Cape Girardeau County Health Board candidates share views before election

Voters will have a chance to elect members to the Cape Girardeau Public Health Center Board of Trustees in the Tuesday, April 8, election.

Five candidates — Georganne P. Syler, John Freeze, Andrew Ostrowski, Gary D. Tinsley and Erick Becking — are running for board positions. Voters are instructed to vote for three individuals.

Syler, Freeze and Becking are incumbents.

The Southeast Missourian sent questions to all five candidates and received answers from four. Here are their responses.

Georganne Syler

Q: What is your current occupation?

A: I am a retired professor of Human Environmental Studies, Dietetics, Southeast Mo State University. Registered Dietitian.

What is your educational background?

Cape Public schools, Southeast Mo State University-BS and MA, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale-PhD in Community Health

Georganne SylerSubmitted

What do you think is the most important role of the Public Health Center?

Classically public health is to “Prevent, Promote, Protect” the public — the citizens of Cape County. There is not ONE role that supersedes all others; Cape County Public Health Center serves dozens of vital roles for our citizens.

What is one way the health center can be improved?

Increase access to our services. For example, we have recently opened a WIC office in Jackson to serve more moms and children.

What is your stance on the safety and efficacy of vaccines?

I am totally in favor of offering the public vaccines to mitigate the spread and/or minimize the severity of disease. Vaccines have undoubtedly saved tens of millions of lives throughout history. As a young child, I lived through the horrors of polio; the Salk and Sabin vaccines are literally life savers.

What will be your top priority as a board member?

To assure Cape County Public Health Center operates efficiently, ethically, and is financially secure.

What is the most significant health issue facing Cape Girardeau County?

Cape County is no different than most of the United States; there is a dearth of access to healthcare and specifically to mental health facilities.

Why are you running for this position?

My professional experience has aided me in being a valuable board member. I have been honored to serve our county in the past and wish to continue in the future.

John Freeze

Q: What is your current occupation?

A: I am retired as of 2017. I worked as a general dentist in Cape Girardeau for 37 years.

What is your educational background?

I have a BS in Zoology with a minor in Chemistry from Southeast Missouri State University, 1975. I graduated with a DDS degree from the UMKC School of Dentistry in 1979. I completed a General Practice Residency at Jewish Hospital in 1980.

John FreezeSubmitted

What do you think is the most important role of the Public Health Center?

The most important role of the Public Health Center is the prevention of diseases. This is accomplished by several methods including educating the public on disease prevention. We also provide vaccinations to prevent viral diseases. We ensure safe food in restaurants by training restaurant staff and by inspections to ensure that restaurants are following regulations. We help provide safe drinking water through testing local water sources. We help prevent dental disease by providing fluoride varnishes to school students.

What is one way the health center can be improved?

I think that we need more emphasis on the prevention of chronic diseases through eating healthy and exercising. We currently offer classes on this but we should definitely expand them.

What is your stance on the safety and efficacy of vaccines?

Vaccines that are FDA approved are extremely safe and very effective in preventing diseases or lessening their severity. Unfortunately there is a LOT of misinformation that is on the internet and a large percentage of the population is now skeptical of vaccines and vaccination rates have fallen. This has resulted in the recent measles outbreak that has resulted in the death of a child. This death was completely preventable with vaccinations.

What will be your top priority as a board member?

My top priority is to keep the Public Health Center running well. The current Board has kept a tight rein on finances and we consistently have ended each year under budget. These budget surpluses have allowed us to completely remodel the Health Center using cash on hand. The Health Center has not had a tax rate increase in 40 years.

What is the most significant health issue facing Cape Girardeau County?

The most significant health issue is the rise of chronic, mostly preventable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders and some cancers. Prevention of these diseases can often be accomplished with changes in diet and exercise. These changes are very hard to make.

Why are you running for this position?

I have served on the Board for 10 years and enjoy serving. The Dental profession leads the health care fields in our focus on prevention. Public Health needs a focus on prevention and I believe that my training and background in prevention gives me the skills needed to serve on the Board.

Eric Becking

Q: What is your current occupation?

A: Business owner of Becking Clinic a Chiropractor for 20 years.

What is your educational background?

Doctor of Chiropractic for 20 years.

Eric BeckingSoutheast Missourian file photo

What do you think is the most important role of the Public Health Center?

To offer affordable healthcare choices for those in need.

What is one way the health center can be improved?

The public perception and communication of what helpful services are available.

What is your stance on the safety and efficacy of vaccines?

As a Chiropractor my position has been people have a choice if they would like to vaccinate and mine has been not to and to support a healthy immune system proactively.

What will be your top priority as a board member?

To bring a unique perspective to all decisions.

What is the most significant health issue facing Cape Girardeau County?

Mental health and the effects of it in all walks of life.

Why are you running for this position?

I believe God called me to sit on this board and to be a voice that offers a different perspective.

Gary Tinsley

Q: What is your current occupation?

A: I'm a registered nurse employed by Mercy Cape (previously Southeast Hospital). I currently work as a Clinical Supervisor in Hospice.

What is your educational background?

I have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. I’ve been in nursing for 40 years.

Gary TinsleySubmitted

What do you think is the most important role of the Public Health Center?

In addition to providing many healthcare and public services, I believe it’s important to promote health and wellness. Primarily by educating the community. By educating, we can make our own informed decisions.

What is one way the health center can be improved?

Many don’t know the wonderful programs available. I’d like to see more public awareness with updated information and more outreach to the community.

What is your stance on the safety and efficacy of vaccines?

I’d say some aren’t proving to be safe or very effective. We all want to trust our doctors, our agencies. The CDC says the effectiveness of flu vaccine varies from year to year, and estimates to be 32-78% effective in 2024-2025. It’s your personal choice. It’s about informed consent.

What will be your top priority as a board member?

To restore trust and increase two-way communication and transparency between the health department and the public. We need to listen to the concerns of our citizens and then due diligence to act on those concerns.

What is the most significant health issue facing Cape Girardeau County?

In addition to the obvious of communicable diseases and drug use; there is an epidemic of childhood and adult obesity leading to almost every other health issue we have.

Why are you running for this position?

I’ve seen many changes in healthcare. The unknown with covid brought fear, contention, and removed our choice. Things could have been handled better, but now we’re alert to situations that might come up. I’m running to be an advocate for the people by restoring trust, bringing transparency, open communication.

Andrew Ostrowski

Ostrowski did not respond to multiple communications in an attempt to receive answers to our questions. Ostrowski is also running for a school board position. Ostrowski has previously run for several offices, including the U.S. Senate. In 1997, he told the Southeast Missourian he was against abortion, saying "abortion is killing this country." In that article, he told the newspaper he had completed a bachelor's degree in general studies at Southeast Missouri State University. He ran for public administrator last year as a Libertarian.

According to previous reporting, Ostrowski ran for the Cape Special Road District, finishing last among three candidates with 11.72% of the vote. He also received 21 votes as a write-in candidate for Cape Girardeau City Council Ward 3, or 8.27% of the overall vote.

Andrew OstrowskiFile photo