TheFluMaster
Resident
County health department provides services from womb to tomb
By PAULA RHODEN
The Daily Courier
PRESCOTT -* With more than 60 programs, the 220 employees of Yavapai County Community Health Services are busy. YCCHS provides services to residents ranging from pre-natal to burial transit permits.
Director Robert Resendes said the county health service is "one of the most unique in the country. It is one of only a handful of 'health departments' that is both a local health department and a community health center" provides individual health care similar to what people receive at a doctor's office.
"It is case of public health versus individual health," he said. "Normally the two divisions would operate out of separate offices. In Yavapai County, they are under one roof, one stop shopping."
One of the largest community health programs is WIC * Women, Infants and Children.
Resendes said the program brings in more than $2.5 million for groceries for the 4,000 participants.
The director said health clinics throughout the county provide medical care to more than 7,400 patients. The clinics receive more than 1,600 calls per week.
"The health clinic administers about $300,000 worth of vaccines annually to poor and uninsured residents," he said.
YCCHS also is active in environmental health issues. Resendes said the department inspects 1,500 restaurants and food service providers annually.
"For a county this size, I am impressed by how few food-borne illnesses we have," the director said.
The department keeps a close eye on the number of mosquitos in the county. Resendes said the county had no cases of West Nile Virus in 2006.
Resendes said preparedness in case of a terrorist threat is new to public health.
The director said YCCHS is prepared for a pandemic flu, "but we could still do more. The federal government wants health departments to have enough vaccine on hand to administer 500 immunizations per hour for 18 days. Those numbers would overwhelm even the best system."
Resendes said YCCHS is responsible for education in conjunction with the Smoke-Free Arizona legislation that went into effect May 1.
The director admitted YCCHS has some weak spots. One, he said, is fluoridation.
"Yavapai County has some of the worse dental caries in children," Resendes said.
The next weak spot, he said, is programs for senior adults.
"Yavapai County is one of the counties in Arizona with the highest demographics of older residents. Public health is geared toward children, but we are
working with the Area Agency on Aging and Northern Arizona Council of Governments to develop new programs," Resendes said.
The director said YCCHS is different from other county departments because it has a Board of Health made up of three county supervisor appointments, one supervisor and a local doctor. Supervisor Tom Thurman currently serves on the Board of Health. The board operates in an advisory capacity only.
Resendes said Paul Revere was the country's first public health officer. "He worked under the principle that decisions should not be political. Because of public health, people live twice as long as they did 100 years ago."
Contact the reporter at prhoden@prescottaz.com
http://prescottdailycourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=44001&TM=37467.77
By PAULA RHODEN
The Daily Courier
PRESCOTT -* With more than 60 programs, the 220 employees of Yavapai County Community Health Services are busy. YCCHS provides services to residents ranging from pre-natal to burial transit permits.
Director Robert Resendes said the county health service is "one of the most unique in the country. It is one of only a handful of 'health departments' that is both a local health department and a community health center" provides individual health care similar to what people receive at a doctor's office.
"It is case of public health versus individual health," he said. "Normally the two divisions would operate out of separate offices. In Yavapai County, they are under one roof, one stop shopping."
One of the largest community health programs is WIC * Women, Infants and Children.
Resendes said the program brings in more than $2.5 million for groceries for the 4,000 participants.
The director said health clinics throughout the county provide medical care to more than 7,400 patients. The clinics receive more than 1,600 calls per week.
"The health clinic administers about $300,000 worth of vaccines annually to poor and uninsured residents," he said.
YCCHS also is active in environmental health issues. Resendes said the department inspects 1,500 restaurants and food service providers annually.
"For a county this size, I am impressed by how few food-borne illnesses we have," the director said.
The department keeps a close eye on the number of mosquitos in the county. Resendes said the county had no cases of West Nile Virus in 2006.
Resendes said preparedness in case of a terrorist threat is new to public health.
The director said YCCHS is prepared for a pandemic flu, "but we could still do more. The federal government wants health departments to have enough vaccine on hand to administer 500 immunizations per hour for 18 days. Those numbers would overwhelm even the best system."
Resendes said YCCHS is responsible for education in conjunction with the Smoke-Free Arizona legislation that went into effect May 1.
The director admitted YCCHS has some weak spots. One, he said, is fluoridation.
"Yavapai County has some of the worse dental caries in children," Resendes said.
The next weak spot, he said, is programs for senior adults.
"Yavapai County is one of the counties in Arizona with the highest demographics of older residents. Public health is geared toward children, but we are
working with the Area Agency on Aging and Northern Arizona Council of Governments to develop new programs," Resendes said.
The director said YCCHS is different from other county departments because it has a Board of Health made up of three county supervisor appointments, one supervisor and a local doctor. Supervisor Tom Thurman currently serves on the Board of Health. The board operates in an advisory capacity only.
Resendes said Paul Revere was the country's first public health officer. "He worked under the principle that decisions should not be political. Because of public health, people live twice as long as they did 100 years ago."
Contact the reporter at prhoden@prescottaz.com
http://prescottdailycourier.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=44001&TM=37467.77