By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
The Wood County Health District has a pretty lofty goal for local residents.
“We’re striving to be the healthiest county in Ohio,” Health Commissioner Ben Batey said Thursday to a meeting of the Wood County District Advisory Council – representing the municipalities and townships in the county.
In order to improve local public health, the district has set some lofty goals for itself. In addition to all the environmental and nursing services already provided, the district plans to focus on the priority issues of obesity, mental health, youth violence and bullying, and health care access.
Dental care will also be a priority for the health district, with the use of an $820,000 federal grant to build a dental center onto the existing health district building on East Gypsy Lane Road. Medicaid dental services have long been identified as a serious need in the county.
The new dental clinic, which will have five examine chairs, is expected to be open by the beginning of 2018. Though the number of projected clients is unknown, Batey said of the 1,300 health center patients surveyed, 75 percent said they would be interested in using the dental services.
Batey also noted that the county’s Net Plus program now offers transportation to medical appointments for any Wood County residents.
“We have set a standard in Ohio,” for good medical access, Batey said. “We tackle these issues that other counties are really struggling with.”
The success of the health district was recognized last year when the agency received national accreditation.
“That was a very proud moment for us,” Batey said, noting that very few health departments throughout the nation achieve that status. “We got very positive feedback on the job we are providing our residents.”
The efforts are being recognized outside Wood County as well, he said. “People are now looking at us as a regional leader.”
Batey presented the health district’s annual report to the municipal and township leaders Thursday evening. The report lists the programs offered to protect public health in the county. Those include programs covering:
- Food safety.
- Public swimming pools and campgrounds.
- Private drinking water and home sewage treatment systems.
- Animal bites and rabies prevention.
- School inspections.
- County housing and general nuisances.
- Institutions and jail inspections.
- Smoke-free workplace enforcement.
- Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition.
- Children with Medical Handicaps.
- Immunizations.
- Personal care for seniors in their homes.
- Healthy Kids program working to prevent obesity.
- Emergency preparedness.
- Non-infectious disease epidemiology.
- Child and Family Health Services.
“I’m very proud of this report,” Batey said. “We’ve come a long way.”
Batey said 2016 was a “tough year” for finances, but by adjusting staffing levels and expenses, there were no layoffs or drastic cuts to programming.
The district is now working on building up reserves in case of emergencies, such as a pandemic. “We plan for a more stable financial future.”
Board of Health President Richard Strow thanked the municipal and township leaders for their support of the health district.
“It’s been very good to have the support of the townships and the cities,” he said.
Strow also thanked the health district’s “tremendous staff” for their positive impacts on the county. “We are very, very fortunate to have the employees we have,” he said.
