If it’s approved by county council and commissioners, St. Joseph County public health officials want the outgoing health officer to work as a consultant to her successor after she’s moved.
The St. Joseph County Board of Health Wednesday unanimously approved recommending to the county council that Board Vice President Dr. Michelle Migliore should succeed Dr. Diana Purushotham as county health officer. Purushotham two months ago announced she’ll be moving to the Baltimore area to follow her husband’s job there.
Board president Dr. John Linn said the two haven’t yet agreed on how they’ll share the job’s duties.
"They have a plan," Linn said. "I think the details of that are still being worked out but Dr. Migliore will be the health officer and the leader, and make sure the day-to-day things are taken care of, and then work, I think, in concert with Dr. Purushotham on maybe the more strategic program development work for the department."
In an interview Thursday, health department spokesman Matt Gotsch said Migliore will only work part-time as the health officer so she can continue her family medicine practice. Purushotham would work remotely from Maryland.
He said the board wants Purushotham’s continued involvement because she’s led the work on the department’s strategic plan through 2028, including implementing the new state public health funding known as Health First Indiana.
Gotsch said it’s not yet known how the two doctors would be paid under the arrangement. He said the board expects to finalize those details when they meet with both doctors privately before the county council’s May 28 meeting to vote on Migliore’s hiring.
Purushotham is paid $250,000 a year, the county government’s highest salary.
