OPINION: Anchorage should help choose our own top doctor

Did you know that until very recently, there were zero qualifications in Anchorage municipal code for the office of our chief medical officer? It’s somewhat surprising, but true. Despite the importance of the role, our local laws provided no guidance on the educational or professional background required for the position.

That changed on Nov. 7, 2023 when my colleagues on the Anchorage Assembly voted unanimously to approve an ordinance I sponsored which established the following as minimum expectations: 1. Successful graduation from an accredited medical school in the United States, conferring the degree of either Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.O.), or the international equivalent; 2. Completion of an ACGME accredited medical residency; and 3. an active license to practice medicine in the state of Alaska.

These very basic qualifications are necessary when we consider some of the important responsibilities of the chief medical officer. They include:

• Advise the mayor when exercising special powers during a state of public health emergency;

• Advise the human resources director in development and implementation of employee drug testing policies;

• Provide information and advice to the mayor and assembly as requested on any matters involving public health.

During a public health emergency, the role becomes especially consequential, as concurrence of the chief medical officer is required to compel testing, screening, or examination of a non-consenting individual for contagious diseases. That concurrence is also required should the mayor order treatment or medications, or the mandatory quarantine of individuals or groups who refuse said treatment.

Anchorage deserves to have someone qualified and trusted at the helm when it comes to making decisions on important public health matters or providing valuable advice to policymakers. To that end, I believe the next step Anchorage should take is to help ensure a thorough public vetting of any qualified applicant for the role.

One way we can do that is to require Assembly confirmation of the appointee. In current code, the mayor has the ability to appoint whomever they want to the position, without the check-and-balance scrutiny that comes with a confirmation process. Instead, requiring Assembly confirmation would allow for 12 elected policymakers to weigh in, on behalf of their constituents, on whether the applicant is truly fit for duty on the basis of their qualifications and other background information. It would also establish a public process where members of the community could view the doctor’s résumé and provide additional feedback or information on the appointee.

On Dec. 19, my colleagues and I are scheduled to vote on AO 2023-128, an ordinance creating a ballot proposition to amend Anchorage’s Home Rule Charter to require Assembly confirmation of the chief medical officer. If the ordinance passes, that means, you, Anchorage voters, will have an opportunity to decide whether that requirement for confirmation should be in place. If voters say ‘yes,’ it would mean you, Anchorage residents, have a greater say in Anchorage’s public health. After all, don’t we all value the ability to choose our own doctor?

Dr. Daniel Volland is an optometrist and represents North Anchorage on the Anchorage Assembly.

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