Ada County put Ryan Cole on the Boise area’s health board. Then his medical license lapsed

Garden City pathologist and Central District Health board member Ryan Cole is no longer licensed by the Idaho Board of Medicine, placing his position on the board in question.

Idaho law requires every public health district in the state to have at least one licensed physician on its board.

His license lapsed June 30, according to the state’s database for occupational and professional licenses. It was originally issued Sept. 13, 2003.

Cole narrowly secured the votes needed to become the only physician on the Boise-area district health board in 2021. The position became vacant when the Ada County Commission chose not to reappoint Dr. Ted Epperly, who served on the board for 15 years and pushed for public health measures during the pandemic.

Cole, on the other hand, has questioned the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, advocated against masks and suggested a Boise surgeon’s death was tied to the vaccine, a comment the surgeon’s life partner called an “ outright lie .”

Earlier this year, he was restricted from practicing most medicine in Washington after that state’s Medical Commission said he spread disinformation in “dishonest” presentations about COVID-19, the Idaho Statesman reported .

Maria Ortega, communications manager for Central District Health, told the Statesman by phone Tuesday that the health district was unaware Cole’s license had lapsed until an Idaho Press reporter inquired about it by email Aug. 27. She said it’s up to the Ada County commissioners to decide what to do.

Ortega said Russell Duke, the health district’s director, informed Commission Chair Rod Beck of Cole’s lapsed license last week.

The district, which covers Ada, Boise, Elmore and Valley counties, has seven board members. The board’s next scheduled meeting is Oct. 18.

When reached by phone Tuesday, Elizabeth Duncan, a spokesperson for the commission, declined to say whether commissioners planned to remove or replace Cole on the health district board. She said later by email that the commission reached out to Cole over the weekend as soon as the license lapse was brought to their attention.

“Dr. Cole said it was an oversight and would have it corrected as soon as possible,” Duncan wrote.

Cole did not respond Tuesday to a phone call or text from the Statesman.

Bob McLaughlin, spokesperson for the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, told the Statesman that Cole can still renew his license. He would just have to pay a $200 renewal fee and a $100 reinstatement fee, according to McLaughlin.

The Idaho Board of Medicine gives physicians five years to renew their licenses before they have to start over with a new application.

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