Former Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director passes away

The former director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department passed away this week after battling an illness.

Patricia “Pat” Lopez passed away on March 2 at her home in Lincoln.

A press release from the city of Lincoln said she first joined the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department in 1975 as a public health nurse and spent the next 29 years working to improve the health and well-being of residents. She developed health care programs for Medicaid recipients, coordinated health stations in underserved areas, and led a skilled team of public health nurses before retiring in 2004.

After leaving the department, Lopez remained deeply engaged in public health at the state and national levels. She played a key role in establishing Nebraska’s statewide public health system, served as president of the Public Health Association of Nebraska, and helped local health departments achieve national accreditation.

Lincoln Lancaster County Health Department Director Kerry Kernen said Lopez was an asset for the department and state of Nebraska.

“Pat’s passion for public health was evident throughout her 50-year career as was her commitment to this community,” Kernen said in the press release. “We were fortunate to have her at the helm of the Health Department, especially during the pandemic, and we will honor her memory as we continue doing the work she loved so much.”

In 2019, Lopez was called back into service when Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird appointed her the interim director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.

"I am heartbroken by the passing of my dear friend and trusted colleague, Pat Lopez,” Gaylor Baird said in a statement. “Pat was a steadfast protector of our community, a source of wisdom and strength in our most challenging moments, and a public health champion whose legacy will endure for generations.

“Through the pandemic and beyond, Pat was my partner in guiding Lincoln through unprecedented times. Her steady hand, deep compassion, and unwavering commitment to the well-being of our residents saved lives and strengthened our city. I will always remember the long hours we spent together, weighing impossible decisions, finding solutions, and supporting one another in the face of adversity.”

Her leadership during the pandemic protected lives and made Lancaster County one of the safest counties of its size, the press release stated, with some of the lowest mortality rates and highest vaccination rates in the nation. She later spearheaded initiatives including the Youth Substance Use Prevention Project and the Family Connects program, which provides newborns and families with access to public health nurses.