Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Edward Ehlinger, M.D. resigned Tuesday. The move comes after a five-part Star Tribune series reported that there was mishandling of elder abuse in senior care facilities.
Ehlinger came to the Health Department in 2011 as a respected advocate for public health after several years running the University of Minnesota student health service. In his six years as commissioner, the agency placed new emphasis on reducing racial and economic health disparities across Minnesota and rolled out innovative projects to improve public health through preventive care, diet, fitness and other wellness activities.
“Serving as Minnesota’s Health Commissioner has been a tremendous honor and the pinnacle of my public health career that has been devoted to helping improve the health and well-being of my community,” said Dr. Ehlinger. “I am thankful to Governor Dayton for this opportunity to serve, and grateful to the many tremendous public health professionals at the Department for the work they do every day to improve the lives of Minnesotans. I am proud of the work we have done to make our state healthier, for all of us.”
In a statement released on Tuesday, Governor Dayton said he was grateful to Commissioner Ehlinger for his many years of dedicated service.
Deputy Commissioner Dan Pollock will serve as acting Commissioner until a permanent replacement is appointed by Governor Dayton. Pollock expressed his strong commitment to immediately advancing MDH’s efforts to improve its management of maltreatment investigations.
Although these recent reports focused on residential care, MHCA will continue to work with MDH on home care licensing and regulatory issues, including quality of care.
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