Delaware County Council took a key step April 7 toward creating a Delaware County Health Department when it appointed five members to its new Board of Health.

Creating a Board of Health is a pre-requisite by the Pennsylvania Department of Health in order to be recognized as a County Health Department.

The five were chosen from 85 applicants.

The new members are:

• Patrick J. Brennan, MD, Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Penn Medicine
• Rosemarie O’Malley Halt RPh. MPH, Delaware County COVID-19 Task Force Director
• Y. Lilly Higgins MD MBA MS, Market Chief Medical Officer at Keystone First and AmeriHealth Caritas PA
• Oni Richards, Executive Director of African Family Health Organization
• Lora Siegmann Werner, Regional Director/Environmental Health Scientist at the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry

A new health department is on track to open January 2022.

You can see resumes of the board of health members here.

 “The five Board of Health members selected demonstrate both the experience and knowledge necessary to assist and guide the health department’s efforts and an immense passion towards ensuring our residents are receiving the highest level of public health services,” said Delaware County Council Vice-Chair Dr. Monica Taylor.

A director for the new health department and personnel will be chosen this summer.

Read more about the new health department here.