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Board reappoints Tompkins County medical director, signs off on emergency-plan and program realignment updates
Summary
The board unanimously reappointed Dr. Kwajpek as the county medical director for two years, approved an LICSA emergency response plan, and heard staff briefings on a program realignment, immunizations, radon outreach, and a community health assessment.
Tompkins County’s Board of Health unanimously approved a two‑year appointment of Dr. Kwajpek as the county health department’s medical director, accepted an emergency response plan required for licensed home‑care services (LICSA), and received a department update on a staff-led program realignment and recent public‑health work.
Chair Speaker 1 introduced the appointment and the board confirmed that Dr. Kwajpek’s credentials and licensure were on file. Speaker 2 noted that personnel records show renewal of the DEA registration and required licensing. Following brief questions, the board voted to reappoint Dr. Kwajpek to the medical‑director position for two years.
On emergency preparedness, staff explained the LICSA plan’s purpose: maintain prioritized client call lists, staff call‑down rosters and coordination with the county’s certified agency for emergencies. Board members asked how the division‑level plan would mesh with countywide preparedness; staff said the county preparedness director is reviewing broader whole‑health plans and that the LICSA plan will be folded into that process. The board approved the plan.
Department leadership also presented a program realignment launched in November to reorganize services to better match current community needs. The director highlighted 2024 activity counts included in the meeting packet: 924 food inspections, 579 animal rabies vaccinations, 131 public water‑supply inspections, 233 child immunizations and 347 adult immunizations, roughly 27,000 clinic appointments, and strong WIC participation (about 1,300 participants). The director repeatedly emphasized that staff are not being eliminated and that the reorganization is intended to create 'force multipliers' across teams.
Other items: the town of Dryden’s $1.5 million CDBG award for a municipal sewer connection to a mobile‑home park was noted as important infrastructure support; staff also flagged radon awareness week and the posting of the community health assessment and draft improvement plan to the department website.
Next steps: Dr. Kwajpek’s reappointment will be entered into personnel records and the emergency response plan will be implemented at the LICSA divisional level and coordinated with county preparedness leadership. Staff will return with further detail on the program realignment in a future meeting and will post updated public materials online.
