POUGHKEEPSIE – Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro has announced that Anil Vaidian MD, MPH will step down as the commissioner of Behavioral and Community Health after more than four years at the department dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Vaidian’s resignation is effective Friday, September 10.
Dr. Vaidian joined the County Department of Behavioral and Community Health in April 2017, following more than 13 years of local county public health service at the Rockland County Department of Health and Westchester County Government’s Division of Disease Control.
Dr. Vaidian’s decades of experience as an infectious disease specialist have been considered “crucial” by county officials as he led the health department team in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, which has consumed public health professionals since January 2020.
Dr. Vaidian has been at the forefront of the county’s efforts, providing public health guidance to the community from the initial news conference announcing the first positive case in March 2020, to hundreds of conference calls with community leaders, hospital and healthcare professionals, school district leaders, faith-based organizations as well as virtual town hall updates and videos for the public over the past 17 months, said the county executive.
“Dutchess County is a healthier community due to the four-plus years Dr. Vaidian served as our health commissioner,” Molinaro said. “Faced with a pandemic the likes of which we’ve never seen in our lifetimes, Dr. Vaidian oversaw our county health department through its most challenging times in memory, using his infectious disease expertise to inform and educate our residents while formulating public health guidance to protect them.”
Molinaro noted that the county will begin an executive search for an individual with the necessary combination of management skill and clinical knowledge to serve as Commissioner. In September, an acting commissioner from within the department will be appointed by Molinaro, pending approval by the New York State Department of Health.
