County medical director steps down

CELINA - Longtime public health official Dr. Philip Masser on Wednesday tendered his resignation as county medical director.

"It's time to step aside and let someone else take on this duty," he told the Mercer County-Celina City Board of Health during its monthly meeting.

Masser has been a member of the health department for 31 years. He served on the board, as health commissioner and most recently as medical director.

"We really appreciate you being here for our medical staff," county director of nursing Julia Shaffer told him.  

Other staff and board members also expressed their gratitude for Masser's service to the health department and the public.

Masser, in his letter of resignation, said his last day of employment is Oct. 14, but he will be available, if needed, to assist in the hiring and training process to fill the position.

His main reason for resigning is to focus on his private practice.

"I feel that it is necessary to leave my position at the health department in order to allow me the time to continue to meet the needs of my patients and medical practice due to the increasingly demanding health care system in which I work," he wrote in the letter. "I know that I am leaving with a committed and dedicated staff in place that will continue the excellence."

The board regretfully accepted the resignation.

In other business, board members gave a Coldwater businessman one month to repair an allegedly unstable wall at his ice-making shop, Seafood Island, 300 W. Main St., or face a food service license suspension.

The north wall of the building is structurally unstable, according to county environmental director Michelle Kimmel.

"There are three big ice makers in the back room and when you open the back door the wall appears insecure ... faulty," she explained.

The entire wall shifts inward when the door is opened, she added, noting rodents and insects could easily obtain access to the building.

In a letter she drafted Wednesday to send to the owner, Jerry Meiring, she stated: "When the door is closed, openings (holes) in the wall exist, which allow direct access to the outdoors. In addition to this being a public health concern, the unsecured premises presents a security concern to the food supply."

Kimmel said Meiring is in violation of the Ohio Uniform Food Safety Code, which applies to retail food establishments.

She told the board she discovered the problem while doing a routine food service inspection on the property in October. At that time, she gave Meiring a month to properly repair and seal the door, she said.

"I called (after the deadline) and his representative said the work would be done but they were shutting down ice production for the season," Kimmel told board members.

She again contacted the business in March but was told ice production hadn't yet started and repairs would be completed prior to that time.

Kimmel said in the past few weeks she made several unsuccessful attempts to call the business before performing a site visit July 30. Ice was being produced and the repairs had not been made, she said.

Kimmel noted that Meiring also has several other business locations including one in Indiana.

Meiring will have an opportunity for a hearing at the September board meeting, at which time a license suspension will be considered if he is noncompliant, Kimmel said.

The board also,

• approved four employee policies dealing with cellphones, travel reimbursement, identify theft and absences without authorized leave.

• learned from Shaffer that 1,454 vaccines were administered by the health department in July.

• learned from sanitarian/accreditation coordinator Jason Menchhofer that teams continue to meet to prepare for state accreditation requirement deadlines. An application for accreditation must be filed by the health department by July 2018 and full accreditation must be obtained by July 2020.

Accreditation standards require health departments to review strengths and weaknesses and adopt plans for improvements.