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County names interim public health officer
By Ashley Rhodebeck
Daily News staff writer
Karen Cain, public health nursing director, chosen to fill in for Dr. Joseph Schurhammer
A longtime Rock County employee will act as the county's public health officer until officials find a permanent replacement for Dr. Joseph Schurhammer, whose last day is Tuesday.
Karen Cain, the county's public health nursing director, will take on the health officer's responsibilities Wednesday, County Administrator Craig Knutson announced Friday.
“I'm flattered that the county administration feels that I can do the job that needed to be done while we look to fill the health officer position,” Cain said.
Knutson said Cain was a natural choice because the director of nursing is the next level down in terms of supervisory positions in the department and because she has a vast amount of experience.
“I have every confidence in her,” Knutson said.
Cain said she will continue to serve as nursing director and said the next few months will be challenging because she has not had this amount of responsibility.
“But as I said, we have a wonderful staff here at this health department, so I know that the staff will continue to move forward in the direction they've been going,” Cain said.
Cain received her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Iowa and her master's degree in nursing from the University of Minnesota. She holds a post-master's degree certificate in nursing from Indiana University and is a registered nurse in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Cain began working for the Rock County Health Department in 1986 and left in 2001 as a nursing supervisor.
From 2001 to 2006 she served as an assistant professor at Saint Anthony College of Nursing in Rockford, where she provided instruction in classroom and clinical settings.
She returned to the health department in 2006.
As acting health officer, Cain will be the head of the department and oversee the health and safety of the county's citizens. The health department provides health education, immunization clinics, private water well testing and other public health services.
“I'm just going to be making sure things can move forward, and I'm looking forward to having a permanent health officer in the near future,” Cain said.
The county started the recruitment process soon after Schurhammer announced his resignation earlier this summer. It could take several months, Knutson said.
Schurhammer, who has a veterinary medicine degree, joined the health department in July 2006 following his retirement from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel.
During his time as county health officer, he worked to promote health department programs, particularly in the areas of bio-terrorism training and prescription drug disposal.
A longtime Rock County employee will act as the county's public health officer until officials find a permanent replacement for Dr. Joseph Schurhammer, whose last day is Tuesday.
Karen Cain, the county's public health nursing director, will take on the health officer's responsibilities Wednesday, County Administrator Craig Knutson announced Friday.
“I'm flattered that the county administration feels that I can do the job that needed to be done while we look to fill the health officer position,” Cain said.
Knutson said Cain was a natural choice because the director of nursing is the next level down in terms of supervisory positions in the department and because she has a vast amount of experience.
“I have every confidence in her,” Knutson said.
Cain said she will continue to serve as nursing director and said the next few months will be challenging because she has not had this amount of responsibility.
“But as I said, we have a wonderful staff here at this health department, so I know that the staff will continue to move forward in the direction they've been going,” Cain said.
Cain received her bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Iowa and her master's degree in nursing from the University of Minnesota. She holds a post-master's degree certificate in nursing from Indiana University and is a registered nurse in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Cain began working for the Rock County Health Department in 1986 and left in 2001 as a nursing supervisor.
From 2001 to 2006 she served as an assistant professor at Saint Anthony College of Nursing in Rockford, where she provided instruction in classroom and clinical settings.
She returned to the health department in 2006.
As acting health officer, Cain will be the head of the department and oversee the health and safety of the county's citizens. The health department provides health education, immunization clinics, private water well testing and other public health services.
“I'm just going to be making sure things can move forward, and I'm looking forward to having a permanent health officer in the near future,” Cain said.
The county started the recruitment process soon after Schurhammer announced his resignation earlier this summer. It could take several months, Knutson said.
Schurhammer, who has a veterinary medicine degree, joined the health department in July 2006 following his retirement from the U.S. Air Force as a lieutenant colonel.
During his time as county health officer, he worked to promote health department programs, particularly in the areas of bio-terrorism training and prescription drug disposal.
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