Marcy Austin Becomes Permanent Harford County Health Officer

From the Harford County Health Department:

Marcy Austin, who recently served as the Acting Health Officer for the Harford County Health Department, became the permanent health officer for the county starting October 28, 2022. Ms. Austin was recommended by the Harford County Council and approved by the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health for this position.

Marcy Austin has been serving the citizens of Harford County in many capacities during her nearly 20 years at the Harford County Health Department. Ms. Austin began her health department career in 2003 with the goal of developing public health programs. Ms. Austin’s first position was managing the School-Based Health Centers program in five Title I schools, then, in 2008 she planned and instituted the first public health dental clinic in Harford County for children and pregnant women on Medical Assistance, which opened the door to much needed dental care for the most vulnerable populations. Following these positions, Ms. Austin served as the Director of Administration and then as the health department’s Deputy Health Officer. While in her role as Deputy Health Officer, Ms. Austin was instrumental in developing new and unique programs such as MEGAN’s Place, a safe place for at-risk pregnant and post-partum women to gather, participate in special programs and receive care coordination services, and the 1 N. Main Family Health Center, a center that houses several of the health department’s existing programs in one location, allowing for a one-stop shop for clients.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms.
Austin was successful in leading all aspects of COVID response, in addition to managing day-to-day health department operations, due to her years of emergency preparedness training, program planning and expertise in all aspects of administration and program operations.

Ms. Austin is excited to continue her public health work as Health Officer for the Harford County Health Department and says, “I look forward to developing more public health programs with our incredible staff, and to building on existing relationships with our community partners, our clients, and the state and local governments with the continued goal of making Harford County a healthier place to live, work and play.”

County Council President Vincenti says, “Ms. Austin’s institutional knowledge and leadership experience within the Health Department was a key factor to her selection in the application process. Her nearly 20 years of experience, coupled with the ability to display resiliency in tough situations and dedication to Harford County makes her the perfect fit for our permanent Health Officer. My colleagues and I look forward to our continued work with her as we advance the health of Harford County.

For more information about the Harford County Health Department, please visit www.harfordcountyhealth.com.