Two Appointed to Lake County Board of Health
The Lake County Board has appointed two new members to the Lake County Board of Health. They are John Landgraf, MBA, MS, of Libertyville and K. Michael Welch, MB, ChB, FRCP of Lake Forest. Each of their terms will run through June 30, 2016.
“I am pleased that individuals with such extensive knowledge and achievements in healthcare are lending their expertise to support our mission,” said Tony Beltran, the Health Department's Executive Director. “Their participation brings a new level of skills and strengths to our board.”
Mr. Landgraf retired from his position as Executive Vice President Nutritional Products of Abbott Laboratories in April of 2013. In this position, he was responsible for the company's global nutritional business, which includes over 16,000 employees and sales of over $6.5 billion. He previously served as Senior Vice President Manufacturing and Supply for Abbott's Global Pharmaceutical Operations from 2004 to 2011 where he was responsible for operations involving over 10,000 employees and 30 manufacturing plants around the world.
Previously, Mr. Landgraf was Vice President, Quality Assurance and Compliance, for Abbott Medical Products Group. Mr. Landgraf joined Abbott in 1977 and worked in key positions in plant quality assurance, manufacturing and marketing in Abbott Diagnostics Division. He also held various management positions in manufacturing and engineering with Abbott International and Abbott Diagnostics Division. Prior to joining Abbott, Mr. Landgraf worked in research and development for Inolex Corporation in Glenwood, III. He received an M.B.A. from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in Lake Forest.
Dr. K. Michael Welch became president and CEO of Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in 2002. He is a neurologist and world-renowned researcher whose career has focused on the study of brain function and structure in cerebrovascular disease, stroke and migraine. Dr. Welch earned his medical degree at the University of Bristol School of Medicine, United Kingdom and came to the United States in the early 1970s. He held several positions at Baylor College of Medicine (Houston, Texas) including Chief of Neurology at the Ben Taub Hospital before relocating to Michigan in 1981 to become the Founding Chair of the Department of Neurology at Henry Ford Hospital, which is now the Henry Ford Hospital and Health Sciences Center. As Vice President for Academic Affairs at this institution he was instrumental to negotiations that culminated in its academic affiliation with Case Western Reserve University.
Since becoming President of Rosalind Franklin University, Dr. Welch renamed the university and successfully implemented a full institutional assessment that launched a new mission and vision for the university, integrating the education of all health professions with the goal of enhanced delivery of health care into a model of inter-professional education.
In addition to the new appointments, the Lake County Board reappointed three Board of Health members. They are Neil Puller, MD, MBA, Carl Hagstrom, DDS, and Dennis Manning, DDS. Their terms will expire on June 30 of 2016.
The members of the 12-member Board of Health are responsible for overseeing programs and developing policies for the Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center. Established by referendum in 1956, the Department is a state-certified public health department responsible for the prevention of disease and disability, the promotion of health and assuring a healthful environment. The Lake County Community Health Center, a Joint Commission accredited agency, provides comprehensive healthcare that is accessible, coordinated, community directed and culturally sensitive at six sites in Lake County.