By MELISSA A. CHADWICK
Observer-Dispatch

The man at the center of a waiting game between the state and Herkimer County is still taking it all in stride.

County legislators said Wednesday they continue to wait for approval from the state Health Department of their October appointment of Dr. Gregory O'Keefe as the county's permanent Public Health director.

"Out of every bad thing, out of my misfortune, I'm awful happy to be a part of this effort to help and protect people in this county," O'Keefe said. "I've had a lot of disappointment over the last years. I'm not surprised by disappointment."

O'Keefe, whose medical license was revoked in December 2000, has been serving as director since his October appointment. Many community members and former patients of O'Keefe continue to fight the revocation, which was based on charges of professional misconduct, negligence and incompetence involving care he provided in the mid-1990s at Bassett Healthcare in Herkimer.

State Public Health Commissioner Antonia C. Novello has final approval on his appointment. Further information from the Health Department wasn't available, despite a call placed there Wednesday afternoon.

Legislators sent letters to Gov. George Pataki, state Sen. James L. Seward, Assemblyman Marc W. Butler and the Health Department seeking an "expeditious and affirmative response" concerning O'Keefe's appointment.

"It seems to me that someone can give us more of a straight answer than we've got out of Albany," Legislator Dennis Korce, R-Little Falls, said. "I'm appalled by the actions of our state representatives."

Butler sent a letter to health commissioner Novello urging the department to give the matter "prompt attention."

County Attorney Robert J. Malone is researching options available to the county to advance the appointment process. He said he would present the legislature with his findings once his research is complete.

Since his appointment, O'Keefe said he has been working on developing bio-terrorism and smallpox response plans. He said he is meeting today with other health providers to discuss how to improve care in early intervention programs. Herkimer County monitors 100 cases, he said.

"It's quite an eye opener for a physician to see all the really good work that's done on the county level," O'Keefe said.

The public health director oversees the public health nursing service, immunization programs, pre-natal care, early childhood medical intervention efforts and long-term care programs, among other programs.