Looking back, looking forward: Retiring Feaster proud of work, team
Tina Feaster will soon formally close the book on a career in public health that has spanned more than three decades.
When that day comes (and for all those that will follow it), she may pick up her guitar and play a few licks, or she might finally give the keyboard she’s been planning to learn another go. She’ll probably spend a lot of time in the garden. The latter activity might be particularly fitting, as Feaster’s final days with the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) will primarily be directed toward helping her successor shepherd the Healthcare-Associated Infections team, watching the program grow and flourish in the years to come, just as it has throughout Feaster’s tenure.
“I think it’s important to show them the ‘tips and tricks,’” she said, noting that she wished to provide “historical background” and to “pass the torch.”
By the same token, Feaster’s time with IDOH has seen her work to forge strong relationships with other public health entities to address outbreaks ranging from fungal meningitis to Ebola.
She joked that, at least initially, she hadn’t really considered a career in public health, but once life led her in that direction, she didn’t alter course. Born in Chicago, Feaster’s first work after college was with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). She got into public health with IDOH by working in the HIV section of the IDOH Laboratories. Six months later, Feaster became a tuberculosis (TB) microbiologist. She followed that up with time spent as a TB epidemiologist then as an invasive disease epidemiologist before taking on her current role as Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) coordinator.
She and her husband, Bill, settled in Bloomington before moving to Indianapolis, where they reside now. Feaster’s work takes place within the Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Prevention Division (IDEPD) and is a necessary part of better health outcomes for Hoosiers receiving care in a healthcare facility.
Healthcare-associated infections are those that develop from surgical procedures, the use of a catheter, or other means. Feaster puts her work and that of her team in the arena of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) at the top of a list of accomplishments that have done much to prevent the spread of illness throughout the years. She lauded her colleagues for their work and talked of the important relationships established with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (which she called “a fabulous partner”) and others, as these partnerships formed the bedrock of her division’s success.
“It’s so rewarding,” she said of those partnerships. “It’s so cool that we do that kind of stewardship.”
She noted that the reduction in the amount of prescription drugs a person may need to take to treat an infection is a sign that the HAI team’s work is making a difference in people’s lives.
“We have a great team,” Feaster said.
Thanks to grant funding from the CDC, one of the biggest changes Feaster has seen throughout the years has involved the expansion of her team in times of need. In one period, the group went from a team of three to a crew of 20.
“We’ve been able to build a team that can do great things,” she said. “With that funding, we were able to hire 11 infection preventionists.”
She pointed to recent pay increases for state employees as another way her team can hire and retain qualified personnel able to help meet public health challenges. Feaster also commended agency leadership for their guidance throughout her tenure, particularly current State Health Commissioner Dr. Kris Box, who she called “a great leader.”
IDEPD director Eric Hawkins is among those who’ve worked closely with Feaster throughout the years, and he had kind words as she prepared to depart.
“I am so happy to have had the opportunity to supervise, learn from, and become good friends with Tina over the last five-plus years,” Hawkins said. “Tina could always be counted on to bring a positive attitude and a smile to each meeting and has always been so proud of her team and the work they do. IDOH is losing a great team member who has dedicated over 30 years with us, but I am so glad to see her retire and be able to hand off the HAI Coordinator torch! Congratulations, Tina, and thank you!”
Deputy Health Commissioner for Local Health Services Pam Pontones worked with Feaster throughout the entirety of the HAI coordinator’s career. She had high praise for a colleague she calls a friend.
“Tina is a tireless champion for the prevention and detection of healthcare-acquired infections, antibiotic resistance and stewardship, and infection prevention and control, and she is known throughout the state and among our many partners for her expertise,” said Pontones.
She said Feaster shares her “energy and positivity with our team each day.”
“I am so glad for what Tina has accomplished, but even more so that she has been my friend all these years,” Pontones said. “Congratulations, Tina. I am proud of you, and I wish you all the best.”
Feaster’s post-public health work life is bound to be filled with good times. The Feasters are big fans of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, and Feaster said she can see herself working part-time as an usher, seating other symphony afficionados at the Hilbert Circle Theatre.
“I love classical music,” she said.
Her busy work schedule led Feaster to jokingly refer to the current state of her garden and yard as “chaos” in need of some tending when she has time, so that activity will undoubtedly show up on her post-retirement itinerary.
Feaster and her husband live on five acres with their two cats, Ruby and Franklin. She has eight siblings she’s planning to visit during her retirement travels, and Tina and Bill may travel abroad again as well.
With a full slate of activities ahead, Feaster can look forward to them with the same zest she brought to her work. As she prepares to write her next chapter, she looks back on her time with IDOH fondly.
“I am so happy I worked for the Department of Health for so many years,” she said.
Story by Brent Brown, Indiana Department of Health