Prevention, protection, promotion: Marietta/Belpre Health Department discusses programs, updates
Marietta/Belpre Health Department discusses programs, updates
(Photo by Amber Phipps) Administrator Barb Bradley received an annual vaccination in one of the walk-in examination rooms on the second floor of the Marietta/Belpre Health Department.
(Photo by Amber Phipps) Exam Room 1 which is available for walk-in appointments at the Marietta/Belpre Health Department at 304 Putnam St.
(Photo by Amber Phipps) Wall art in the examination room which was done by a community service member with connections to the health department.
(Photo by Amber Phipps) Interior of one of the exam rooms provided for the public during the health department’s regular hours.
(Photo by Amber Phipps) Administrator Barb Bradley received an annual vaccination in one of the walk-in examination rooms on the second floor of the Marietta/Belpre Health Department.
(Photo by Amber Phipps) Exam Room 1 which is available for walk-in appointments at the Marietta/Belpre Health Department at 304 Putnam St.
(Photo by Amber Phipps) Wall art in the examination room which was done by a community service member with connections to the health department.
(Photo by Amber Phipps) Interior of one of the exam rooms provided for the public during the health department’s regular hours.
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Even though it's almost the end of flu season and the warmer weather is just around the corner, the Marietta/Belpre Health Department is always practicing prevention, protection and promotion.
Open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the health department has provided the community with a wide range of clinical care and sanitational prevention practices.
Not to be confused with the Washington County Health Department, the Marietta/Belpre Health Department is located at 304 Putnam St., Marietta.
Dianna Beck is the nursing director for the Nursing Department and oversees anything from reproductive health to immunizations to educational programs provided by the health department.
"We've had a federally subsidized program for two years now that helps people with reproductive needs and also tests for STIs," said Beck. "We have the testing equipment here on site to test and treat for almost everything that would come through the door."
The Nursing Department analyzes statistics and surveys to assess what immunizations would be most timely to prepare for the flu and COVID seasons.
During seasons with an influx in sickness, the health department provides campaigns and partners with local areas to provide access to flu shots and vaccinations.
"We're asked to present to high schools about vaping, smoking and healthy lifestyles and we're looking at our population as a whole as a community and what we can do to promote healthy lifestyles," said Beck.
The health department analyses pockets of need in the community and what they can do to help.
According to Beck, education is a huge aspect of the health department in terms of promoting healthy lifestyles and providing the resources to improve the quality of life.
The Nursing Department has programs that assist those who qualify for medicaid to receive car seats and safety helmets for their children.
Qualified personnel can walk in and get their child fitted with a proper car seat and kids up to the age of 18 can receive bike safety gear.
"We're not epidemiologists but we are a vital link to that because we are getting notified if there's a case of whooping cough in a day care, a foodborne illness that breaks out and we start doing the investigation part to see if there's a trend," said Beck.
The Marietta/Belpre Health Department also consists of Environmental Health which focuses generally on food inspections, licensing, foodborne illness and public facility inspections.
"They do the inspections of all restaurants, retail, grocery stores, public swimming pools, campgrounds and mobile home park inspections," said Marietta/Belpre Health Department Administrator Barb Bradley.
The environmental health workers inspect food a minimum of twice a year and investigate how food is being handled and prepared.
"There's drills and scenarios that we do once a month, some a quarter or yearly and we work with the county health department, the EMA (Emergency Management Agency) and the fire departments to monitor and figure out traffic flow," said Bradley.
The routine drills and traffic monitoring take a closer look at the community to prepare for unusual scenarios that would cause harm to the public. The drills serve to ensure that the community can take shelter or evacuate in case of an unexpected emergency.
With so many resources available, the health department is open daily for walk-ins to provide a range of assistance and medical help for the community.
According to Beck, the health department is a "safety net" for people without insurance or at-home support.
"There's a lot of inequity out there and we're trying to make sure that hopefully we can get people what they need," said Beck.
Workers from the Marietta/Belpre Health Department will be visiting the local jail at the end of the month to provide education and clinics to those who don't have easy accessibility to preventative resources.
"Public health does a lot everyday and it's usually behind the scenes until there's a problem," said Bradley.
April is just around the corner which means warmer weather as well as public health awareness month. Check out the Marietta/Belpre Health Department website for more information about their resources and programs.