Pediatrician nominated as public health officer

FAYETTEVILLE — The city’s board of health made a selection Wednesday for a new public health officer position.

The board nominated Martha Sharkey, a pediatrician with a background in public health, to fulfill the role. Sharkey runs Rainbow Pediatric Clinic on Mission Boulevard near Crossover Road.

State law allows cities to create a public health officer position to answer to a board of health, but the duties are written vaguely, City Attorney Kit Williams said. The officer’s responsibilities can change over time to respond to a pandemic or any other health emergency, he said.

The City Council last month re-established the board of health to advise administrators on best practices and policies during the pandemic. The city had a board of health for a number of years, but it was dissolved in 2018 after not having an agenda item for more than a year.

In the same move, the council allocated $50,000 from the city’s emergency fund for the board to use in its efforts and to create a city health officer position.

Mayor Lioneld Jordan will take the board’s nomination to the City Council, which will vote on whether to affirm the selection.

Board Member Huda Sharaf, medical director of the Pat Walker Health Center at the University of Arkansas, said time is of the essence.

“Getting that person to go ahead and start being a part of our team and finding out how we all work together is pretty imperative,” she said. “We can work through all the details as we go along and see what the needs are.”