Starting a new chapter

By Sherry Larson

People’s Defender

“The answers are in the story,” said Dr. William Hablitzel, Adams County Health Department Commissioner. I think people want to talk,” he continued. And Dr. Hablitzel makes one know they are heard. He focuses on the here and now, and his appreciation for humanity comes through in every conversation. He graciously agreed to chat with The Defender for his final Adams County Health Commissioner interview.

I met Dr. Hablitzel in February of 2022, shortly after my start at The People’s Defender. It was my first time at the Adams County Health Department and I expected a dry interview and COVID update. I encountered a soft-spoken listening ear, a history lesson on pandemics, and a message of hope from someone whose experiences are rich and whose stories are captivating.

A Perrysburg, Ohio native, Hablitzel made his way to Cincinnati, where his love of nature and bird watching led him to find refuge in the beauty and biodiversity of Adams County, where he would eventually live full-time and serve as the Health Department Commissioner.

Hablitzel knew early on that he wanted to be in the medical field. When he was a senior in high school, his community started an ambulance service and was looking for volunteers. He thought, “What better way to determine if the medical field was a good fit,” so he signed up. Hablitzel started school at Bowling Green State University, close to his home, so that he could commute. About halfway through his first year, he accepted an opportunity to train as a paramedic. He took a quarter off school to train.

After completing the training, Hablitzel was offered a position in the fire department as a full-time paramedic and firefighter. He dropped out of college, took the job, and purchased a small house in town. A few years later, he realized he wanted to pursue his medical degree and returned to college, completing three years of college in a year and a half. He then attended medical school at The Medical College of Ohio at Toledo and taught emergency victim care at a local Joint Vocational School. Hablitzel graduated from medical school in 1986.

Hablitzel chose Cincinnati General Hospital (now the University of Cincinnati Hospital) to complete his internship. He planned on doing a fellowship but took a junior faculty job in the general internal medicine department. His duties were academic while working in private practice.

Hablitzel found Adams County and built a small weekend cabin in a quest for a place to soak up nature. After a rough start with a couple of break-ins, he settled in and started discovering the county, its splendor and its needs. In the early 90s, he saw a gap in health services in Adams County and recognized the usefulness of a free clinic.

A trip to the Adams County Health Department introduced Hablitzel to Administrator Carolyn Work, mother of the current Health Department Deputy Commissioner Jason Work. Hablitzel remembers a polite conversation and many more stops that followed. He said he thought there was a fear that a clinic would get started, doctors would grow weary of coming from the city, and the Adams County Health Department would pick up the pieces.

In 1992, the free clinic came to fruition, with Dr. Hablitzel and Dr. James Corwin alternating every other Friday to serve the community’s many health needs. Dr. Corwin continues to come out one Friday a month to serve those without health insurance or unaffordable insurance with high deductibles.

Moving his practice to West Union in 2005, Dr. Hablitzel saw patients twice a week and spent the remainder of his time teaching at the University of Cincinnati. In 2013, the Adams County Regional Hospital approached Dr. Hablitzel about moving his practice there while keeping his practice in West Union, which was then relocated to the Health Department (the current Community Building in West Union) for two days a week. It was a short endeavor lasting only about nine months.

Adams County Health Commissioner Dr. Bruce Ashley retired in 2015, and Dr. Hablitzel became the new Health Department Commissioner. He said, “It was an opportunity to serve in a way that I hadn’t been able to do.”

Danielle Poe, the former Director of Behavior Health at Adams County Health Department had this to say about Dr. Hablitzel, “I had the privilege to work with Dr. Hablitzel for five years at the Adams County Health Department where he served as the Health Commissioner, and have continued to stay connected to him as a colleague and friend. At the office, he’s known as ‘Doc’. He allowed for a very work-friendly environment, where co-workers become family, and work becomes a passion. Anytime someone in the office had something bad happen, whether it be a child with the flu, the loss of a loved one, or just a bad day - Doc’s empathy and compassion were evident. He always showed true regard for those hurting around him and offered a hand to help where he could.”

“Over on the administrative side of the building, we all got to know one another at a more genuine level through the thin walls. And through those walls, we heard an accomplished man, humble and knowledgeable and compassionate, with a heart to serve. I could go on and on with funny stories, moments of grief for our community, and unbelievable initiatives developed to better this place we call home. Still, I will end with this: Adams County is truly blessed by the time spent by Dr. Hablitzel serving as their County Health Commissioner.”

Two English teachers changed and enhanced Hablitzel in his early teenage years, passing on their love of nature, birdwatching and the importance of story. Early in his career, Dr. Hablitzel realized the significance of the doctor-patient relationship and that listening to a patient’s story was essential to finding answers. He said, “It’s been a recurring theme.” “Public health is about the story, we so seldom listen,” Hablitzel continued, noting the significance of our interactions with others, particularly in a medical setting.

A self-described “guy in the back of the room,” Hablitzel is humble about career and accomplishments. Fortunately, I can share his accolades through information found at bestinmedicine.com. In his role as Health Commissioner, he supports the health and wellness of the individuals of Adams County, serving to educate the community on public health, promoting food service and septic inspections, keeping track of infectious diseases, giving medical direction, and representing the Adams County community in regional and state emergency preparedness functions. He is also a published author, receiving the Independent Publisher Book Award Medallist in 2007 for “Dying was the Best Thing that Ever Happened”. He was awarded the Eric Hoffer Book Award in 2013 for “It Was Only a Moment Ago”.

Dr. Hablitzel, who believes in the power of collaboration, said the highlights of his career have been working with good people. He said, “We’ve had some success, but it has always been a group effort.” Dr. Hablitzel and the Health Department played a significant role in obtaining telebehavioral health for adults and students through the UNC Residency program, among many other accomplishments.

Dr. Hablitzel is passing the Health Commissioner torch to Jason Work and said it was Jason’s time to serve. Looking forward to writing, birdwatching, and his daily walks in the woods, Dr. Hablitzel will keep the story alive. I look forward to reading his continued inspiration and insights and wish him well in all future endeavors.