Local department observes National Public Health Week

"National Public Health Week" is being observed April 2-8.

The mission of the Georgia Division of Public Health is "to promote health and prevent disease, injury, and disability."

Georgia is divided into 18 health districts.

The East Central Georgia Health District is comprised of 13 counties including Lincoln, Richmond, Columbia, McDuffie, Screven, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Taliaferro, Burke, Jenkins, Warren, and Wilkes. The district employs 400 people and serves a population base of 435,000 residents.

At the local level, the Lincoln County Health Department, located at 176 N. Peachtree Street, currently has seven employees: Cynthia Fox RN, county nurse manager; Brenda Goolsby RN; Beth Talbert LPN; Rosalyn Guillebeau, principle clerk; Carla Matthews, secretary; Johnny Wasson (part time), environmental specialist; and Gail Leith RN (part time), children's medical services nurse.

Providing guidance for the health department is a board made up of Lincolnton mayor Dwaine Biggerstaff, chairman; Walker Norman, chairman of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners; Dr. Randall Edmunds, Lincoln County school superintendent; Dr. Robert Williams; Dr. Gregory Griffin; Dr. Alcye Hawes; and Howie Gunby. The group meets once every quarter to review health issues in the county.

In her comments, nurse manager Cynthia Fox pointed out that working in the public health field is both challenging and rewarding. "My staff and I enjoy serving the people of Lincoln County - we're all about improving our clients' quality of life.

"In essence, the Lincoln County Health Department serves everybody in the community, she continued. "We also offer certain programs to children as well as adults who are 'under-served.' We provide a safety net, linking them to available community services. We likewise offer certain direct services that are not available or now accessible within our community such as University Hospital's mobile mammography unit."

Fox went on to say, "This year, our focus during National Public Health Week is to articulate more clearly who we are, what we do, how we do it, and whom we serve. Our hope is to increase the public's awareness of the vital role our agency plays in ensuring the health and safety of the residents of our community."

The health department is charged with providing 10 essential services daily. They are:

(1) To monitor the health status of individuals to identify health problems in the community.

(2) To diagnose and investigate the origins of health problems and health hazards in the community.

(3) To inform, educate, and empower citizens concerning health issues.

(4) To mobilize community partnerships to identify and solve health problems.

(5) To develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts.

(6) To enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.

(7) To link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable.

(8) To assure that a competent public health care workforce is in place.

(9) To evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and the quality of personal and population-based health services.

(10) To research new insights and innovative solutions to health problems.

These services are delivered through the health district's five major service divisions:

.. Medical Services - This division provides specific screenings, direct care services, education, nutrition services, dental services, and so forth.

.. Environmental Health - Employees in this division enforce health and safety codes in public places such as restaurants and swimming pools.

.. Disease Investigation/Surveillance - These health care professionals respond to and monitor disease outbreaks.

.. Emergency or Disaster Preparedness.

.. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) - This division ensures compliance with ambulance health and safety rules and regulations.

For more information about public health services, contact the local health department at 706-359-3154 or visit the East Central Health District's website at .