By HOLLY GASKILL
The Wells County Commissioners have confirmed the appointment of Dr. Brandon Huggins as local health officer.
Huggins has assumed the role previously held by Dr. Kay Johnson effective immediately. Johnson will remain as a consultant to the board as needed.
The Board of Health unanimously appointed Huggins in a special session on March 11. He is an orthopedic spine surgeon with the Lutheran Health Network, including Bluffton Regional Medical Center. He graduated from Norwell High School and received his medical degree from Indiana University.
“He’s energetic, he’s a quick learner,” said board president Chris Esterling during Monday’s commissioner meeting. “When we interviewed him, we just saw his desire to help the county he grew up in. We’re excited that he came to us.”
Commissioner Jeff Stringer expressed a similarly positive outlook while recognizing the extensive turnover within the Health Department in the last year. Since May 2023, only one full-time position has not been vacant. The board is also full for the first time in several years.
However, the moment was not without a call to action. Stringer noted the impending deadline of Health First Indiana, a public health funding program. Stringer said he received a skeleton proposal but wanted a “comprehensive plan” for the funding.
At a minimum, Wells County is eligible for $549,510 in HFI funding for 2025. The county would be responsible for developing a proposed budget for the funds and tracking information on how the additional funding addresses key performance indicators.
“If we’re gonna take $500,000 of free, nothing is free — that’s taxpayer money,” Stringer. “We need to know exactly where that taxpayer money has gone. That’s my challenge to you, both of you … You got a great staff, I know they’re working hard on it, but we need the detail.”
Wells County was one of six counties not to join HFI in its pilot year. The commissioners have until June to decide whether the county will be opt-in for 2025.
The next scheduled Board of Health meeting is at 6:30 a.m. April 18.
holly@news-banner.com
