43
Salem’s new board of health busy
City Auditor James Armeni said the city wasn’t getting the services it was paying for.
SALEM —The city earlier this year restarted its board of health and health department.
It had for years farmed out the services to the Columbiana County Health Department under former health department chief Robert Morehead, who was convicted of theft.
Salem Auditor James Armeni suggested the program return to city control because the county was not providing enough services to the city.
The re-creation of the Salem board resulted in the hiring of Richard Setty, retired director of environmental health for the Mahoning County Board of Health, to run the department.
Setty has held similar positions with the Columbiana and Trumbull county boards of health.
Recently, he was out tossing rabies vaccine doses from a vehicle for raccoons to eat.
He has also overseen the city’s two tattoo parlors, dealt with garbage problems that had drawn rats, and done some housing inspections.
The issue, he said, is “Who will we service? We can’t be all things to all people. The mission, to me, is ‘the community comes first.’”
He has colleagues to help him, if needed. The county board of health has named Wesley J. Vins the county health commissioner. Vins previously worked at the Mahoning County Health Department. Setty has also worked before with East Palestine’s and East Liverpool’s health commissioner, Gary Ryan.
Having those relationships, Setty said, “Is a big plus.”
Dr. George Wilson of Lisbon has offered to provide medical help for the new Salem board at no cost.
Armeni, who came up with the idea for reviving the city’s health department, said he’s happy. The new department is running below its estimated seven-month budget, which ends in December.
Mayor Jerry Wolford said of the change, “We’re extremely happy.”
wilkinson@vindy.com