Controversial health board pick Ryan Cole confirmed with single Elmore County vote
Dr. Ryan Cole, a controversial figure who many argue has spread misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine, was confirmed to the Central District Health board on Friday.
The last vote came from the Elmore County Commission, with just one of three commissioners voting in Cole’s favor. He needed at least five votes from the nine total commissioners in Boise, Valley and Elmore counties to affirm the appointment made by Ada County commissioners on Aug. 17.
He received one vote from Valley County and three votes from Boise County, leading to a narrow victory for a position that has seen increased polarization and political campaigning not typically seen.
Central District Health announced his official appointment to the Board on Tuesday, Sept. 7, after receiving ballots from all the county commissioners. His first meeting as a board member will take place on Sept. 14.
Elmore commissioners interviewed Cole for an hour on Friday before announcing their votes. Commissioner Al Hofer, who cast the lone Elmore vote in favor of Cole, said his decision stemmed from Cole’s opposition to mandates requiring masks and vaccines, a viewpoint that he agrees with.
“Governments shouldn’t be telling you to wear that mask,” Hofer told the Statesman.
Much of the interview centered around COVID-19 and treatments Cole claims are effective against it. That includes ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug that has soared in popularity to treat COVID-19. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, though, has not approved ivermectin for that use and said doing so could be dangerous.
Cole also expressed doubt about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, calling it “investigational” and unproven to work. He recently said he tested positive for COVID-19, the Idaho Capital Sun reported. Cole has said he’s not vaccinated against COVID-19. He’s publicly called the vaccine a “clot shot” and “needle rape.”
Elmore Commissioner Bud Corbus said he talked to 10 local doctors, all of whom disagreed with Cole’s viewpoints on the pandemic and its possible treatments. He read aloud emails from doctors describing the surge of COVID-19 patients in local hospitals, and how the number of sick and dying patients far exceeded earlier stages of the pandemic.
One doctor said: “I have had more patients die from this in the last month than from a year ago.”
Corbus told Cole he would oppose his appointment because he wanted to support Elmore County’s local doctors.
Commissioner Crystal Roberts also voted against the appointment, due to a conflict of interest she said existed between Cole’s company, Cole Diagnostics, and Central District Health.
Cole Diagnostics processed tens of thousands of COVID-19 tests in the early days of the pandemic, a situation many have criticized. Ada Commissioner Kendra Kenyon previously said that “flies in the face of ethics.” Cole has maintained no conflict of interest exists.
Cole’s appointment comes after longtime board physician Ted Epperly wasn’t retained by Ada County. Commissioners Rod Beck and Ryan Davidson preferred a different representative, and they both voted in favor of Cole.
The Idaho Legislature passed a law in 2021 allowing county commissions to veto any health policies made by their local health boards.
His appointment has been widely opposed by other local officials and medical professionals, many of whom argue his favored treatments are dangerous and put community health at serious risk.
In a news release on Friday, the Idaho Medical Association expressed “serious reservations” about Cole’s appointment.
“IMA is deeply disappointed that the appointment process favored politics over public health. Dr. Cole has publicly made numerous unfounded and dangerous claims about the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 that do not align with the Idaho standard of care,” wrote the group, which said it represents Idaho physicians on the front line of the pandemic.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 3:46 PM.
