Blakeman seeks new health comissioner through ad in Wall Street Journal (Updated twice)

                                                                                

Nassau Health Commissioner Larry Eisenstein to the left of former County Executive Laura Curran

Though it was all around Nassau County for the past two weeks that Health Commissioner Larry Eisenstein was leaving, Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman did not confirm his departure.

Until today.

After an advertisement appeared in the Wall Street Journal, page B7, seeking applicants for a new county health commissioner, Blakeman announced Eisenstein was leaving.

Here is a badly copied image of that advertisement:

                                                                             

Though difficult to read, it says the county is looking for a medical physician licensed to practice in the state of New York with a Master's Degree in public health or two years experience in medical administration.

Soon after Journal readers could have seen the ad, which makes up a quarter of the newspaper page, Blakeman's press office sent out a release announcing Eisenstein's departure at the end of July and also that the county was launching a nationwide search for his replacement.

Blakeman lauded Eisenstein for his service and wished him "great success" in the private sector. Eisenstein's new employer has yet to be revealed but reportedly is a large hospital network.

UPDATE: Eisenstein disclosed to the county legislature today that he is going to become Vice President of community and public health for Catholic Health Services of Long Island.

He said his latest six-year term as health commissioner was ending and he wanted to try something new.

"I felt at this point it was time for me to try another endeavor," Eisenstein said.

Legislators praised Eisenstein's work,  not only during Covid but before and after Superstorm Sandy.

"Your leadership during the course of this pandemic has been extraordinary," Presiding Officer Rich Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) said. "It has been an honor and privilege to work with you."

Nobody mentioned masks.

Nassau Democrats had told Eisenstein in January that he was violating his statutory duties and could no longer function in his job because he didn't agree with them and Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul on the need for mask mandates to prevent the coronavirus, particularly for school children. Since then several credible, credentialed studies found no statistically significant difference in Covid 19 infection rates between people who wore masks and those who didn't, or between mandated mask populations and non-mandated populations.

Waiting to see if Democrats take a victory lap for pushing Eisenstein out.  (See UPDATE below)

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                      

Update: Legis. Kevan Abrahams, Minority leader of the Democratic caucus, issued a statement today wishing Eisenstein well but cautioning Blakeman to hire somebody who follows the medical science, not political science.

“We wish Dr. Eisenstein well upon the conclusion of his 11 years of service to the residents of Nassau County,” Abrahams (D-Freeport) said ."His tenure notably spanned three administrations and the response to an array of public health crises - none larger than the COVID-19 pandemic - and we greatly appreciated his dedication and guidance during such trying times.

"We look forward to carefully reviewing the qualifications of the next person who is chosen to lead the Department of Health. Whomever that is, we implore the Blakeman administration to let them do their job without interference. Medical science -- not political science -- must guide all decisions that impact the health and wellness of Nassau County residents."

Blakeman in January had issued executive orders to allow school boards to decide whether to mask students in their districts and to allow county workers to determine whether they should wear masks. He said he had not seen any studies that showed masks prevented the spread of the coronavirus. Indeed, despite the Democrat's quip about following the science, experts have been divided from the start of the pandemic on the usefulness of facemasks, especially non-medical cloth masks.

Meanwhile, readers point out that Blakeman today also ran an ad in Newsday, page B12, seeking a new health commissioner.

                                                                              

 
       

 

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