Kane County taps longtime public health official to head health department

The Kane County Board approved Michael Isaacson as the new executive director of the Kane County Health Department at its Tuesday meeting, according to a news release from the county.

According to the release, Isaacson is an accomplished public health expert who has served Kane County since 2000 as the assistant director of community health. During his career, Isaacson has helped to direct numerous public health programs, including the county’s COVID-19 pandemic response.

He is a proven leader in team engagement, community outreach, strategic planning and fundraising, having secured over $2.6 million in state, federal, and private foundation grants to reduce opioid overdoses and expand outreach for early childhood mental health, the release stated.

Isaacson’s leadership has been critical in coordinating multiple public health programs which continue to serve community needs in Kane County including: behavioral health, chronic disease education and prevention, early childhood and family support, emergency planning, epidemiology, health promotion, opioid use reduction and tobacco use prevention.

He also initiated the Health Department’s first official emergency plan and developed an incident command system within the agency. In addition, he has served at the state level on numerous task forces dedicated to public health education.

“Michael is a proven public health leader who builds diverse partnerships with individuals and organizations to give communities throughout the county the tools and resources needed to make healthy choices,” Kane County Chair Corinne Pierog stated in the release.

“I also appreciate his particular focus on programs that help the mental well-being of our youngest residents and for individuals who suffer from drug addiction.”

Isaacson has been recognized multiple times for his contributions to public health, most recently from the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce and in 2021 was named a Healthcare Hero by the Aurora City Council.

“I look forward to working with the great team at the Health Department to increase engagement with the community so we can most effectively provide the information, resources and services to address the issues impacting our residents,” Isaacson stated in the release. “I have been fortunate to work with many exceptional people during my career and plan to build on those experiences and relationships to best serve Kane County.”

Isaacson is a graduate of Benedictine University and resides in Aurora with his wife. He has three adult children and four grandchildren.

He replaces Kathy Fosser who has served as Interim Kane County Health Executive Director since her appointment by the County Board in 2020.