Bill requires North Dakota s health officer to be a doctor Follow Us
Question of the Day By JAMES MacPHERSON - Associated Press - Monday, February 1, 2021
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - The North Dakota Legislature is considering a measure that would require the state’s health officer to be a practicing licensed physician .
The Republican-backed bill comes after a trio of health officers hand-picked by GOP Gov. Doug Burgum quit while the coronavirus pandemic was worsening in the state. Dirk Wilke, who has no medical training, has been the interim state health officer since September.
Mike Nowatzki, spokesman for the governor’s office, said Monday a new health officer will be hired soon, and the “candidate” is a physician from out of state. He would not elaborate.
The bill would require that the state health officer be a North Dakota licensed physician, which the bill's primary sponsor said is an important qualification to have as North Dakota's top health official.
Whatever happened to John Thompson, the ND farm kid who had his arms ripped off in a 1992 farm accident?
North Dakota s John Thompson became famous overnight in January 1992, when he survived having both arms ripped off on his Hurdsfield, ND farm. The world watched as he regained the use of his reattached arms following surgery. But where is he now? 8:33 am, Jan. 11, 2021 ×
HEAR TRACY BRIGGS NARRATE THIS STORY
MINOT, N.D. It’s pretty clear John Thompson is a guy who doesn’t get rattled by much. But today his cat, Toby, is getting on his last nerve.
The 10-year-old rescue cat keeps hitting the phone where Thompson is trying to have a Zoom call with The Forum.