Wilkerson hired as public health medical director at CCHD

Sep. 21—CHIPPEWA COUNTY — The new public health medical director, Dr. Catherine Wilkerson, M.D., MPH, started at the Chippewa County Health Department on Aug. 16.

"We are very excited to have Dr. Wilkerson join our team," said Lana Steinhaus, deputy health official at the Chippewa County Health Department. "She comes to us with a strong public health medical background and has worked in various clinical settings which will enhance her role as the new medical director for Chippewa County Health Department. As we have seen, the past 20 months have been a difficult time for everyone and with Dr. Wilkerson's experience and passion for public health, our community will benefit greatly."

Wilkerson was born and raised in Alabama and married a U.S. Army helicopter pilot, Bill, who had just returned from Vietnam, in 1967 when she was 18. The couple moved to Bill's home state of Illinois and then to Colorado, where they both finished college and medical school and had three children. Initially, Wilkerson focused on women's reproductive health but shifted to general primary care since she was seeking to incorporate principles of public health and prevention into her work. The family moved to Michigan in 1990 where Wilkerson earned her master of public health.

"After completing my MPH and becoming board-certified in public health and general preventive medicine, I worked in various settings, including community clinics, health departments, even serving as medical director of the urgent care division of Hurley Medical Center'sEmergency Department," Wilkerson said via email. "There, I keenly saw the intersection of the health of individuals with the community and social and economic conditions. Starting in 2010, I worked for most of the next 10 years with Sault Tribal Health, taking time off to care for my husband after he was diagnosed with cancer caused by Agent Orange, then transitioning fully to public health work just before the COVID-19 global pandemic took off. Assuming the medical directorship of Chippewa County Health Department in August, some 18 months into this public health emergency, represents an opportunity to fulfill my lifelong professional commitment."

Wilkerson said she feels extremely fortunate to work with the Chippewa County Health Department team. She recognizes that the responsibilities of public health workers from the time COVID-19 emerged have been unprecedented. She said these people carry out their mission to protect the people's health by studying and implementing guidelines developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. They also aim to educate the community, network with other professionals and provide guidance to a number of entities.

Wilkerson believes these professionals have led Chippewa County in vaccinating and are responsible for the measures of tracking, tracing and ensuring that those infected or exposed to the virus are not spreading it. One of her many roles is to provide evidence-based medical input for this specifically. In addition to staying up-to-date on scientific literature, Wilkerson assures the public that the health department is adhering to the recommendations of state and national public health experts and authorities, including professional organizations such as the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the American Academy of Pediatrics and more.

"My goal is to help by remaining as knowledgeable and up to date on the medical evidence as possible and conveying that information honestly and forthrightly," Wilkerson said, as she explained her goal as the new public health medical director. "I endeavor to build trust and listen to and consider thoughtfully the concerns of those who may not be receptive to our public health actions. My colleagues and I are dedicated to protecting the health of the public from this virus as much as possible, saving lives, keeping people from suffering in ICUs, on ventilators and having their loved ones going through that awful scenario. As long as this virus is spreading and mutating, this will continue."

Wilkerson went on to explain that the current pandemic is a global crisis that has caused the deaths of more than 4.6 million people, with over 660,000 in the United States and almost 22,000 in the state. Not only has the pandemic caused a great number of deaths, but continues to cause suffering, grief and negative economic impacts. Wilkerson said the measures public health workers are promoting are based on the most reliable scientific evidence that has grown and evolved since the onslaught of the pandemic. These measures include proven public health strategies to combat highly contagious respiratory viruses.

When asked about her day-to-day duties, Wilkerson explained that she studies medical and public health literature to review and write policies not only relevant to the pandemic but also many other areas within the health department's area of expertise, such as reproductive health, control of sexually transmitted infections, HIV, hepatitis C, B and A, immunizations of children and adults and harm reduction related to substance use disorders and overdoses. Wilkerson also provides medical oversight for school-based services, cancer screening, services for maternal, infant and childhood health maintenance and review epidemiologic data and reports relating to environmental hazards. She said she also participates in many information-sharing activities.

"Among my priorities are to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to reduce its catastrophic consequences; to ramp up efforts on other worsening health issues such as opioid addiction, overdoses, hepatitis C and STI's; to maintain the highest quality, comprehensive, preventive and treatment services for families and children; and to strengthen relationships with other health care providers, community members and leaders," said Wilkerson.

Vaccination has been proven to not only reduce transmission but also protects people from disease. Although vaccination is crucial, it is not 100% effective and cannot alone end this pandemic, Wilkerson said.

She urged residents to follow COVID-19 mitigation measures, including avoiding crowded indoor spaces; wearing a multi-later, snug and well-fitting mask covering the nose and mouth whenever they are around people not in their household; testing when possibly exposed or having symptoms consistent with COVID; staying home when sick; good ventilation of shared spaces; and vaccination of all eligible individuals.

"I urge everyone eligible to get vaccinated and protect our friends, family, coworkers and everyone more vulnerable to COVID, prevent our hospitals from overload and alleviate the horrible toll this is taking on our health care workers and society," Wilkerson said, urging people to follow COVID-19 mitigation measures. "As your public health medical director, I urge the people of Chippewa County to support universal masking in the schools, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Michigan Department of Health, so that we can keep the kids and teachers as safe as possible and hopefully able to stay in school. As we struggle to end this pandemic, let us avoid divisiveness and take care of one another."

For more information about the Chippewa County Health Department, visit www.chippewahd.com.

— Contact News Reporter Taylor Worsham at tworsham@sooeveningnews.com.

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