21 January 2021 — 1057 mst
New Flathead County health board member
has testified in favor of wearing face masks
Jessica Malberg-Fiftal, a Whitefish veterinarian in her late thirties, will complete the last year of Tamalee St. James Robinson’s on Flathead County’s board of health. Flathead County’s commmissioners unanimously approved her appointment on 19 January.St. James Robinson was on leave as a health board member while she served as the county’s pubic health officer. Her rocky tenure as public health officer ended with her resignation in December. Former public health officer Joe Russell is back at his old job while the county searches for someone able to fill the position long term.
Some on social media are wondering whether a medical doctor should have been been appointed instead of a veterinarian. There’s no reason to worry about that. Malberg-Fiftal is a scientist and will bring a scientists approach to her job on the board of health.
And she supports wearing masks to provide protection against the Covid-19 virus. Here’s her testimony before the Flathead health board on 19 November 2019:
“As a fifth generation Montanan and as Veterinary Radiologist with a Masters of Science in Public Health, I am requesting that you enforce the wearing of masks in public an limit large gatherings. Masks have been proven to be effective for decades which is why we wear them in the operating theater.
With over 70 COVID new positive KRH employees recently we cannot sit around and pretend that this is a political issue. This is the safety of our community that you are disregarding.
There are members of this board who are more interesting in propagating conspiracy theories then they are protecting their community. They are disregarding the very simple mission statement of this board, are not fit for this position and should be removed.
Sincerely,
Jessica Malberg-Fiftal, DVM, MSPH, DACVR”