San Antonio Metro Health has gone through several changes in the past few months. SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department finds itself undergoing another transition during the coronavirus pandemic. Dr. Sandra Guerra, who had served as Metro Health’s interim deputy public health director since October, also stepped down from that post and is now helping Metro Health in a part-time role. Since April, amid the greatest public health crisis in a century, 181 state or local public health leaders have resigned, retired, or been fired. Collectively, the loss of expertise and experience has created a leadership vacuum in the profession, public health experts say.

SAN ANTONIO – Dr. Colleen Bridger, assistant city manager of San Antonio and the Metropolitan Health District’s interim director, has notified City Manager Eric Walsh that she will be leaving her post in January. Bridger had initially planned to leave the city in mid-July to launch a private consulting business. However, she took over as interim director of Metro Health after director Dr. Bridger had served as Metro Health director between March 2017 and July 2019 before being appointed assistant city manager. Walsh issued the following statement after the announcement of Bridger’s departure:“Colleen has done an outstanding job while facing extraordinarily challenges.

April 1: The San Antonio Fire Department and San Antonio Metropolitan Health District announced a COVID-19 outbreak at the Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation Center at 4302 Southcross. July 17: A directive issued by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District stated school districts in San Antonio could not reopen schools for on-campus face-to-face instruction until after Sept. 7. The San Antonio River Walk Association and City of San Antonio announced they have canceled the 2020 Ford Holiday River Parade. The FDA gave emergency use approval of a new drug combination of Remdesivir that was tested in clinical trials in San Antonio by UT Health San Antonio and its clinical partner, University Health. Dec. 6: Dr. Virginia Kaklamani, a breast oncologist at UT Health San Antonio MD Anderson Cancer Center, said the 2020 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium will be virtual.

Emerick’s personnel records from Oregon reveal clashes with another health executivePublished: July 22, 2020, 5:19 pmEighteen months before she resigned as San Antonio’s health director amid tensions with an assistant city manager, Dawn Emerick clashed with another health department executive at a previous job in northwest Oregon, according to public records obtained by the KSAT 12 Defenders.

Swift remains the county’s HHS director and it appears he assumed Emerick’s former role for a time, as he is also listed on the county’s website as its interim public health director. The Defenders found a media release from last month naming a new public health director for the county, however. When Bridger requested something from Emerick, Emerick would either say “it was a dumb request or that she couldn’t do everything” asked of her. “Multiple employees expressed concern about Dawn being rude, condescending and demeaning of (epidemiological) staff on calls with multiple people,” Bridger wrote. “There is also a glaring deficit in her ability to understand and explain epidemiology and public health science,” Bridger wrote.

SAN ANTONIO – Newly released emails from former Metro Health Director Dawn Emerick and Assistant City Manager Dr. Colleen Bridger revealed a dysfunctional relationship between the two city leaders as San Antonio was battling a COVID-19 pandemic. In Emerick’s email to HR Director Lori Steward five days before her resignation, Emerick hinted as much. “There is also a glaring deficit in her ability to understand and explain epidemiology and public health science,” Bridger wrote. Bridger agreed to put off her resignation indefinitely and serve as interim Metro Health Director while the city finds a replacement. Emerick wanted the city to adopt a resolution similar to one approved by the Dallas City Council, Bridger wrote.

SAN ANTONIO – The group that helped place Dawn Emerick at the head of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District will help find her replacement after her quick departure. Dawn Emerick stepped down as director of Metro Health on June 25 following documented friction between her and her supervisor, former Metro Health director and current Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger. Because Emerick’s resignation came within that window, the firm will launch the search for her replacement free-of-charge and help fill her position. She remains at Metro Health as deputy director over the community health division. I remain extremely proud of my equity work during my short time at Metro Health.

Records reveal more behind hiring process for former San Antonio Metro Health directorIf you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

Emails detail feud between former San Antonio Metro Health director, assistant city managerPublished: July 21, 2020, 5:02 pmFive days before San Antonio Metro Health Director Dawn Emerick resigned from her post, an internal email revealed a conflict between Emerick and Assistant City Manager Dr. Colleen Bridger.

SAN ANTONIO – Five days before San Antonio Metro Health Director Dawn Emerick resigned from her post, an internal email revealed a conflict between Emerick and Assistant City Manager Dr. Colleen Bridger. Emerick had surprised city officials when she submitted her resignation, which was accepted on June 25 by City Manager Erik Walsh. City protocol is that employees include their supervisors in communications with the City Manager,” Bridger wrote, according to Emerick’s email. Dr. Bridger has implemented significant and overdue improvements in her three weeks since taking over as director of Metro Health. READ MORE: Metro Health Director wants person of color to replace her, per resignation letter

SAN ANTONIO San Antonio leaders have delegated an interim Metro Health director for the time being after Metro Health Director Dr. According to a spokesperson for Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Dr. Colleen Bridger, assistant city manager, will take over as the interim Metro Health director until someone else is hired into the position. I have full confidence in Dr. Bridger and the Metro Health team in its ongoing management of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, said City Manager Erik Walsh. Dr. Bridger will continue serving as the assistant city manager and will oversee her current departments: Parks and Recreation, Human Services and the Office of Equity. Read also:Metro Health director resigns as COVID-19 cases surge in San AntonioMetro Health Director wants person of color to replace her, per resignation letter

SAN ANTONIO The outgoing director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, Dawn Emerick, said although her resignation from her position may have been surprising to city leaders, that wasnt the case for her close coworkers. In her resignation letter, Emerick said she hoped her position would be filled with a person of color. Bridger had previously served as Metro Health director between March 2017 and July 2019, when she was appointed as an assistant city manager. Dawn Emerick, EdD (@DawnEmerickEdD) June 27, 2020She thanked San Antonio residents for their support and said overall, it was a privilege for her to be the director of Metro Health for the city. Dawn Emerick, EdD (@DawnEmerickEdD) June 27, 2020Read also:Assistant City Manager Colleen Bridger agrees to be interim Metro Health director after previous directors resignationMetro Health director resigns as COVID-19 cases surge in San AntonioMetro Health Director wants person of color to replace her, per resignation letter

If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Copyright © 2020 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and pubished by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings.

SAN ANTONIO – The outgoing Metropolitan Health Director in San Antonio wants a person of color to replace her, she wrote in her resignation letter. “These are very extraordinary and unpredictable times and for many families, it’s even been a bit traumatizing,” Emerick wrote. Emerick was preceded by Dr. Colleen Bridger, who is now an assistant city manager in San Antonio, though Bridger also has plans to resign in July. “While staff, community members and residents, have warmly embraced me, it’s time for the City of San Antonio to appoint a person of color to lead one of the largest public health departments in the country,” Emerick wrote. Emerick wrote that her last day on the job will be July 3.

SAN ANTONIO – The woman charged with overseeing the city’s health strategy, Metro Health Director Dr. San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg praised Metro Health, saying their vital work will continue. Before she was assistant city manager, Bridger oversaw Metro Health since March 2017. San Antonio Assistant City Manager Dr. Colleen Bridger to resignWalsh issued a statement on the resignation Friday morning:“Last night, I received a letter of resignation from Metro Health Director Dr. Dr. Bridger and I will work with my team to develop a plan going forward.”

Dawn Emerick resigned from from her job as San Antonio Metro health director. Nationwide, the new coronavirus has disproportionately hurt communities of color from disparate access to testing sites to higher fatality rates. Heeding calls from Black and Hispanic lawmakers, state health officials announced this month they will launch a study on the virus impact on communities of color and other vulnerable populations. Clearly, the timing is not good, but we wish her well in her future endeavors, City Manager Erik Walsh said Friday. She and Walsh will develop a plan for replacing Emerick, Walsh said.

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio health officials say the balance between testing for COVID-19 and processing those tests is “tough” due to demand, but locals should expect a new, large access point in the coming days. Dawn Emerick, director of Metro Health, said the department is working with labs as they keep up with the demand for testing. San Antonio ranks third for major cities with fastest growing COVID-19 cases, report findsProcessing tests at labs have “been a challenge from day one,” she said during Tuesday’s daily COVID-19 briefing with Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff. Greg Abbott recommends Texans stay home as coronavirus cases surgeIt’s a community responsibility, she said, when it comes to increasing access points for testing. VIDEO: What is San Antonio’s testing capacity?

SAN ANTONIO – The COVID-19 testing site at Freeman Coliseum is booked until Tuesday amid a rising number of novel coronavirus cases in Bexar County, officials said. San Antonio metro area named COVID-19 hotspot, CNBC reports“Although many testing sites are overwhelmed with demand for COVID-19 tests, we are increasing the capacity to test and expanding access to both no-cost and paid testing sites across Bexar County,” stated Dr. Walkup testing sites will expand six days per week instead of three and will be open Monday through Saturday. Click here for more information on testing sites. Officials said the Texas Military Department will have a testing site open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at ESD #12, Station 136, located at 11800 Highway 87 in Adkins, Texas.

SAN ANTONIO Editors Note: Watch the entire briefing in the video player above. Nirenberg said its very clear whats happening in San Antonio and is also happening in other Texas urban areas that are seeing a rise in infections. Contract tracers and Metro Health call positive patients to continue their investigation and reach all those infected, Emerick said. She also said Metro Health should have the results of those who protested and got tested sometime this week. Coronavirus data: San Antonio cases stabilizing, but officials urge vigilance to avoid second waveMORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE FROM KSAT:

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff updated the community about the local response to COVID-19 in their daily briefing Thursday night. She said a sustained increase in symptomatic positive cases in a large number is a trigger for Metro Health. All labs must report testing data to Metro Health. Metro Health is also having issues with contract tracing due to lack of communication from some patients who test positive. The public will have to wait another week before seeing any results from recent protests that have been happening across Bexar County.

SAN ANTONIO Like other major cities across the country, COVID-19 cases have grown so rapidly in San Antonio that local health experts have deemed it a second wave.In the last five days, 701 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Bexar County. The information comes from data provided by San Antonio Metropolitan Health Department. The rise in cases prompted Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff to send Texas Gov. Roughly 60% of Bexar County residents who have been infected with COVID-19 have recovered, but that percentage is likely to dwindle if new cases continue to rise. READ MORE: All-time high COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations reported in San Antonio, Bexar County this week

SAN ANTONIO As San Antonio begins to reopen, experts always expected a rise in COVID-19 cases, but a few of the citys progress indicators are a cause for concern. In the last three days, a total of 506 new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in San Antonio. This is not gradual, said Dawn Emerick, San Antonio Metro Health Director. Its too early.Texas reports largest single-day increase in coronavirus casesIn San Antonio, health experts have a variety of progress and warning indicators they monitor to determine the toll COVID-19 is taking on residents. Coronavirus data: San Antonio cases stabilizing, but officials urge vigilance to avoid second wave

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff updated the community about the local response to COVID-19 in their daily briefing Tuesday night. Here are a few of the highlights:Nirenberg reported 3,513 COVID-19 cases and 80 total deaths in Bexar County, as of Tuesday. Seventeen cases are from the community, one is from the Bexar County Jail, two are from congregate settings and 160 are under investigation. City officials also reported that 107 patients are hospitalized, 43 are in the intensive care unit and 24 are on ventilators. One is that the president doesnt want to comply with local health regulations.

Dawn Emerick has responded to conflicting information from the World Health Organization about asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19. Coronavirus update San Antonio, June 9: 180 new cases, 2 new COVID-19 deaths reported; Officials discuss reopening county courtsOn Monday, an official with the World Health Organization suggested asymptomatic people only rarely spread COVID-19. WHO clarifies comments on asymptomatic spread of coronavirus: Theres much unknownMetro Health also released this statement:Throughout this response, public health officials have had to adapt to new and changing circumstances. In fact, our team just concluded a asymptomatic testing study that will shed light on the rate of asymptomatic infections and what that means for our communitys public health response. We know that there is substantial asymptomatic spread, which is why we ask people to wear masks.

Metro Health conducting asymptomatic studyPublished: June 2, 2020, 10:36 pmDr. Dawn Emerick, director of the Metropolitan Health District, said the health authority is conducting an asymptomatic study and testing people in random households who consent.

Here are a few of the highlights:Nirenberg reported 2,882 COVID-19 cases and 75 total deaths in Bexar County, as of Tuesday. Eighteen cases are from the community, one is from the Bexar County Jail, five are from congregate settings and 19 are under investigation. Dawn Emerick, director of the Metropolitan Health District, said the health authority is conducting an asymptomatic study and testing people in random households who consent. Emerick said the studys goal is to help Metro Health get a quantifiable projection of asymptomatic COVID-19 cases in the area. Coronavirus data: San Antonio cases stabilizing, but officials urge vigilance to avoid second waveMORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE FROM KSAT:

It was not clear if that figure included testing performed at nursing homes with no positive cases. ORIGINALThe San Antonio Metropolitan Health District released new information about 39 COVID-19 cases from four Bexar County nursing homes. According to a city news release Tuesday afternoon, 23 residents and 16 staff members have tested positive between the four locations. San Antonio officials release information about coronavirus cases at nursing homes. Eight others are from The Rio, and the other nine are from other nursing homes or hospitals in San Antonio, Blake said.

Eight of the 60 staff members at Southeast Nursing & Rehabilitation have tested positive and are in self-isolation away from the facility, San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood said. “Of the eight staff members who are COVID positive, we know that two of them worked in other facilities," Hood said. “And the staff members who have not been tested, we know they worked in at least 7 facilities in the city. Metro Health will test 17 other staff members at the nursing home today, and health officials are still trying to contact 28 of the staff members for testing. "Finally, there should not be any sick personnel at nursing facilities.

SAN ANTONIO – Several Texas lawmakers from the area will be joined by other government officials for a Facebook Live event at 7 p.m. on Monday. Facebook Live will be available for viewing on the following Facebook Pages:Questions can be submitted on those Facebook pages. The following will be participating in the hour-long event:Texas State Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (Dist. 120)Texas State Sen. Pete FloresTexas State Sen. Jose MenendezDr. Charles J. Lerner, Texas Medical Association COVID-19 Taskforce MemberDawn Emerick, Director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health DistrictAnthony Ruiz, District Director San Antonio District Office U.S. Small Business AdministrationCOVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.