Douglas County Health Director Dr. Adi Pour announces she will retire

On Wednesday morning, Douglas County Health Director Dr. Adi Pour announced she would be retiring.

She made the announcement during the Douglas County Health Board meeting.

"I'd like to retire at the end of June," she said. "I've thought about this a lot over the last year."

She said she needed the time to be right for the community, the health department and her family.

"I think the time is right. This department is strong," she said.

Pour thanks her husband for his support and the board of the health for their work. She called it a "dream job," saying that public health has risen to new heights.

She said she is grateful for the time in her position and said that it has been an honor.

Board president Chris Rodgers announces the Health Director Search Committee will search for Pour's replacement. Soon, the position will be posted nationally, given the “gravity of the position” says Rodgers. Three or four finalists will be chosen and be made public following applications and interviews.

Pour also announced that last week the health department transitioned to an electronic vaccination count system. There was a hard copy system but that was causing problems. She said this will create a more accurate count of how many people have been vaccinated within the county.

Pour said the positivity rate is now 5.8%. As of last night, there are 92 COVID-19 patients in hospitals and 33% are in ICU.

She said that as of Wednesday, there are as many people vaccinated in Douglas County as have had COVID-19. Pour said those vaccinated are 80% white and that more needs to be done to reach out to minority communities.

Pour said as early as next week—we could move into the next age range for vaccinations. This group will include 60-64 and those with underlying conditions.

As for the lack of permanent vaccination sites in North Omaha, Pour explains the department looked high and low for a site but none so far have met the criteria. She said smaller, temporary sites may be a better fit for now. She said staffing is a critical issue at those sites. She said volunteers are more than welcome, but these sites also need more permanent staff.

Also discussed at the meeting, Reverend Portia Cavitt of Claire United Methodist Church said, “We need to have the vaccine clinics in North Omaha.” She called on the board for a better roll-out of vaccines for people of color, pointing to the board’s declaration of racism as a public health crisis in 2020. Dr. Sade Kosoko-Laski from Creighton went through what kind of promotional material that helps racial and ethnic minority groups gain trust in the vaccine.

Andrea Skolkin of One World addressed how the community clinic has responded to the pandemic since the beginning and now how it is handling vaccines. She said the clinic is phasing out the Pfizer vaccine, looking to replace those with the Moderna. Skolkin said the clinic is working closely with five meatpacking plants—vaccinating employees with Johnson & Johnson doses to avoid two shots.

Rodgers says he’s concerned as this pandemic shifts, whether it worsens or improves, will people receive rental, utility and food assistance in the future—and will the navigation program be as strong in its efforts to help people as it is now.