Kosciusko County Board of Health announced Desiree Ponsler as the new environmental food specialist for the county at its meeting on Monday.
Health Department Administrator and Chief Scientist Robert Weaver explained to the board Ponsler will be transitioning from her position as registrar and secretary to the food inspector position.
The board asked what makes Ponsler a good candidate for this position, to which Weaver responded, "She has a degree in environmental science from Grace College and will undergo training for this new position at the state level. She should be fully trained in the next few weeks after training is completed."
Weaver also gave an update on the Health First Indiana, saying after three re-writes the budget submission was approved on Friday. Most other decisions regarding who will receive that money is pending until the money is received, according to Health Officer Dr. William Remington Jr.
There was a brief discussion among the board about how they would handle giving funds to the three school systems.
Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said, "I cannot speak for the other two school systems, but I know Warsaw would definitely be able to find intentional ways to use this funding to better the health of our students. We are used to filling out governmental grants and such, and are willing to do the same or similar for the Health First Indiana funds and outline where the money would be going."
The board discussed the benefits of possibly forming an on-call type committee to oversee funding proposals in the future alongside Weaver. The board decided to have Weaver vet the candidates applying for funding and then come to the board with the proposals he deems worthy.
Remington briefly spoke with the board about how there has been a significant decline in early childhood vaccinations due to vaccination hesitance. This has been a consistent trend throughout the nation.
The board announced the 2024 meetings are Jan. 15, April 15, July 15 and Oct. 21.