forever and 43 years after this dropped they are still performing.
Your turn: What’s on your list?
What three songs are going into your holiday/seasonal playlist this year? If you’re game to share, here’s all we need:
Three songs and the artists.
One or two sentences about why you chose each one – could be a memory or a short history or review about why that track belongs in your mix and why you’d recommend it to others.
A little bit about you to let readers know who’s making the picks.
Send to: davebangert1@gmail.com
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Tips, story ideas? I’m at davebangert1@gmail.com.
Dr Kengeri has been my PCP for several years and always done a great job.
The county had an opportunity to really show how a robust health department could serve and improve the lives of residents but they chose not to.