Health Commissioner Intends to Step Down from Position
After four years of leading the Putnam County Department of Health, Dr. Allen Beals announced he intends to step down as health commissioner.
In a press release sent out by Beals from his county email address, it stated Beals wants to transition to the role of medical consultant for the health department, pending legislative approval for budgetary adjustments.
According to the release, Beals wants to “spend more time doing only the things he likes to do.”
“I’ll be free from the day-to-day administrative tasks,” Beals, 65, said “but still be able to add my expertise as a physician and public health advocate. And frankly, after my birthday my wife prevailed upon me that after 40 plus years of continuous professional practice, it might be time to slow down a little. We’ll see if she’s right.”
There was no immediate comment from the county executive office regarding Beals’ statement before Monday afternoon’s press deadline.
County Executive MaryEllen Odell appointed Beals to the post in 2012. The Putnam Valley resident is a retired obstetrician-gynecologist and attorney. When first selected by Odell, New York State limited his term to two years because he lacked background in public health, according to a 2012 article in The Journal News and is now in the middle of a six-year deal, which is the usual for health chiefs in the state.
During Beals’ tenure, the health department jump-started multiple initiatives, including Eat Smart Restaurant Week, Run 4 Your Life event, a radon program and the Feral Cat Task Force, according to the release. Health department employees have presented at both national and state conferences and have been published in numerous public health publications, according to the release.
The health department is also near achieving National Public Health Accreditation, which only two of the 57 counties in the state can boast. Putnam County would be the first in the Hudson Valley to reach that mark, according to the release.
In the press release, the health department personnel unanimously expressed to county government “it would be a terrible loss for the county and the health department to not have Dr. Beals available for consultation.”
Supervising Public Health Nurse Kathy Percacciolo said in the release, “I am so happy to continue to have Dr. Beals’ steady guidance for health issues affecting the county” and Director of Environmental Health Robert Morris added, “That we will continue to benefit from Dr. Beals’ knowledge and experience on regulatory issues is a great advantage. Public health and environmental health law affects the health of the Putnam community.”
At times, Beals could be a lightning rod for controversy.
He closed Spur Beach in Putnam Valley because it failed to meet certain standards of safety due to the grade level being too steep, upsetting some Putnam Valley residents and officials. Last summer, he accused Putnam Valley Supervisor Bob Tendy and the town assessor office of raising his tax assessment on his town property, Willow Ridge Farm, as retaliation for closing the beach. Although Beals got his assessment decreased on appeal, no evidence proved the town did anything vindictive and the timeline of events made Beals’ claim dubious, town officials pointed out.
Most recently during budget time, Beals spoke out against the county executive branch’s proposal to increase the health contributions of county retirees, essentially speaking out against his boss.
There was no word when Beals would transition to the new positions he seeks and no word on when a new commissioner would be named.
