The Virginian-Pilot
NORFOLK, Va. — Starting July 1, the city’s chief paramedic will lead the state Board of Health.
The board’s members in early June elected as their new chairman Bruce Edwards, chief of the Virginia Beach Department of Emergency Medical Services, according to a city news release. He’s represented the EMS community on the board for nearly two years.
Edwards is the most tenured paramedic in Virginia, having begun his volunteer work with the city’s rescue squads 45 years ago, according to the release. He now overseas the EMS department, which is the largest all-volunteer EMS department in the country.
The Board of Health serves a variety of functions, including helping decide which medical services and programs the Department of Health will provide, offering grants for AIDS education and services, recommending health care policy to the governor and General Assembly, and issuing emergency orders regarding health risks and contagious disease, according to the Department of Health website.
“This is a great honor,” Edwards said in the release. “Together with the other very talented board members, I will continue to work closely with the Health Commissioner, Dr. Karen Remley, and the staff of the Virginia Department of Health to ensure the health and safety of all Virginians.”
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