Gov.-elect Jay Nixon has named former state Rep. Margaret Donnelly to head the state Department of Health and Senior Services. We’re big fans of her work in the Legislature. We endorsed her in the Democratic primary for Attorney General.

But Ms. Donnelly is a lawyer, not a public health professional. With this appointment, Mr. Nixon continues Gov. Matt Blunt’s trend of picking people without significant public health experience to run the state public health agency.

Ms. Donnelly’s predecessor is Jane Drummond, a lawyer who practiced in Jefferson City before becoming general counsel in Gov. Matt Blunt’s office. Ms. Drummond replaced Julie Eckstein, who previously ran Healthy Communities St. Charles, not a large public health agency. During their tenures, the state health department has struggled to fulfill its crucial mission with chronically short budgets.

Ms. Donnelly played a key role on Medicaid issues during her time Legislature. She has been an effective advocate for children, elderly and the poor. But health care for the poor isn’t public health.

Public health is a way of assessing and protecting the health of a community or state. It uses statistics, records, inspections and vermin eradication to diagnose problems and protect against threats.

We have great respect for Ms. Donnelly’s skill, intelligence and integrity. But we have even more respect for public health and the professionals to are trained to perform its many responsibilities. Perhaps Mr. Nixon isn’t aware that St. Louis University has one of the nation’s best schools of public health. Or that nationally regarded Washington University is opening a new public health school, staffed by professors with extensive experience on state and national public health agencies.

We wouldn’t pick someone without a law degree to represent us in court. Neither should we expert someone without a public health background — no matter their competence as a legislator or lawyer — to run the state health department.