The unexplained departure this month of Gregory W. Branch, Baltimore County’s health officer for the final 18 years, seems associated to his intensive involvement in outdoors theatrical productions, together with the directorship of a Johns Hopkins School of Medicine choir.
These actions, which had been identified by county officers for years however had been neglected, reportedly reached a tipping level when emails and different info underscored the extent of his freelancing throughout county hours.
“He was doing every thing however work,” mentioned a knowlegeable supply, who described the March 5 announcement that Branch was “not” director of the County Department of Health and Human Services and Baltimore County Health Officer as a firing.
A two-sentence announcement by the Maryland Department of Health gave no motive for his leaving. State and county officers have supplied no additional info, saying it’s a confidential personnel matter.
Speaking briefly with The Brew yesterday, Branch acknowledged that he had “parted methods with the county and state,” however declined to give the circumstances.
He mentioned reviews that the alleged extreme time he spent on outdoors initiatives was behind his departure had been “not truly true,” but in addition mentioned he was unaware of such reviews and wouldn’t remark additional.
Asked if he had voluntarily stepped down, he mentioned, “At this explicit time, I’m nonetheless within the means of working with the county and state, so I’d choose not to speak about precisely what’s happening.”
Asked if investigators had scrutinized his county emails and different materials, he mentioned, “I’m working by means of this at this level, so I’d recognize if you happen to allowed me to do this.”
Asked if he would tackle his elimination publicly sooner or later, he replied, “If I really feel it essential, sure.”
Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan refused to say if Branch was a spotlight of worker or public complaints or had been beneath investigation by her workplace.
“I can not touch upon the existence of any investigation,” she mentioned.
The Unified Voices of Johns Hopkins web site options its longtime government director. (uvofjhmi.org)
Praised throughout Covid
Branch’s sudden elimination represents a stark distinction from the acclaim he obtained from county leaders throughout the Covid pandemic and afterwards.
“From the start, he has been bravely main the county’s response to the disaster,” County Executive Johnny Olszewski mentioned, who supplied prayers for Branch when he contracted the illness in 2020.
In 2022, Branch earned an award from the Association of Immunization Managers for the county’s Covid vaccine rollout, and gained reward when he testified in regards to the harassment he and different public health officers obtained throughout the pandemic.
A yr in the past, the County Council unanimously confirmed his reappointment to one other four-year time period. Branch introduced his 86-year-old mom to the session, profitable applause from Council President Julian M. Jones, who mentioned he was his greatest fan outdoors of his mom.
“Without a doubt, you’re an utmost consummate skilled who has been doing an absolute incredible job,” the Woodstock Democratic mentioned. Dundalk Republican Todd Crandell continued with the laurels, saying, “You’ve taught me a whole lot of stuff in informal dialog.”
Branch earned a state wage of $295,736 with a county complement of $103,628, making him the best paid county worker, above the wage of School Superintendent Myriam Yarbrough ($310,000), Police Chief Robert McCullough ($275,000) and incoming County Administrator D’Andrea Walker ($263,000).
He didn’t disclose any future plans yesterday.
Gregory Branch calls for actors for a play he was directing in 2016. BELOW: Advertisement for “The Wiz” he staged at Johns Hopkins’ Turner Auditorium. (X)
No Complaints from “Inside”
A New York City native, Branch obtained his doctor’s license in 1994 after graduating from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and finishing a residency on the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
It was throughout his residency that he co-founded Unified Voices of Johns Hopkins, a gospel choir and ministry that rehearses each Tuesday and repeatedly performs musical occasions and performs at Turner Auditorium and elsewhere.
The group was established to “bridge the hole” between the medical faculty and surrounding group and is presently sponsored by Hopkins’ Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity.
Branch has been the group’s director for the final 32 years and has thrown himself into each side of the group, usually doubling as stage supervisor of its religious-themed performs. He can also be energetic in Battle Stage Plays LLC, which just lately featured Ursula Battle’s play, “Serenity House: From Addiction to Deliverance,” at group and senior facilities in Virginia and Maryland.
“He was concerned with directing performs and completely uncared for his work for the county and state. That’s what’s not being informed to the general public,” mentioned The Brew’s supply.
According to a former county official, Branch’s involvement in theatrical productions – in addition to elevating cash for Project PLASE, a transitional housing program whose board of administrators he previously chaired – was identified in authorities circles ever since he was employed by County Executive James T. Smith Jr. in 2006.
“County Executive Smith was an enormous fan of his. So was County Executive [Kevin] Kamenetz and, I assume, the present county government as a result of Branch was there for 5 years.”
Like Jones and Crandell, the official cited Branch’s management throughout the Covid pandemic as proof of his administrative prowess. He mentioned Branch additionally labored collaboratively with the county detention officers serving to to deal with drug issues amongst younger folks.
“I by no means had a grievance from a employees member. The issues we at all times heard about him, doing these drama productions, at all times got here from the surface. Nothing ever from inside.”
• To attain a reporter: reuttermark@yahoo.com
