After 25 years as Medical Officer of Health Dr. Allen Heimann will be retiring from the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit.

Heimann will transition to part-time in October 2014, his last day with the Health Unit will be December 31, 2014.

Heimann says a lot has changed since he first took on the role. “We’ve moved much more into health promotion, especially with infants and children. Recognizing the importance of providing infants and children with a good start.”

Dr. Gary Kirk will take over the position of Medical Officer of Health when Heimann retires. He says his biggest challenge will be meeting Dr. Heimann’s level of expertise. “I don’t know if I’ll change much of the direction of the organization but my interest is in trying to improve the resource allocation of the organization so we improve our health outcomes.”

The recruitment process for a new Associate Medical Officer of Health will begin immediately.