Citizens Healthcare Oversight Committee

The Polk County Board of County Commissioners created the Citizens' Healthcare Oversight Committee to ensure the integrity of the expenditure of the Indigent Health Care Sales Tax funds for the Polk HealthCare Plan, and to provide a forum for resident participation in health care planning.

The Citizens' Healthcare Oversight Committee meets the third Friday of each month from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the County Commission boardroom.

Board Members

• Kelly Andrews, Quality of Life Health Care Professional, Sept. 30, 2021
• Justin Hengesbach, Business Community, Feb. 5, 2021
• Steve Bissonnette, Senior Citizens, April 3, 2021
• Dr. Rekha Issar, Primary Care Physician, Oct. 6, 2020
• Linda King, School Board Representative, July 31, 2023
• Pauline Simmonds-Brown, Minority Representative, Sept. 14, 2024
• Vacant, Consumer PHP Enrollee
• Heather Gordon, Health Care Clinics, Aug. 31, 2022
• Lance W. Anastasio, Hospital Executive, Sept. 30, 2021
• Michell Githens, Health Insurance Industry, Sept. 30, 2021
• Dr. Peter Verrill, Practicing Specialist Physician, Sept. 18, 2021
• Teri Saunders, Children's Interest, Sept. 30, 2021
• Stacy Campbell-Domineck, Work Force Skilled Labor, Sept. 30, 2021

Qualifications for Board Members / How to Apply

The Citizens' Healthcare Oversight Board annually approves Polk County residents to serve on the committee. Members are appointed to a four-year term. Upon appointment, each member may be requested to serve for a second term of four years. No appointees shall serve more than two consecutive terms (Resolution No. 14-070).

Members of the Citizens' Healthcare Oversight Board should represent the following areas:

• Health care clinics
• Business community
• Work force skilled labor
• Senior citizens
• Practicing specialist physicians
• Children's interests
• Primary care physicians
• Quality of life health community
• Minority representatives
• School board
• Consumer PHP enrollees
• Hospitals
• Health insurance industry

Meetings and Agendas

The Citizens Health Care Oversight Committee meets the third Friday of each month from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the board room of the County Administration Building, 330 W. Church St., Bartow.

Please note, agendas for the meetings are tentative and subject to change prior to the meeting