Why Establish a County Public Health Department

By Ann M. O'Keefe

Delaware County should use available funding to maintain a County Health Department

Delaware County remains the largest county in Pennsylvania (as well one of the largest counties in the United States) without a county public health department. Currently, Delaware County relies upon a Department of Intercommunity Health staffed with four people who are not certified in public health or have a medical background.

Establishing a County Health Department would help ensure county wide health protection by uniformly overseeing health matters by through permitting, licensing and inspecting eating and drinking establishments, camps and campgrounds, mobile home parks, swimming pools, on-lot sewage systems and individual's wells. County public health officials would monitor health status in order to identify `community' health problems. They would identify and investigate health problems and health hazards within the community. They would also educate people about health issues.

Reasons for A County Health Department The current system of relying upon the Department of Intercommunity Health does not provide a process for surveillance, investigation or monitoring health issues within the county. The county does not employ a staff epidemiologist or even a physician as part of the existing Department of Intercommunity Health. Residents rely solely upon Township health officers to enforce and provide some sort of oversight. Significant numbers of health care experts believe that the only way to be prepared for a countywide health emergency is to have a county health department system in place. The Pennsylvania State Department of Health is also concerned that it would be unable to effectively respond to the counties without health departments. County public health professionals can mobilize community partnerships to: · Identify and solve health problems that may arise. · Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts. · Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety. · Link people to needed personal and environmental health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable.

Establishing a county health department is an investment for the health, safety and welfare of all Delaware County residents.