Albany County Health Commissioner Dr. Elizabeth Whalen is stepping down Thursday.
Whalen is departing the post after eight and a half years — including a pandemic — to refocus her career on preventative health. Speaking Monday while being honored at the Albany County Office Building, Whalen says there are several lessons she’ll take with her.
“We’ve really learned the importance of risk communication to the public, and how we listen to the concerns of the public and respond, throughout the course of the pandemic, but also when we’re looking at public health. What’s happening in the community has to inform the work that is done not only in the department, but throughout county government,” Whalen said.
Albany County Executive Dan McCoy, a Democrat, thanked Whalen for her leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had to figure it out every day, and give guidance to the people of Albany County to let them know, what's going on, first and foremost, about vaccines, everything else. About, you know, all the all the different stuff that was going on at different levels, you know, not being allowed to come to work, come to work, who works, who doesn't work? Where are you fitting in order of vaccines, and a lot of other things. And I couldn't have asked for a better partner,” McCoy said.
Democratic County Legislature Chair Andrew Joyce recalled seeing long lines for early COVID-19 vaccines at the county-owned arena in downtown Albany.
“Walking into that MVP Arena, and seeing that vaccination effort was the most prideful moment, the most incredible thing that I've ever seen, in that space in that moment. And, you know, coming from a military background, I couldn't help render a salute to you when I saw you and your vest and just leading that effort,” Joyce said.
State Assemblywoman Pat Fahy, a Democrat from the 109th District, said Whalen was a voice of calm and reason during the pandemic, and also thanked the doctor for her other public health efforts.
“Thank you most recently on the fluoride. It has been a decades-long fight here. I'm almost 20 years off the Albany school board, and I can remember it was a losing battle, an absolute losing battle. In the meantime, we have children, particularly children in poverty, from under-resourced families who have extraordinary decay, dental decay. And that pays a real price,” Fahy said.
City Common Council Tom Hoey, who represents the 15th ward and chairs the public safety committee, introduced legislation last week which would mandate the addition of fluoride to the city water supply, almost 80 years after municipalities first fluoridated their water following World War II. Despite those pushes, Albany’s government held out concerns from mayors and widespread Cold War-era fears pushes for fluoridation were part of a Communist plot.
Whalen says her pandemic response efforts were a partnership.
“We needed to take care of people's mental health, we needed to take care of children, we needed to address concerns related to housing, we had staff from other departments that came and worked at the Health Department, and assisted with the, you know, really, we couldn't do it with just our staff alone,” Whalen said.
Whalen says her new path will include a focus on primary prevention.
“And then we'll see, you know, we'll see where I can have impact whether it is through, you know, medical education systems or college education systems, whether it is through public health, in another realm, or whether it's through the private sector, I think that there will definitely be opportunities. I do think moving forward when we talk about the need for preventive services that, you know, government needs the partnership of big business and big tech. And so to be able to leverage these capabilities going forward will be something I'll be very interested in,” Whalen said.
Whalen’s replacement will be a medical doctor appointed by the county executive.
