Bell could be back in old post

Texas Tech physician Todd Bell drew much praise and support during his 10-month tenure as health authority for Potter and Randall counties.
His resignation, which came amid an investigation of a Stratford nurse practitioner he oversaw, was as a surprise to many around him. It was a sign of weakness from a highly-regarded man.
However, Bell’s replace to the post, Dr. Roger Smalligan said after his appointment from the Amarillo Bi-City-County Public Health District board last night that Bell could return as health authority.
“I would not want to rule that out,” Smalligan said. “It was just an unfortunate situation that happened from someone so far away abusing the supervisory position.”
The nurse practitioner in question, Ward Palmer, drank on the job and inappropriately prescribed narcotics, according to the Texas Board of Nursing. He has resigned his nursing license.
Charges have not been filed in the case and Bell is not the subject of any investigation.
Those who know Bell have nothing but positive things to say about him.
Bell has kept his duties with the Texas Tech School of Medicine in Amarillo, but also gave up his license to issue certain controlled substances as well as his health authority position on Nov. 23.
I analyze Smalligan’s comments from last night as saying Bell gave up some of his responsibilities to save face and could return once the legal cloud over Stratford settles.
Regional School of Medicine Dean Richard Jordan called Smalligan an “emergency replacement” for Bell.
No one has expressly said Bell will return as health authority, but Smalligan is at least hinting such a thing may occur.

Bell: Swine flu not expected to be "catastrophic" this fall

Assuming the severity of the H1N1 virus doesn't change in the next few months, Amarilloans should not fear a deadly outbreak of the virus this fall, the area's top health official said Tuesday.

“I don’t think it’s going to be catastrophic,” said Dr. Todd Bell, public health authority for Potter and Randall counties. “I think this is basically going to boil down to a busy flu season.”

Bell gave those comments late Tuesday at meeting of the Amarillo Bi-City-County Health District Board.

He said the flu season, which lasts from October to March and peaks in Texas around February, may start a bit earlier this year because of the virus commonly referred to as swine flu.

“I would not be surprised if the health-care system is stressed or strained,” Bell said.

Amarillo had just one confirmed case of the H1N1 virus through July, when state and national health officials stopping tracking individual cases.