Michigan has a new chief medical executive who will help to lead the state on its continuing efforts to control the spread of COVID-19.
This follows the resignation of Dr. Joneigh Khaldun at the end of September. Khaldun has led the state's pandemic response since March of 2020.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer appointed Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian to take on the role while the search for a permanent replacement is ongoing.
She has been serving as the Senior Public Health Physician for the past year.
Bagdasarian received her medical degree from Wayne State University and her master’s of public health from the University of Michigan.
WKAR’s Megan Schellong spoke with her about her plans to address the ongoing pandemic.
Interview Highlights
On What Worked And What Didn’t Work For State’s COVID-19 Testing Strategy
We had a lot of success with use of antigen tests and putting antigen tests in non-medical settings, really making them available for people to use, either on an ongoing routine basis or when they felt they needed to be tested. And so I think that was one of our successes. We've hit a little bit of a roadblock in terms of national supply of these tests now, and hopefully that changes soon.
On Her Plans To Address Threats Against Public Health Officers
We're continuing to hold discussions with them [local public health officers] on what we can do to ensure their safety. But there are no easy answers. There's just a lot of vitriol and a lot of anger across the state and across the country right now. And it's unfortunate, because this is all, it should all be deeply rooted in science and facts and what to do next, based on evidence.
On Plans To Address Concerns Among The Vaccine-Hesitant
So, I'm hoping that some of these personal stories [of vaccinated people] will help and that people will continue to engage with their friends and neighbors and relatives and have these discussions. And I think some of those personal discussions are more helpful than hearing something from a national expert or an expert at the state level.
Interview Transcript
Schellong: The state health department has a new chief medical executive.
Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian is taking over from Dr. Joneigh Khaldun who stepped down at the end of
last month.
Bagdasarian has been serving as the Senior Public Health Physician at the state health department.
And she joins me now.
Dr. Bagdasarian, thanks for being here.
Bagdasarian: Thank you for having me on today.
Schellong: So, how does it feel to be stepping into this role in the middle of a pandemic that we're still seeing, and more importantly, in a time during the rise of the delta variant?
Bagdasarian: Well, first of all, I'm stepping into a role that Dr. Khaldun just managed with such grace, you know, over the last couple of years, and so it's been an honor and a privilege to work with her over the last year, and have this time learning from her approach to the response.
But also, you know, since I've been with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for over a year now, I've been one of the people behind the scenes looking at the data, looking at the science [and] providing the guidance for some time now.
So, it doesn't feel like I'm stepping into something entirely new. I'm very well versed with what's happened here in Michigan, throughout, you know, the last year plus, and so it doesn't feel completely alien to me.
And the other nice thing is that I think people in the department know me and trust me, so the relationships are there. And I'm just expanding my role.
Schellong: Excellent. And so, as part of your last job with the department, you were overseeing the state's COVID-19 testing strategy, what worked and what didn't work?
Bagdasarian: We had a lot of success with use of antigen tests and putting antigen tests in non-medical settings, really making them available for people to use, either on an ongoing routine basis or when they felt they needed to be tested. And so, I think that was one of our successes. We've hit a little bit of a roadblock in terms of national supply of these tests now, and hopefully that changes soon.
Schellong: I want to talk about threats against public health officers. There's been a rise in them in Michigan, and how do you plan to protect the people who are working on the frontline of this pandemic?
Bagdasarian : You know, we're continuing to speak to our colleagues and local public health. Again, these threats and things that are happening, they're concerning, not just as a public health community, but also because we know these individuals. We empathize with what they're going through.
We're continuing to hold discussions with them on what we can do to ensure their safety, but there are no easy answers. There's just a lot of vitriol and a lot of anger across the state and across the country right now. And it's unfortunate, because this is all, it should all be deeply rooted in science and facts and what to do next, based on evidence.
Schellong: Michigan's COVID-19 cases right now are continuing to rise as the national average is falling. Do you happen to know why this is happening?
Bagdasarian: I think it's hard always to compare yourself to other states that may have other elements at play. I think, in Michigan, we did not have that very, very acute rise that we saw in some of the southern states. And we managed to temper that and hold that off a little bit.
But we're also dealing with the weather getting colder here in Michigan. So, colder weather drives more people indoors into settings where, you know, ventilation might not be as good. And I think that definitely plays a role.
And then the timing of schools reopening also plays a role. So, you know, around the country, schools reopen at slightly different times. So, we're really focusing on the elements that drove our cases up and continue to drive our cases up, and we're watching those closely.
Schellong: So, the state has not yet seen that 70% mark of fully vaccinated people reached. How is the state going to convince those who are vaccine-hesitant to get the shot?
Bagdasarian: So first of all, I'll just say that the 70% is a goal, but there's nothing magical about 70%. Our overall goal is to get as many people vaccinated as possible, and the more people who are vaccinated, the safer it will be for our communities. I think what happened in the beginning is, of course, there was a lot of vaccine hesitancy which is understandable when there are new products. But these vaccines have now been around for some time.
Not only have millions of people been vaccinated, both in the state and around the country, but chances are most Michiganders know people personally who have been vaccinated, and I think when you know people who've been vaccinated and done well, it is reassuring.
So, I'm hoping that some of these personal stories will help and that people will continue to engage with their friends and neighbors and relatives and have these discussions. And I think some of those personal discussions are more helpful than hearing something from a national expert or an expert at the state level.
Schellong: What do you think it would take for the state health department to reinstitute some public health restrictions like masking rules again?
Bagdasarian: So, at this time, we have no plans for any broad epidemic orders. But we are strongly recommending that schools enact smart mask policies and that communities do the same.
So, we're just going to have to keep following the data, the things we look at our percent positivity, case rates [and] what's happening in hospitals, and we'll continue to look at all of those factors.
Schellong: Excellent. Dr. Bagdasarian, thank you so much for your time today.
Bagdasarian: Thank you.
This conversation has been edited for clarity and conciseness.