As nurses lined the back wall of a St. Clair County meeting room, a dozen speakers condemned what they called hostile, sometimes threatening behavior by the county health department’s medical director, Dr. Remington Nevin.
“When there are complaints, how do you not fairly do an investigation to find out the facts?” asked Kevin Watkins, president of the local NAACP chapter. “The time is always right to do what is right,.” he said, invoking the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Patti Samar, a local magazine publisher, told commissioners, “You know how badly (Nevin) treats women … In any other workplace in America, he would be fired.”
St. Clair County’s Human Services Committee continued gathering formal complaints this week that could lead to an independent investigation of the medical director as soon as next month.
After an hour of searing criticism in last week’s meeting, county commissioners agreed that corporate counsel Gary Fletcher’s office should gather specific, named complaints and recommend whether to launch the probe into Nevin’s conduct.
The criticisms came from county health department nurses and local residents who implored the board to look into claims that Nevin has created a “toxic” work environment that threatens staff morale and ultimately community health.
Several speakers said numerous staffers have already filed formal complaints, while others said they fear retaliation and harassment if they do so. Fletcher pledged that complainants would be shielded from retaliation.
Some commissioners initially dismissed the calls for an investigation.
Board Chair Steven Simasko said many complaints have already been dealt with through the existing system. “I do not believe that (further investigation) would be helpful to move the department forward. It would only serve to create further drama and friction within the department.”
Commissioner David Rushing warned an outside investigation could be expensive and, if launched, should include a broader look at the entire department.
Commissioner Lisa Beedon countered that the system “has failed our employees.”
“We are asking our employees to report anonymously, and then we don’t investigate because it was reported anonymously,” Beedon said. “An investigation is warranted because of the totality of the complaints.”
Commissioner Dave Vandenbossche agreed. “We need to do this investigation,” he said to much applause.
A few speakers defended Nevin.
Health Advisory Board member Dawn Fulk called Nevin “a courageous medical director who has worked to return trust, transparency, personal choice, and local accountability to public health.”
Other Nevin supporters said the complaints were politically motivated.
Not so, said Katie Pringle, a clinic services nurse. “This is not about politics. This is not about political parties. It’s about accountability.”
The Board of Commissioners next meets 6 p.m. Thursday, September 17. The board’s Human Services Committee next meets 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5.
