Bob Lutz, MD, MPH joined SRHD as health officer in June 2017. No stranger to SRHD, Dr. Lutz served for eight years on the district’s Board of Health and is a practicing urgent care physician for Multicare Rockwood Clinic. In his role as health officer, he will provide leadership for the protection of public health, enforce public health regulation, and serve as an adviser to elected officials on community health and safety.

Tell us about your background.

Professionally, I’m a Villanova Wildcat with undergraduate studies in biology and English, a Temple Owl for medical school, and an Arizona Wildcat for my master’s in public health in epidemiology and minor in medical anthropology. My internship was in surgery, residency in family medicine, and fellowships in sports medicine and integrative medicine. I was a United States Navy medical officer for four years assigned with the United States Marine Corps. I moved to Spokane in 2004 to work in urgent care, which has been my primary career practice.

Personally, I have been married to my wife, Amy, for 21 years. We currently have three dogs, two cats, no partridges but we do have a pear tree, so…

What interests you most about communicable disease?

Honestly? The bugs themselves. Many of them have evolved a unique relationship with humans, for example hepatitis B. And although influenza is a common human infection, it mutates in other animals, such as swine and birds, which accounts for the challenges in determining the best vaccine match for the year.

What is your favorite part of your new job?

Where do I start? The Institute of Medicine defined public health as “fulfilling society’s interest in assuring conditions in which people can be healthy.” I’m incredibly fortunate to have been provided this opportunity of working more closely with the people and agency I’ve overseen as a Board of Health member for the past eight years.

What can we find you doing when you’re not at work?

Drinking an IPA… well, some of the time. Amy and I love being in the outdoors, which may be in our backyard, or backpacking and kayaking. Our dogs are our regular companions and I’m an avid trail runner.