Robert Hudson memorial to be dedicated Wednesday

A memorial for the late Robert Hudson will be dedicated at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Butler County Health Department, 1619 N. Main St. Everyone is invited.

Hudson was the administrator of the Butler County Health Department for more than 22 years, until his death Jan. 14, 2020.

When Hudson’s family contacted the health center staff and board of trustees about placing a memorial for him at the center, Mary Ann Allen, chair of the board of trustees, said, “Of course, we were happy to be a part of that. His son, Garrett, chose the stone, so that makes it pretty special as well.”

Allen recalls, “Robert was the only administrator for the first 20 years I was on the board and we worked closely. I didn’t know how to compare him to anybody else. He was so well respected around the state of Missouri. As soon as the news of his death spread, I began receiving calls from other county health department administrators and Missouri Department of Health officials. They were just devastated.

“He was one of the first health department administrators to collaborate with the Missouri Foundation for Health, making the way for other counties to do the same. That was how we were able then to get lots of new and cutting-edge programs that we just weren’t going to be able to fund in a rural county like Butler. “

Allen and present health center administrator Emily Goodin agree, Hudson did so much for the community and he tried his best to offer services at little or no cost to everybody.

Allen said, “He led us to contracts that we still have that are region-wide, allowing those in neighboring rural counties to have equal access to services, such as our Special Health Care Needs program, STD prevention services and HIV case management. No public health care problem was beyond his concern. His efforts have provided regional services in a cost-effective, efficient manner.”

Goodin worked for Hudson at the health department for 16 years.

“Robert was a great leader and mentor,” Goodin said. “He was a great asset to the community and is truly missed.”

Goodin remarked Hudson not only worked with other health county administrators to address public health services, but developed important relationships around the country.

One example was his collaborative work with Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. While working on a 2008 emergency preparedness project and seeking resources around the country, Dr. Daniel Barnett contacted the health department. Hudson was enthusiastic about participating, even after the men realized Barnett had meant to call the Butler County, Iowa, office, not Missouri.

The local health department benefited from that project and the chance encounter led to a deep friendship and professional working relationship. It also resulted in several beneficial projects for the community, including battling the opioid crisis, among others.

Currently, Johns Hopkins is partnering with the local health department to provide psychological first aid training for first responders, targeting services to the elderly population.

“Robert would be proud of Emily and how she’s led us through the past two years, which have been challenging to say the least,” said Allen. “We are well set to keep building a high-quality health department because of his foresight and leadership, and his love of public health and his community. We hope everyone will come out for this dedication.”