By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
It used to be that “public health” was known as the place to get vaccines, birth certificates and septic tank permits.
Today public health encompasses so much more – due in part to people looking for the best way to deliver health care to communities.
One of those people was recognized recently as this year’s “Public Health Hero” by Wood County Health Department. Sharon Schaeffer was honored during a gathering at the health department focused on the value of public health.
Schaeffer started her career as a registered nurse working in hospital nursing before moving to public health. She spent 17 years working in local public health in various capacities. Her areas of expertise include management, epidemiology, disaster planning, community needs assessment, and health education including design and evaluation of grant funded programs.
She is now a full-time faculty member at Bowling Green State University, and has served on the Wood County Community Health Center Board for eight years.
During Schaeffer’s terms on the board, the community health center has added dental services, expanded behavioral health services, made quality improvements, and now serves more than 2,700 patients annually.
“She has been invaluable to the health center board,” Wood County Health Commissioner Ben Robison said when introducing Schaeffer.
After receiving the public health hero award, Schaeffer explained her shift from individual nursing care to public health.
“I think the reach can be a little further than individual health,” she said. “We have many more opportunities to reach people.”
The same can be said for her motivation to teach public health at BGSU. “If we don’t plant the seed,” students may never realize the vast number of people they can touch with their health services.
“This means a lot,” Schaeffer said as she accepted the award.
Also during the gathering recognizing the value of public health, Robison talked about the expanded access to care at the Wood County Community Health Center and the Wood County Health Department.
The center is the only dental care in Wood County that accepts Medicaid patients of all ages. A mobile health center is available to take services on the road and meet patients where they can easily access care.
Partnerships have been formed with other community organizations, teaming up on public health with local schools, Wood County Committee on Aging, plus mental health and substance abuse agencies.
“We know public health is bigger than us,” Robison said.
Last year, local public health services and education were made available at 30 events. This year, the number planned is already up to 90, Robison said.
The health department was awarded a grant to help install items that would help prevent the spread of future infectious diseases. Community partners are being asked if they want water bottle filling stations, HVAC improvements, hand and mop sinks, and light systems that clean contaminated surfaces at hospitals, schools or nursing home facilities.
“Public health is really in everything we do,” he said.
The mission of Wood County Health Department is to prevent disease, promote healthy lifestyles and protect the health of everyone in Wood County. The Community Health Center provides comprehensive medical services for men, women and children. All patients are welcomed, including uninsured or underinsured clients, regardless of their ability to pay, and most third-party insurance is accepted. For more information, visit woodcountyhealth.org.
