PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The Board of Health voted today to remove Dr. Bruce Dixon from his position as director of the Allegheny County Health Department.

Dr. Dixon has been the director of the department for nearly 20 years.

News began to surface last week that Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald was lobbying to oust Dixon.

Dixon felt that Fitzgerald was putting pressure on board and council members, but still felt he had some support. That may have changed yesterday when the council reappointed some members back to the board and also appointed a new member.

Dixon will be out in 90 days.

He is clearly not happy about the decision. Dixon didn’t show up at today’s board meeting, and he has repeatedly said he wants to continue in the post.

“This is a personnel matter. I can tell you we went through a large amount of deliberation,” said Dr. Lee Harrison, of the Allegheny County Board of Health. “We felt that this was in the best interest of the county.”

In a statement from Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, he expressed appreciation for Dr. Dixon’s 20 years of service. He credited him with bringing the Health Department to where it stands today, but says it’s time to take the department in a new direction.

There was no immediate response from Dr. Dixon.

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