April 28, the Hardin County Commissioners Court appointed Whitney Heinicke to lead Hardin County Health Services, effective May 4.
County Judge Wayne McDaniel introduced Heinicke’s appointment, saying the job was posted April 6 and two candidates were interviewed. McDaniel told the court that Heinicke has worked for the health department since July 2020, has been promoted several times, and “gave the best interview.”
The vote to appoint was recorded as 4-0 with one abstention — Pct. 1 Commissioner L.W. Cooper, who recused himself because of family relations.
Heinicke, who accepted the post, thanked the court for the opportunity. The court then authorized the county judge to execute an affiliation and preceptor agreement with Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont to permit students in the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program to use county health facilities, equipment and supervised clinical experiences under established guidelines.
The county said the affiliation repeats a program begun the prior year that provides hands-on clinical placements to nursing students while allowing the county health department to support workforce training.