Stirton named to mental health board

Dec. 17--EDWARDSVILLE -- The Madison County Board Wednesday approved the appointment of Dr. John W. Stirton to the Madison County Mental Health Board, replacing Walter Hunter, whose term expired Dec. 31, 2019.

The vote was 22-3, with members Judy Kuhn, Michael "Doc" Holiday and Bruce Malone voting no.

Holiday attempted to make a comment about Hunter, but Chairman Kurt Prenzler said only comments about the appointee were allowed. Malone said he had not have problem with Stirton but would have liked to make a comment about Hunter. Kuhn said Hunter did a good job.

Stirton lives and practices in Alton. He is an orthopedic surgeon who has been licensed in Illinois and practicing in Madison County at both BJC and OSF facilities for the past seven years.

Dr. Stirton obtained his medical degree from the University of Texas at Houston followed by an MBA in hospital administration from the University of Dallas, Graduate School of Management. After medical school, Dr. Stirton completed a five-year residency in orthopedic surgery at Michigan State University and an additional year of optional sub-specialized fellowship training in advanced, minimally invasive joint replacement surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

A county news release said he has provided a critical surgical service for patients who suffer with debilitating arthritis, Dr. Stirton's professional interests include clinical research on less invasive arthroplasty and educational programs in which he teaches minimally invasive knee replacement and anterior approach hip replacement to surgeons from across the country. He is the founder and medical director of the Center for Joint Preservation and Reconstruction at Alton Memorial Hospital, the associate Chief of Surgery, and he serves on the medical executive committee in addition to multiple other committees and administrative roles.

The board also approved appointment of Dave Tanzyus as director of Community Development, replacing Trudy Bodenbach.

The board also approved Cedric Irby to complete the unexpired term of Tyrone Q. Echols, who resigned from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Irby, of Glen Carbon, graduated cum laude from Greenville College with a bachelor's degree in organizational leadership.. He served in the United States Army from 1978 to 1982, where he worked in construction engineering. His past job experience also includes working as a correctional officer for sixteen years in Soledad, California, substitute teaching in the St. Louis Public School System, and serving as a deputy juvenile officer in the Family Court of Clayton, Mich.

In other business the board approved an agreement with Southern Illinois University to provide Covid 19 contact tracing services at the university for staff and students in cooperation with the Madison County Health Department.

The tracing will be provded with funding from a grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health.

___

(c)2020 The Telegraph (Alton, Ill.)

Visit The Telegraph (Alton, Ill.) at www.thetelegraph.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.