The Montgomery County, Maryland, board of education approved the appointment of Dr. Patricia Kapunan as the school system’s new medical officer.
Kapunan currently serves as the medical director at the Adolescent Health Center at Children’s National Hospital’s Division of Adolescent Young Adult Medicine.
The post was created to assist the schools in dealing with the coronavirus and other public health issues, as well as managing the mental health needs of children across the school system.
According to the job posting from Montgomery County Public Schools, the medical officer will be expected to work closely with the county Department of Health and Human Services.
School Superintendent Monifa McKnight announced the appointment during the board of education’s meeting on Thursday.
The appointment comes the day after Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich told reporters in his weekly briefing that the county had selected a candidate to fill the post of Montgomery County Health Officer, a spot that’s been vacant since Dr. Travis Gayles left the post in September.
Elrich said the county’s preferred candidate was being interviewed by the Maryland Department of Health, a step that’s required before the county can move ahead with an official appointment.