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Secret deal cut to let director of public health Barbara Worgess resign in secrecy.

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Health chief departs in secret deal

December 23, 2012 5:45 am • CYNDY COLE Sun Staff Reporter

The Coconino County Board of Supervisors has signed a secret agreement with its director of public health to resign and not to discuss the reasons for her leaving, or her job performance.

The county has withheld documents that, if revealed, could lead to "public disgrace" for Worgess, according to court filings by her attorney.

Worgess is attempting to prevent the Arizona Daily Sun from viewing the agreement she signed upon leaving Coconino County.

An outside consultant said employees described her as a "visionary" on health policy but "belittling" and "bullying" as a manager.

"Plaintiff will suffer immediate, irreparable and substantial harm and injury if the documents in question are released pursuant to the public records request of the reporter from the Arizona Daily Sun," according to the court filing. "Such harm would include invasion of the plaintiff's privacy, breach of confidentiality, exposure to lasting embarrassment, public disgrace, as well as the practical disability such as loss of employment."

A Superior Court judge has put a temporary hold on releasing the documents pending a full hearing on the matter next month.

It's unknown whether the Coconino County Board of Supervisors has paid Worgess to quit.

Worgess was a Coconino County employee from 1998 up to September, and she headed a $14.2 million department responsible for restaurant inspections, tracking and countering infectious disease outbreaks, immunizing the public, and more.

Officially, she remains a Coconino County employee until Jan. 4, according to court documents, although she is no longer at work.

EMPLOYEES SCARED

Worgess received a job review -- or "environmental scan" -- in early 2012 by an outside agency named In Focus Consulting.

A consultant interviewed 45 employees and wrote that the health department was a "productive, effective organization," and also the following about Worgess:

"...brilliant, national-perspective, driven, visionary, tough, strong public health and staff advocate."

But when it came to her management style, "descriptions such as harsh, belittling, intimidating, bullying and unapproachable are frequently used to describe her."

Employees told the consultant they were scared of the chief health officer, as Worgess was called.

"For the vast majority of employees, their primary complaint focuses on their interactions and observations of the (chief health officer) as she relates to staff in an intimidating and demeaning manner," consultant Sue Sager wrote.

Worgess was part of a group that had hired her son about four years ago to work in flu clinics that give vaccinations, three people familiar with the department's operations confirmed.

The clinic gave seven children the wrong vaccines in 2009, when it was vaccinating for H1N1 flu, the department acknowledged when parents raised complaints.

BUSY TRAVEL SCHEDULE

Worgess traveled to health-related conferences every month or two in the last few years, or sometimes more often, and her recent trips drew scrutiny.

The months of July, August and September of 2009 brought $1,219 in travel, including trips to a health conference in Orlando.

July and August of 2011 brought $2,266 in travel claims, with the county noting that Worgess had "exceeded lodging" reimbursement allowances.

February 2012 brought a $222/night stay at a Hilton in Anaheim, Calif., for another conference.

By May 2012, the accounting department was raising questions about Worgess' expenses, noting her hotel costs were regularly exceeding state-set reimbursement rates.

The deputy county manager began signing off on her expenses and also asking questions.

"I look for a convenient, safe, comfortable hotel with the lowest rate I can find in a reasonable amount of time," she responded in a July 2012 email, saying that the state limits were too low and that it was "difficult to stay within the state rates."

At the end of August, Worgess had hired an employee for whom there was not enough money in the budget. Human Resources was asking urgent questions about how she proposed to pay him, or whether they should fire him.

She resigned about 20 days later, after multiple meetings scheduled with County Manager Mike Townsend.

Worgess did not respond to a message left Thursday.

Cyndy Cole can be reached at ccole@azdailysun.com or at 913-8607.