Health officer brings decades of experience

Ron Petrie of Thompson Falls has taken the position of Health Officer for Sanders County. Petrie was chosen by the Sanders County Commissioners to fill the position, which has been vacant since last year. While Petrie will not have any voting power, he will act as an advisor to the County Health Board.

After receiving eight applications, the health board interviewed Petrie and three other candidates for the position. Commissioner Tony Cox said all three candidates were good but said he liked the knowledge Petrie possessed. "He's been all over the world and experienced different cultures," Cox said. "I enjoyed his interview." Cox also spoke of Petrie's demeanor, saying he was interesting and pleasant to talk to. "He's the total package," Cox said.

Petrie received his associates in nursing from Walla Walla University and his undergraduate degree from the University of Bellingham. Petrie then applied for a nursing practitioner's program out of Phoenix. He was one of seven out of 300 applicants for the pilot program. He retired in 2017 at the age of 67 as a registered nurse.

Petrie believes as a part of his community, he has something to contribute and that is what pushed him to apply for the position. "I think the position is a good fit for the background I have," Petrie said.

Petrie was a key component in the United States Embassy as a disaster coordinator who helped bring aid during the Fukushima nuclear disaster and has also spent time in Ecuador helping with the common occurrence of earthquakes in the country. From 2007 to 2008, he was in an Iraq war zone working as a department director for the defense clinic. "I worked overseas for 26 years in 68 countries," he said. "Most were underdeveloped and had specific medical issues."

Petrie lives in Thompson Falls with his family. He spends his time building a hot rod out of his garage and just recently finished a 230-mile bicycle trip. "I went from Durango, Colorado, to Moab, Utah," he said. "I went over the handlebars twice. That's not good for a 68-year-old guy."

While Petrie has only held his position for a short while he is already working on vaccine promotion and the Campylobacter bacteria outbreak linked to Kennedy Creek south of Paradise. "It's really more of a legal question," he said. "Who is legally liable and who's responsible to stop it? It's no question it's a polluted and unsafe water source."

The new health officer says it's been nice getting back to doing something where he has a role to play and says the authority of the position should be used judicially. "That will help remind who you're serving," he said. "You're here to do the best you can and the health of the people is the main priority."

Working with the commissioners on health concerns will be the main priority of his job, and Petrie says he will be an advocate for the people. "I want to help people to make their lives work," he said. "I want to make lives easier rather than more difficult."

After attending the commissioners' meetings, Petrie says he is pleased to see they are open to the public and is happy with the amount of interest he has seen from people in the community. "It's nice to see people involved," he said. "It's healthy in this environment for people to do that."