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# Monroe County health department to resume regular services Tuesday with interim officer
- URL: https://bsquarebulletin.com/monroe-county-health-department-to-resume-regular-services-tuesday-with-interim-officer/
- Published: 2026-10-26T22:09:35.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-26T22:09:35.000Z
- Description: Monroe County’s health department will reopen Tuesday, restoring walk-in services, permits, vital records and STI testing. The board appointed Paul Broderick, Morgan County’s health officer, to serve on an interim basis for up to three months. The department’s top administrative post remains vacant.
- Author: Dave Askins
- Tags: Local Government, #no-inline-feature

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/20/6f/206f9007-c0a7-47d4-b87b-686c21961f22/content/images/2026/10/2026-10-26-board-of-health-6PXL_20261026_205630321-1.jpg)

The front door of the health department building around 5 p.m. on Monday. The neon-yellow sign that said, “Our Office is Currently CLOSED To Walk-in Service” was removed when a contract for an interim health officer was approved by the board of health. To the right is the posting of a [notice](https://bloomdocs.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/2026-10-26-OCR-Monroe-County-Board-of-Health-PUBLIC-NOTICE-OF-EMERGENCY-SESSION-MEETING-BOH.pdf) for an emergency meeting for 4:45 p.m. on Monday (Oct. 26). (Dave Askins, Oct. 26, 2026)

Monroe County’s health department will resume regular hours and services on Tuesday (Oct. 27). That followis the appointment of an interim health officer to replace Sarah Ryterband, who [resigned abruptly](https://bsquarebulletin.com/monroe-county-health-officer-resigns-before-removal-hearing-six-weeks-after-firing-health-administrator/) last Thursday. 

The reopening includes walk-in services, permits, birth and death certificates, and testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, according to a [Monday news release](https://bloomdocs.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/2026-10-26-Monroe-County-board-of-health-interim-health-officer-Dr-Broderick-Press-Release.pdf). 

At a brief emergency meeting Monday afternoon, the Monroe County board of health voted 4–0 to approve an employment contract with physician Paul Broderick, who has served as Morgan County’s health officer since 2011\. 

Broderick will continue serving Morgan County while working in Monroe County.  
Under the [contract](https://bloomdocs.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/2026-10-26-Monroe-County-interim-health-officer-contract-002.pdf ), Broderick will serve for no longer than three months, receiving $1,684.61 every two weeks. His authority will not include hiring, firing or disciplining employees. That means the board will still be looking to hire someone to fill the position permanently.

According to the county legal department, president of the board of county commissioners, Julie Thomas, has already signed off on the contract. It is expected to be ratified by the full board of commissioners at its regular Thursday meeting this week. 

The department had [suspended walk-in services](https://bsquarebulletin.com/monroe-county-health-department-stays-closed-to-walk-ins-monday-as-interim-officer-awaits-final-ok/) Friday and Monday [following Ryterband’s resignation](https://bsquarebulletin.com/monroe-county-health-officer-resigns-before-removal-hearing-six-weeks-after-firing-health-administrator/), which came shortly before a scheduled hearing on her possible removal. 

The department’s top administrative position also remains vacant following Ryterband’s firing of health administrator Lori Kelley.

The board has five current members. There are two vacancies on what is supposed to be a seven-member board. Monday’s vote was just 4–0, beecase Kay Leach tried to join Monday’s emergency meeting via a remote Teams connection, but was not able to turn her camera on. If a remote participant is not visible on-screen to the in-person attendees, they cannot vote. 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/20/6f/206f9007-c0a7-47d4-b87b-686c21961f22/content/images/2026/10/cropped-2026-10-26-health-department-closed-sign-1.jpg)

Next to the neon-yellow sign that says, “Our Office is Currently CLOSED To Walk-in Service” is the posting of a [notice](https://bloomdocs.org/wp-content/uploads/simple-file-list/2026-10-26-OCR-Monroe-County-Board-of-Health-PUBLIC-NOTICE-OF-EMERGENCY-SESSION-MEETING-BOH.pdf) for an emergency meeting for 4:45 p.m. on Monday, (Oct. 26). (Dave Askins, Oct. 26, 2026)