Henderson County names Dr. John Schnell as county health authority

Henderson County Commissioners Court on Tuesday appointed John Schnell, MD, as the county health authority, a two-year position under the Texas Health and Safety Code that gives local governments an on‑the‑ground medical adviser for disease surveillance and related actions.

The appointment matters because a local health authority can speed local responses and coordinate with state and regional public‑health agencies during outbreaks. County officials said the role has been vacant and that appointing a physician will improve disease surveillance and communication.

Judge McKinney introduced the nomination and said the county had tried for several years to find someone willing to serve. Commissioner Toole moved to approve the appointment and Commissioner Stivey seconded; the motion passed unanimously.

Dr. John Schnell told the court that linking emergency‑department observations to community planning matters. “When people are healthy, that they're happy,” Schnell said, and described the post he would play in projecting patterns seen at UT Health’s emergency department to the community so officials can “plan for the future.”

George Roberts, chief executive officer of the Northeast Texas Public Health District, spoke in support and said the county “really needs its own health authority” as the county approaches 100,000 residents and to shorten response times compared with relying solely on state or distant regional officials.

Court discussion noted past reliance on regional and state agencies during the COVID‑19 pandemic and emphasized the benefit of having a locally available clinician for faster communications and orders that otherwise would need to come from Austin. The court approved the appointment with the judge authorized to sign.

The court recorded no dissent. Dr. Schnell was introduced to family and UT Health colleagues who attended the meeting.