Washington, D.C., Health Director Walks To Resign

Washington, D.C., Health Director Ivan Walks -- who "frequently clashed" with city officials over the decision to close D.C. General Hospital and "seemed unfazed" by media attention over anthrax incidents in the city last October and November -- will resign May 1 after serving for two-and-a-half years, the Washington Post reports. The "telegenic psychiatrist," who oversaw the D.C. Health Department through a number of "major changes and unprecedented public health crises," submitted his resignation to D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams (D) yesterday. Walks had a "controversial and successful" tenure, the Post reports. Walks reorganized the department, eliminated waits for drug abusers who sought detoxification and improved the city's public health laboratory. He also "gained favorable reviews" for his assessment of the risk of anthrax contamination at the city's postal facilities, and this week he released the results of a study that found a decline in the city's infant mortality rate. However, opponents have criticized Walks for the decision to close D.C. General Hospital's inpatient units last summer and lay off 2,000 city employees. D.C. Council member Kevin Chavous (D) said that the D.C. General Hospital issue "distracted" Walks from important issues and "tarnished his legacy." The Post reports that in his most recent evaluation, Walks received less than the maximum salary bonus, and his supervisors told him that the city Health Department must improve efforts in rodent control, access to substance abuse programs, responsiveness to customers and inspections of facilities for the mentally retarded. Walks "denied that he was dissatisfied with the bonus" he received and said that he "has long planned to resign at the end of Williams' first term," which ends in January. After his resignation, Walks plans to write books and consult on health system design and bioterrorism (Goldstein, Washington Post, 3/1).