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Highlands Today

County Confirms New Health Department Head

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By JIM KONKOLY

Highlands Today

Published: December 13, 2008

SEBRING - Highlands County commissioners voted unanimously last week to confirm the appointment of Robert Palussek as administrator of the Highlands County Health Department.

Palussek came to the department in January 2007 as finance director and has been serving as acting administrator for eight months, overseeing 120 employees since the departure of Dr. Paula Thaqi.

Commissioner Don Bates praised Palussek as having "complete command of the issues of the county."

Currently, Palussek is overseeing work toward opening the health department's third medical center, in Avon Park. He said he expects the facility to open in February or March.

Like the health department's medical centers in Sebring and Lake Placid, the Avon Park facility will provide primary care medical services, a pediatric dental clinic, services for the federal Women Infants and Children nutrition program, and environmental health services.

"The number one goal I have is to continue to improve our ability to provide access to quality health care services, and we are doing so with our Avon Park facility," Palussek said.

"My number two goal is assuring financial solvency for our health department and all the services we provide, which is very important in these challenging times of diminishing funds," he added.

"And my number three priority would be to maintain a qualified work force and invest in workforce development, since we, especially in the medical area, are in a professional health shortage area. That's on ongoing struggle, like many other health departments in a rural area."

During the 2007-08 fiscal year that ended Oct. 1, the health department provided 8,964 dental visits and 10,718 medical visits. Palussek said the number of health visits will increase this year because the health department was without a primary care physician for six months of the past fiscal year.

Palussek praised Thaqi's work as "laying a fantastic foundation, especially in building the CHIP committee that addresses community health issue. And we will continue to work very closely with our community partners."

Before joining the Highlands County Health Department, Palussek worked two years as senior management analyst for the Monroe County Health Department in The Keys.

Palussek holds the equivalent of a master's degree in administration/economics from the Academy for Administration and Business in Karlsruhe, Germany.

Before coming to the United States 5 years ago, he worked in corporate banking as a securities specialist in Stuttgart, Germany.

Highlands Today reporter Jim Konkoly can be reached at 863-386-5855 or e-mail jkonkoly@highlandstoday.com

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