Emergency Management takes over communicable disease duties

After a three-year absence, responsibility for reporting Lincoln County’s communicable diseases has returned to the county’s Emergency Management Agency.

Marci Johnson, the director for the communicable disease office, has left for health reasons, and Lisa Oedewaldt, the EMA’s assistant director, has assumed those responsibilities.

“Nothing’s changed,” said EMA Director Vic White. “It’s still the same service, just combined into one person. (Lisa) has the ability to do it.”

Oedewaldt has worked closely with Johnson during the last three years. In fact, it is Oedewaldt who writes grants for the agency, some of which has helped the communicable diseases office.

Previously, EMA Assistant Director Amy Smart, who is a registered nurse, handled the communicable disease duties for the EMA. When Smart left the agency in May 2010, the duties fell to then-County Health Nurse Karol Spas who assigned those duties to Johnson. Johnson is not a registered nurse.

Still, Spas believes the public would be better served if the work is done by someone in the medical field.

“I do think it should be a medical professional,” Spas said. “I think it’s inappropriate for it to be done by anyone else.”

Spas’ successor, Micki Carvey, said ideally they would like a medical official in that position, but feels comfortable with Oedewaldt in that position.

“The state is very supportive of what we’re going through. They’re supportive, offering teaching. It’s a challenge, but we’re going to make it work,” Carvey said.

Meanwhile, Oedewaldt is planning a trip to Helena on Sept. 5 for training.

“The duties were here before. We can handle this,” Oedewaldt said.

The job requires recording and reporting communicable diseases to the state.

The county is facing a budget crunch, and while it’s a chance to consolidate duties, or at least return it to the office it was three years ago, Presiding Commissioner Tony Berget said that was not a factor.

“It’s not a matter of streamlining,” Berget said. “Marci has been sick, and while she did an excellent job, we have to move on. This put us in a very difficult situation.”