“Public Health is not going away,” stated newly named Wright County Public Health Administrator Sandy McGrath who has been with the organization since 2004.
This comes after a difficult decision was made this summer to decertify the Home Health Care portion of the operation.
“We just couldn’t compete with the private sector,” said Board of Health Chair Mickey Cooper when this happened. “A lot of Public Health agencies are going this way.”
As they move forward, McGrath said that Wright County Public Health has chosen to focus their mission on community-based programming as well as safeguarding the community’s health. These programs benefit a diverse group of people ranging from the unborn to the elderly and offer a variety of programs, services, and activities.
For mothers and expectant mothers, Wright County Public Health offers a Maternal Health unit as well as children services. Family Support Home Visits includes ongoing community-based services that promote the well-being of children ages 0-5 through support to the family. It utilizes evidence-based programs like HOPES (Healthy Opportunities for Parents to Experience Success), Early Head Start, 1st Five, and Maternal Child Health.
There is also Resources Navigation-Care Coordination which includes interactions with individuals or other support systems to provide information about access to services and work through barriers that hinder health improvements. It also helps consumers navigate resources and services and explore options with those systems.
Other programs include: Injury prevention and follow-up, including screening and education for potential safety risks and implementing follow-up activities to prevent falls; violence prevention; Immunization for both adult and children; Foot Care Clinics; Health Education which includes activities that are intended to provide education and information about physical, behavioral, environmental, social, economic and other issues affecting health; and Screening and Assessment including individuals who may be at risk or have asymptomatic conditions – within the community, at worksites and at schools
Public Health also assists the community with identifying health and social needs and then providing appropriate referrals to the proper entity.
As we’ve seen during COVID-19, Public Health has also played a very strong roll in investigation and reportable disease follow-up surveillance, including case identification, case finding, prevention and controls of the spread of infectious communicable and environmental diseases. Along the same lines, they offer Health Hazard Investigation, identifying agents which affect the health of consumers. Examples of this include water testing, air quality, and environmental testing for lead components.
Other aspects of Public Health in our community include: Emergency Preparedness Leadership for other first responding agencies in Wright County to prepare and respond to hazards or emergency events and provide support; facilitation of access to mental health and medical services; Wellness clinics, TB control, and much more.
McGrath noted that as Public Health continues to evolve into what they believe is best for the community, they will continue to promote quality health care for all and reduce health disparities. They will continue their dedication to efficiency, effective and continuous improvement and remain flexible to new and diverse ideas.
“We are looking forward to fine-tuning and expanding our current programs we offer,” McGrath concluded.
