Dysfunction rocks county health dept. at center of Michigan MAHA movement
This story was originally published by Bridge Michigan (bridgemi.com), a nonprofit and nonpartisan news organization. To get regular coverage from Bridge Michigan, sign up for a free Bridge Michigan newsletter here
- Nurses and other staff at the St. Clair County Health Department collected dozens of complaints against its medical director, alleging instances of retaliation and harassment
- The MAHA-supporting Dr. Remington Nevin was placed on a performance improvement plan following allegations of inappropriate sexual comments
- County attorneys declined an independent investigation into Nevin’s conduct, saying the claims did not rise to illegal actions
PORT HURON — A Michigan county health department faces a widening dispute between its medical director and employees, in what officials describe as a dysfunctional workplace driven by ideological differences and rampant with grievances.
Several staff members at the St. Clair County Health Department sought an independent review into dozens of complaints against its medical director, Dr. Remington Nevin, alleging the doctor — whose conservative policies have drawn comparisons to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — has fostered a toxic environment for public health workers throughout most of his three-year tenure.
It’s a period they say has been rife with retaliation, intimidation and harassment against those he oversees.
Nevin was placed on a performance improvement plan last month, but county officials last week opted against an independent review.
“I think there is dysfunction in the health department,” Tori Ferres, an attorney who reviewed the complaints, told the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners Thursday. “Do I think that an attorney, external investigator, is going to solve these problems? No.”
A local chapter of the Michigan Nurses Association said it collected more than 40 complaints against the medical director dating to November 2024.
One complaint, stemming from an incident in July, alleges that Nevin made a remark about having a “grenade launcher” in his pants, which a colleague reported as an inappropriate sexual comment.
The complaint triggered an internal review, resulting in the drafting of a performance improvement plan for the medical director, according to documents reviewed by Bridge Michigan. A Sept. 2 memo written by a county administrator did not find the medical director violated any county policies related to the alleged incidents, but noted concerns about his conduct.
The plan outlined professional expectations for Nevin moving forward, such as having him refrain from using language that could reasonably be perceived as sexual, intimidating, or demeaning and to treat all employees with courtesy and respect. County officials noted that there was no record of addressing his behavior up until that point.
Thomas Hull, St. Clair County’s administrator/controller and the plan’s author, said he’s meeting with department leadership to continuously review Nevin’s performance.
“There is not an expiration date on this plan. This was designed as a way to address conduct, set clear expectations, and provide feedback to ensure those expectations are met,” Hull said, responding to Bridge’s emailed questions. “We will be working to address any noncompliance in a progressive manner.”
Nevin is also facing a pending unfair labor practice charge with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission.
The medical director did not respond to Bridge’s inquiry into the specific claims and characterizations of the workplace he helps to oversee, but noted he is satisfied with his work at the department.
“Not everyone welcomes that conservative direction, but I serve our county’s residents and value their strong support. They are the public in ‘public health,’” Nevin said in an email.
Nevin, who opposes community fluoridation and wants to make it easier to opt out of vaccines, has earned the support of community members for his stances. Others have decried his policies as an abuse of the public health system in pursuit of a politically backed agenda aligned with the “Make America Healthy Again” movement championed by RFK Jr., the US secretary of Health and Human Services.
Nurses rally support
Jessica Baker, a nurse and president of the local union chapter, described the St. Clair County Health Department as an “unsafe working environment.” She led a rally ahead of the commissioners meeting, gathering about 40 of her colleagues and their supporters at a riverside park south of the Blue Water Bridge.
“We’re making sure that one man is not allowed to use his power to belittle, to isolate and harass his subordinates,” Baker said, speaking into a bullhorn.
Port Huron Township resident Bill Wells said he was inspired to join up with the nurses after he was told he couldn’t get a COVID-19 vaccine at the health department. Nevin told Bridge that demand for the shot is “exceedingly low” in St. Clair County as the department moves towards emphasizing “vaccine choice.” On-site immunizations for adults under 65 can occur, the medical director said, after a “brief clinical encounter” to determine risk factors for severe disease.
“I was kind of shocked,” Wells said. “It drew my attention to the whole issue.”
Public meetings in St. Clair County have grown contentious around issues related to Nevin’s medical direction and the increasingly vocal concerns raised by nurses.
Some critics have noted the gender dynamics at play within the health department — many staff there are women, and some have characterized Nevin’s alleged discrimination as gender-based.
“Stop being misogynistic idiots,” one woman said to the board of their delayed decision to investigate the medical director.
Nurses like Kaitlyn Pringle said experienced staff have left the county as a result of their working environment. “When you lose someone who has spent years building relationships with patients, learning this program, serving this community, you don’t just lose an employee. You lose valuable institutional knowledge, and you lose the continuity of care that the people we serve depend on,” she told commissioners Thursday.
The St. Clair County Health Department currently employs 77 staff, about a third of which are nursing staff, according to Health Officer-Director Liz King. The department has seen 51 voluntary resignations “for various reasons” since Nevin arrived to the department in August 2023.
‘Rough around the edges’
Rather than mount an independent review, Ferres suggested the board hire a workplace consultant for teamwork and leadership training at the department, finding Nevin’s public health policy stances and communication style have contributed to low staff morale.
“I think the money is better served there,” she told the board, saying the complaints did not pass the threshold of illegal discrimination or harassment. Nevin’s behavior, however, was “trickling into community partners” and other agencies outside of the health department.
“There were so many reports about his delivery being unprofessional, authoritative,” Ferres said.
St. Clair County Corporation Counsel Gary Fletcher said he did not participate in the review due to his relationship with the medical director on other matters. His firm employs Ferres and represents the county on several legal matters, including defending Nevin in the unfair labor practice case.
Fletcher noted “monumental” change in the health department’s direction in recent years and what he sees as a need for Nevin to grow professionally. “He’s really rough around the edges,” he said. “His people skills are not good.”
A difference of philosophy
Despite the growing complaints, in August the county board of commissioners granted Nevin a three-year contract extension. Officials had previously considered consolidating the department’s medical director and health officer roles, with provisions requiring a unanimous vote of all seven commissioners to fire Nevin’s position without cause — both efforts failed to materialize.
Commissioner Steven Simasko, who chairs the county board, said many factors are contributing to dysfunction “within the entire department,” with problems there dating back to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said appropriate remedial steps have been taken by county administration and that Nevin has made a “good faith effort” to improve relations with his staff in the department.
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“Despite some staff believing a gross imbalance of power exists at the SCCHD, the Medical Director is entitled to maintain his philosophies in his role as medical director provided that such complies with the terms of his contract and Michigan law,” Simasko told Bridge in an email. “All county employees deserve to be recognized for their dedicated service to our citizens. They also deserve to be treated with dignity and respect at all times.”
The rejection of an independent investigation was a blow to nurses, some of whom left the meeting teary eyed.
Union leaders say they are outraged by the county’s legal review for not properly addressing their claims of threats and harassment, and for failing to draft a stronger action plan for Nevin’s conduct.
“It feels as if the conclusion was he’s allowed to act poorly, and we need to change,” Baker told Bridge, adding she does not support the hiring of a workplace consultant to resolve the nurses’ complaints.
“I know if this was the behavior that any of us displayed, then we would certainly not have a job anymore.”
This article first appeared on Bridge Michigan and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
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