Courtesy of https://www.covid19.dnco.org/

The Del Norte Public Health Branch has hired a deputy public health officer to assist Dr. Warren Rehwaldt.

Dr. Palak Patel, who grew up on the North Coast, will provide backup for Rehwaldt, according to a Thursday news release from the Public Health Branch:

The Del Norte Public Health Branch of the Department of Health and Human Services is pleased to announce a contract with Dr. Palak Patel, as Deputy Public Health Officer for our County. He is joining the department to provide backup and assistance for Dr. Rehwaldt.

Dr. Patel grew up on the north coast, as his father has been a physician in the community of Brookings for many years. Dr. Patel has experience in the hospital, both as a hospitalist and as the recent director of the Acute Rehabilitation Unit at Sutter Coast, and is board certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine. He has also been the medical director at skilled nursing facilities in our community. He brings a great deal of experience that is useful when joining a health department in the middle of a pandemic!

This announcement comes as Del Norte County's two active COVID-19 cases are isolating at home, according to the county's Information Hub. No new positive cases were reported to the Public Health Branch as of Thursday.

Del Norte has had a total of 124 positive COVID-19 cases and one death, according to the Information Hub.

Please help us welcome him to the Del Norte team!

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