Public health workers leaving jobs amid pandemic, politics

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Public health workers across Kansas are leaving their jobs amid the pressures of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and the politics surrounding it.

In the nine months since the state had its first documented COVID-19 case, 27 county health officials have left their jobs. Some retired, but others resigned or were fired, the Kansas News Service reported.

That number includes 15 county health department administrators and 18 health officers, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Six of those leaving held both positions.

Kansas experienced record spikes in COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations during the seven days ending Monday, according to data released by the state Department of Health and Environment. Kansas averaged 2,368 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases a day during the same seven-day period.

Dr. Gianfranco Pezzino, the health officer in Shawnee County in northeast Kansas, said he doesn’t think he has the energy “to do another year like this.” He announced recently that he would step down as health officer after 14 years — after the county health department’s director also announced her year-end retirement.

“There’s a lot of burnout, anger and frustration,” Pezzino said.

Nick Baldetti, who resigned as director of the Reno County Health Department in July, said he likely would have stayed to see the department through the pandemic if not for the 80-hour work weeks, the hostile political environment and the threats to his family.

“I had the local police watching my house because my family was home and I was not,” said Baldetti, who was also the department’s health officer. “There was a period of time that I had escorts to and from work.”

Lee Norman, who oversees the public health system as secretary of state health department, was recently assigned a security detail. He called the departure of so many frontline workers “disheartening and cause for concern.”

Kansas reported another 70 COVID-19 deaths since Friday, bringing its pandemic total to 1,856. The state reported a record average of 42 additional deaths a day for the seven days ending Monday, breaking the previous high mark of 37 for the seven days ending Friday.

The state also averaged a record 58 new hospitalizations a day for the seven days ending Monday, beating the previous record of 57 for the seven days ending Friday. The state reported 92 additional hospitalizations since Friday, to bring the pandemic total to 5,509.

The state health department added 5,730 new coronavirus cases to the state’s tally since Friday, increasing it 3.4% to 174,025.