Dr. Ann Zinke, the public face of Alaska’s pandemic response, is stepping down as the state’s chief medical officer.
Zink will continue in the role full-time until early April, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
The Associated Press sent an email seeking comment on Monday, a holiday, to a state health department spokesperson.
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Zink said his time as chief medical officer was a “great experience,” but added, “It’s just time to change careers and do something new.”
Her plan was made public last week by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who thanked Zinke for her efforts in a speech to lawmakers.
Dr. Ann Zink is resigning as Alaska’s chief medical officer. (Fox News)
Zink, an emergency room physician, was appointed chief medical officer in 2019, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic. She was a regular at news conferences alongside Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy during the early stages of the pandemic, and the two became the public faces of the state’s response.
Mr. Zink was highly praised for his steady efforts and provision of easy-to-understand information. But she also became a target for critics of COVID-19 vaccines and other pandemic-related measures.
She also told the paper she didn’t want to leave too close to the election.
“Most previous chief medical officers have been transferred outside of gubernatorial elections, so my goal has always been to move at a time that is unrelated to elections, but I want to keep this position as far away from politics as possible. I just try to keep it irrelevant,” she said. she said. Mr. Dunleavy was re-elected to a second term in 2022.
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Zink said she plans to spend this summer with her family and likely pursue a career in health data. She will continue working shifts at Palmer Hospital.
