San Antonio health department sees another leadership shakeup amid coronavirus surge
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Colleen Bridger, the city’s current interim Metro Health director, will stay on as the city’s coronavirus czar though she will gain the title of “incident commander” of the COVID-19 response. Bridger was expected to resign Jan. 8 but will now stay on “through the pandemic,” City Manager Erik Walsh said Monday.Kin Man Hui /Staff photographerShow MoreShow Less
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Mary Garr, CEO of the nonprofit Family Service Association, will become the city’s interim Metro Health Director and will handle the health district’s day-to-day operations other than the pandemic response, City Manager Erik Walsh announced Monday. Pictured, Garr at the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce’s annual “Celebrate America’s Military” game on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019 at Morgan’s Wonderland.Kin Man Hui /Staff photographerShow MoreShow Less
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SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department finds itself undergoing another transition during the coronavirus pandemic.
Following the unexpected resignation of Dawn Emerick in June, Assistant City Manager Dr. Colleen Bridger delayed her departure to continue serving as Metro Health’s interim director. After announcing her resignation again in December, Bridger confirmed that she will continue leading city efforts against the pandemic as the COVID-19 Incident Commander while the city begins to recruit a new director for Metro Health.
Texas Public Radio
File Photo: Dr. Colleen Bridger, center right, attends a discussion about the city s domestic violence prevention plan in October 2019
Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger will delay her departure from the City of San Antonio to continue overseeing the response to the pandemic and a former commander of Joint Base San Antonio Fort Sam Houston will take over as Metro Health Director
San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh told the Mayor and City Council that Dr. Bridger will transition to be the COVID-19 Incident Commander on Jan. 8. In the same memo, Walsh said Mary Garr, President and CEO of Family Service, agreed to serve as interim Metro Health Director while a national search is conducted.