Ellen Heinitz, Clatsop County Neighborhood Well being Challenge Supervisor, completed her final day in workplace on Friday earlier than returning to Guatemala for a year-long medical service journey.
The naturopathic doctor practiced main care in Grants Move and Medford for 14 years earlier than volunteering in Guatemala in 2017 by way of Casa Colibri, a humanitarian group serving indigenous Mayan villagers within the northwestern area of the nation.
He has been in his function for Clatsop County since 2018 and performed a outstanding function within the county’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I actually admire working for Clatsop County Public Well being throughout this unprecedented time,” Heinitz stated in an electronic mail. “The group right here is filled with compassionate, fearless, and devoted people who’ve labored tirelessly to help their neighborhood by way of this pandemic. They’ll proceed to do their unimaginable work. I’m honored to have been part of this group.”
Heinitz oversaw the investigation of virus circumstances and helped set up mass testing of employees throughout outbreaks at seafood processors.
He additionally oversaw the set up of the self-service neighborhood testing service on the county’s family hazardous waste facility in Astoria.
“We’ll miss the management, information, expertise and camaraderie of Dr. Heinitz,” Michael McNickle, county director of public well being, stated in a press release. “She was an integral a part of our COVID response efforts. Though she leaves us, we are going to try to proceed to satisfy the excessive requirements she set for our public well being efforts to deal with the pandemic and different packages she led.”
