Elkhart County Health Officer Dr. Bethany Wait will be stepping down at the end of the year.
Wait took over the health department in January after former Health Officer Dr. Lydia Mertz retired at the end of 2020.
“In the middle of a pandemic and our community’s most desperate hour, this talented young physician, Dr. Bethany Wait, came to us and hit the ground running,” Elkhart County Board of Health Vice President Josi DeHaven said in a release. “Her work, her methods and the results of her dedication to every man, woman and child in Elkhart County have made a significant difference to the health and well-being of our diverse community.”
“While we respect her decision, we’re disappointed to know she’s leaving,” DeHaven added. “As you can imagine, the board of health, and I dare say, the thousands of people she’s helped as our County Health Officer, remain grateful for the work she’s done on our behalf.”
Wait is a board-certified family physician and a partner at Goshen Family Physicians. She’s served as a member of the medical staff at Goshen Health and as medical director for Goshen College.
Contact Gemma at gdicarlo@wvpe.org or follow her on Twitter at @gemma_dicarlo.
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