Amy Caron has been named as director of St. Paul-Ramsey County Public Health.

Caron, currently Hennepin County's public health protection area manager begins the role on Dec. 11. She succeeds Sara Hollie, who was appointed as Hennepin County's public health director in April. Diane Holmgren has served as interim director.

The department operates with an annual budget of more than $72 million and more than 300 employees.

Among its services are working with community partners on vaccinations and educating residents on the spread of disease, promoting healthy behaviors, planning and responding to health emergencies, and improving access to health services.

As Hennepin County's public health protection area manager in Human Services and Public Health, Caron is responsible for strategic direction and operational oversight of programs in health protection, according to the release.

Caron also held leadership positions with Planned Parenthood North Central States, Dodge and Steele counties and the Le Sueur-Waseca Community Health Board, working in roles such as health educator and public health director. She has a bachelor's degree in public health education from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.

Caron previously served as the Local Public Health Association chair, on the board of the Allina Hospital-Owatonna, and as a Minnesota Public Health Association board member.

A priority for Caron is addressing racism as a public health crisis and ensuring that diversity, equity and inclusion are integrated into the department's daily work, she said.

"So, one aspect that really drew me to this position with St. Paul-Ramsey is how progressive the organization is in so many areas. And it's really apparent to me that diversity, equity and inclusion are top priorities, and that really aligns up with my personal values," Caron said.

The county's posting for the public health director position called for someone with "substantial knowledge and understanding of race-based disparities" and their impacts on communities and their health and wellness.

Meeting communities where they're at and maintaining trusting relationships inside and outside of a department also stuck with Caron from her time working in public health during the pandemic, she said.

"Community engagement is so important, and not to assume that we know what's best for people. I always say people know what they need, and we need to listen to that and grow our programs and services around those things," Caron said.

Caron said it is important for the start of her time in the position to include working with team members to identify gaps in services or areas for improvement. Other areas of interest for Caron include maternal and child health programs.

"But really looking at our most vulnerable populations, oftentimes, local public health is a safety net for people where they just can't get services other places or don't qualify. And so really making sure people aren't slipping through the cracks is a huge role in public health," Caron said.