Longtime Pendleton physician Dr. Jon Hitzman has been named the new health officer for Umatilla County.
Dr. Hitzman, who came to Pendleton in September 1997, is one of the founding members of Pendleton Family Medicine. He is also the designated medical provider for Guardian Care Center, an advocacy center for child abuse victims.
The position of health officer is a part-time position. Hitzman will be supporting the Umatilla County Health Department while maintaining his current practice at Pendleton Family Medicine.
Hitzman is a graduate of Rush Medical School in Chicago and holds a master of science degree in immunochemistry from the University of Illinois and a bachelor of science degree in biology from the same institution. After leaving medical school, Hitzman completed a family medicine residency through Shasta Cascade Family Practice residency program in Redding, Calif. Before relocating to Pendleton, he practiced in Ukiah, Calif.
When he first came to Pendleton in 1997, he was employed by St. Anthony Hospital and then started Pendleton Family Medicine in 1999. Hitzman is a former chief of staff of St. Anthony Hospital Medical Staff and is a past president of the Pendleton Independent Practitioners Association. The new health officer enjoys teaching and is currently a clinical preceptor for the OHSU physician assistant program since 2006.
Public Health Director Meghan DeBolt, who joined the department this fall, said the appointment of Hitzman coincides with a number of new initiatives being launched by the Umatilla County Health Department. Besides having a new name and a new identity, the department is currently putting the finishing touches on a proposal for a community-based clinic at the new Hawthorne Learning Center.
The department is also creating a new county-wide prevention focus designed around creating a healthier community, with special attention on the prevention of chronic illness.
“The Affordable Health Care Act is redefining how we deliver public health services,” said DeBolt. “While we will still offer some of our historical basic services, we will be much more proactive in the areas of early childhood interventions, healthy living, prevention and chronic disease management.”
For more information, contact DeBolt at 541-278-5432.
