By Michael Howell
LuAnn Burgmuller, Director of the Ravalli County Public Health Department, has resigned. She worked as a Public Health Nurse for seven years, the last two as Director.
“I never aspired to be the Director,” said Burgmuller, “I just fell into it.” She fell into it when previous director Judy Griffin, who served as director for 14 years, resigned.
Burgmuller said that when she started working for the county in 2010 there were six full time employees and she served part-time as the seventh employee. Now there are only two full time employees and three part-time. The office was drastically downsized when the County Commissioners refused to accept Title X funding in 2013. The office was funded under the program for the previous 40 years.
Ravalli County is seventh in the state in population but has the smallest per capita health office in the state.
“We had to re-group and re-focus,” said Burgmuller. “It has been a struggle and a challenge. But we are not the only department facing budgetary problems.”
Burgmuller said that the county was facing a nursing shortage as well. She notified the county that she was resigning back in November to give them adequate time to find a replacement, but they still haven’t found one. Her resignation became effective January 20.
The commissioners did interview two candidates for the position last week. Angie Spooner, the last nurse standing in the office at this point, will serve as director of the office until a replacement is found.