Lake resident to lead health
Staff writer
A county lake resident born and raised in McPherson, now working at Hillsboro Community Hospital, was hired Friday to be the new county health department director and public health officer.
Krista Schneider will begin her duties Dec. 20. She was chosen over one other candidate.
County commissioner Dave Crofoot said he was impressed with her knowledge and experience.
“She’s been working with us doing the COVID-19 vaccination PODS,” Crofoot said.
Schneider has been infection preventionist, specialty clinic manager, and employee health nurse at HCH for 2½ years. She thinks her work in infection control will help her navigate the pandemic.
She has a second-grade daughter in Marion Elementary School and a 1-year-old. She also has an 18-year-old stepdaughter with her husband, Michael.
Schneider was hired at a monthly salary of $6,633 plus $300 a month on-call pay. She will be eligible for two weeks’ vacation time to be used whenever she wants.
She will get an additional $1 an hour at the end of her first and second year with satisfactory performance.
As a nurse, Schneider has worked in Salina, Hillsboro, Oklahoma, and Texas.
“I’m looking forward to promoting and protecting the health of the residents of Marion County,” she said. “I feel I have a vested interest in the health of county residents because my husband, children and I live and work here.”
Schneider said that the health department already had good staff members in place and that she looked forward to working with them.