CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — In the midst of a pandemic, there is a hyper focus on district health boards and their decision making. Many people are asking, who is on these boards and why?
Nikki Zogg Director of Southwest District Health explains that individual counties in a district each send a person to serve, that is almost always a county commissioner.
“They are appointed by the board of commissioners, there isn’t necessarily a qualification that the board members have to meet,” said Zogg.
Zogg explains that individual counties in a district each send a person to serve, that is almost always a county commissioner.
“We have a seven-member board, it’s made up of six county commissioners from each of the six counties that make up District 3 or their appointed representative, and then a physician representative,” said Zogg.
Like the other health districts in Idaho, Southwest District Health is charged with making tough decisions. Recently, the conversation has centered on if health districts will mandate masks.
Southwest District Health has not done that, but social media posts from health board member Viki Purdy have some posting online and others emailing the health board that she should resign from the board.
In a post on her personal Facebook page, Purdy writes in part – “A mask was designed to keep bacteria from wounds, it is not designed to keep the particles of a virus from reaching out to you. Most masks are dirty and germ infested. Being touched by your hands 100’s of times a day.They all come from China, let that sink in.”
In another post Purdy writes in-part – “Face masks are political and have been used by the CDC as such from the beginning of this lie of a pandemic. We have a virus just like any other virus.”
Director Zogg says the guidance from their board as a whole remains pro-mask.
“So our current guidance right now is to wear a face covering or a mask anytime that you are in a space where physical distancing or social distancing is difficult to maintain in public spaces,” said Zogg.
Zogg says other board members clearly disagree with Purdy’s viewpoint on masks, but that different perspectives are useful.
“I think decisions tend to be more thought through and different perspectives and backgrounds help inform those decisions, and I think that’s important. It helps to make a well-balanced decision that is not leaning too far in one direction or the other,” said Zogg.
Purdy is an Adams County commissioner that was appointed to the board.
“While we don’t necessarily, from the district’s perspective, agree with some of the comments that have been made, again she represents a specific view to our board and represents the constituents that have appointed her to the board of commissioners,” said Zogg.
On calls to remove Purdy from the board, Zogg says it’s a unique situation.
“We’ve never had to go through that before, so I don’t know if I can completely answer that question," said Zogg. "There isn’t necessarily a process to remove a board member that is outlined in statute that I can think of right now. That would have to be talked through by board members or board of commissioners that make up the counties that represent Southwest District Health.”
Again, Southwest District Health asks that people wear a face covering while out in public in situations where physical distancing is difficult.
“Her perspective is clearly different on that and that is okay, but again she is one person’s view on our seven-member board,” said Zogg.
KTVB reached out to Purdy for comment on this story, she did not immediately respond.
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