SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — A northern Indiana county is preparing to hire its first full-time health officer in more than a decade.

St. Joseph County hasn’t had a full-time health officer since Dr. Janice Carson retired in 2004. Officials weren’t able to find another physician with administrative experience, so they cut the position to 16 hours a week.

The South Bend Tribune reports that concerns about health issues such as obesity, tobacco use and infant mortality prompted a move to return to a full-time position.

The part-time position costs about $62,000 a year, while a full-time health officer will cost $140,000 annually. The county will be able to fund the difference for about 2 ½ years using about $277,000 of money left from a 1998 tobacco settlement.