The Lake County Council nominated Cynthia Hoess, who has been a physician for 30 years and currently works as a pediatrician for Methodist Hospitals, to fill the citizen appointment on the Lake County Board of Health at its Tuesday meeting.
The council interviewed Hoess and Dorian Patel, who has had a career in radiology, at its June meeting. A third person applied for the position ahead of the council’s June meeting, but did not come before the board ahead of its Tuesday meeting for an interview, said Council President Christine Cid.
On Tuesday, the board interviewed Pamela Seaman, a gynecologist practicing in Crown Point, for the Lake County Board of Health, but ultimately nominated Hoess.
Cid said Hoess was selected based on her medical background, her experience working with data and her enthusiasm for the position.
“She just seemed like a good fit for the county,” Cid said.
Hoess said she’s worked in a tuberculosis clinic, an HIV clinic and in a clinic that provided home visits to asthmatic patients in Gary to help them with their medications so they can avoid hospitalization, among other things.
“There really isn’t much that I have not seen,” Hoess said. “I have a passion for what I do.”
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Nick Doffin, Lake County Health Department administrator, said the Lake County Board of Health appoints the Health Officers, establishes policies and procedures, and provides guidance for health department programs.
Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb advocated strongly for the Health First Indiana initiative, which was created in 2023 by the Indiana legislature through Senate Enrolled Act 4 to improve the overall health of Hoosiers, a metric where the state consistently ranks among the worst in the nation.
The board meets four times a year, but additional meetings can be set if needed. Under Senate Enrolled Act 4, the Lake County Board of Health expands from seven members to nine members, Doffin said.
The county received $4.87 million in state funding for the health department last year under the initiative. The health department plans to use part of the funds to open a maternal and child health center in both the north and south sides of the county.
Hoess said she’d like to see the health department work toward decreasing the number of patients with diabetes, hypertension and obesity, which have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. The department should also find ways to support people with mental health issues, which have increased since the pandemic, she said.
“I’m a team player. I’m active. I want the best health for everybody,” Hoess said, “I’m interested in being part of the Lake County Board of Health so that we can … get back and make up for time we lost from COVID.”
The board must follow guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cid said, so she asked all three candidates interviewed if they were aware of that. Hoess said, “Right.”
In her work, Hoess said she follows guidelines and best practices set by various government health departments.
“We pretty much have to follow it,” Hoess said.