West Virginia Code 16-2-12 – Local health officer; term of appointment; qualifications; reappointment; compensation; and removal
A local board of health shall appoint a full-time or part-time local health officer. The local health officer shall be a physician or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse with the ability to practice independently currently licensed in this state and knowledgeable in the science of public health. A local health officer serves at the will and pleasure of the local board for a term of one year and is eligible for reappointment at compensation determined by the local board of health.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 16-2-12
- board: means a board of health serving one or more counties or one or more municipalities or a combination thereof. See West Virginia Code 16-2-2
- Commissioner: means the Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health, who is the state health officer. See West Virginia Code 16-2-2
- Local health officer: means the individual physician with a current West Virginia license to practice medicine or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse that has the ability to independently practice who supervises and directs the activities of the local health department services, staff and facilities and is appointed by the local board of health. See West Virginia Code 16-2-2
- Secretary: means the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources. See West Virginia Code 16-2-2
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
A local health officer may be removed from office by the commissioner if the local health officer fails or refuses to carry out the lawful orders or rules of the secretary in the event the commissioner determines a public health emergency exists or if the local health officer fails or refuses to enforce public health laws and rules necessary to prevent and control the spread of communicable or reportable diseases dangerous to the public health. Upon removal, a successor local health officer shall immediately be appointed by the board pursuant to the provisions of this article.