During the Allen County Health Department’s quarterly meeting Monday, Health Commissioner Dr. Matthew Sutter announced he will be retiring from public service in the summer.
Sutter was appointed to the role in May 2020, following the departure of longtime department head Deb McMahan and two months into the COVID-19 pandemic.
His term was notable for his navigation of the pandemic in Allen County, at one point holding monthly video addresses to translate COVID-19 case and death numbers as well as trends to residents. He also advised local leaders on virus mitigation plans in order to avoid ICUs from exceeding their capacities.
Sutter said Monday being health commissioner has been “among the greatest professional privileges I have experienced” and that the decision was “incredibly difficult,” but concluded that it’s “the right time for me to make the move.”
He earned a medical degree from Indiana University in 1997 and an MBA from IU in 2019. Prior to that, he served as a firefighter and EMT with St. Joseph Township Fire Department and paramedic for the Three Rivers Ambulance Authority.
Sutter will continue to serve as Chief Medical Officer at IU Health Fort Wayne and a practicing emergency physician with Adams County Health Network.
