State Health Commissioner resigns

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma Health Commissioner Doctor Leslie Beitsch has turned in his letter of resignation to the state Board of Health. <br><br>State epidemiologist Dr. Mike Crutcher will be interim

Friday, September 19th 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Oklahoma Health Commissioner Doctor Leslie Beitsch has turned in his letter of resignation to the state Board of Health.

State epidemiologist Dr. Mike Crutcher will be interim director.

Beitsch says he's leaving Oklahoma after nearly two years on the job with mixed emotions.

He says those emotions reflect conflict ``often inherent between one's family and professional life.''

Beitsch's family moved from Edmond to Orlando, Florida, during the summer.

He says his wife and two children prefer life in Florida, where he was deputy secretary for the Florida Health Department before coming to Oklahoma in 2001.

Beitsch plans to leave the Department of Health on October 25th and says he may consider a college-level teaching position in Florida.