AMHERST - After 13 years as health director, guiding Amherst through its groundbreaking ban on smoking at bars in the late 1990s to this year's work in confronting the spread of the H1N1 virus, Epi Bodhi has retired.

Town Manager Larry Shaffer said Monday that Bodhi announced her retirement immediately before the Thanksgiving holiday. In using accrued vacation and personal time, Bodhi has already departed her position, he said.

"We certainly wish her all the best in retirement and thank her for her years of service," Shaffer said.

Bodhi, 61, started as health educator for the town in 1988, and held other positions, including disability access coordinator, sexual harassment officer, affirmative action officer and tobacco control program manager, before assuming the health director role in 1996.

During her time, she was particularly successful in obtaining grant money, Shaffer said.

One such recent grant is being used to study how well health care is being delivered to all people regardless of race, gender or social class, and develop programs that will improve health care for underserved populations.

This fit in with Bodhi's standing as a member of the Health and Social Justice Committee of the National Association of County and City Health Officials, which provided the $300,000 for the study.

In December Julie Federman, a former public health nurse, will be serving as the part-time health director, before transitioning into a full-time capacity in January, Shaffer said.

With the change will come a renewed focus on the core health mission, Shaffer said, which will include providing vaccinations for the H1N1 virus, completing inspections and exploring regionalization of health services.