March 28, 2024

Jasper County Board of Health celebrates 50 years

Since 1968, the Jasper County Board of Health has worked to build and maintain a strong team to lead services for the citizens of the county.

The board celebrated its 50th anniversary Thursday with a cake and punch reception at the Jasper County Health Department building.

“The Jasper County Board of Health has worked very hard over the years to conduct community research and create interventions to prevent disease and injury while providing people with education that is needed to promote their wellbeing,” JCHD director Becky Pryor said. “Developing the right board of health structure has taken many years but the Jasper County Board of Health has been able to achieve many goals.”

The first organized meeting had five members and one guest in attendance and included Faye Girdner, Dr. D. Onnen, W. Taylor, C. Eichner and H. Jansen. At the meeting, the board defined its duties and received its first complaint of a business practice from a Baxter citizen, citing unsanitary practices.

The first physician was appointed to the board a year later in Dr. Bobenhouse and the first public health nurse was hired to serve the county. After exploring the certification of the Jasper County Public Health Nursing Service by the Iowa State Department of Health, the board received a $7,000 grant to use to build the nursing services in the county.

“I would want to pay tribute to Faye Girdner, Dr. Onnen, Taylor, Eichner and Jansen for having the vision to establish the board of health in 1968,” current board chair Margot Voshell said. “I hope that the current board would make them proud of the things we have accomplished during the past 50 years.”

In 1970, a measles clinic was held, vaccinating more than 6,300 children throughout the county for $6,900. The next year, the board adopted rules and regulations and moved to establish permits and percolation tests requirements for new construction in the county.

A decade after its first meeting, the board saw a rise in the public health nursing services with home visits increasing from 1,967 to 3,137. It was also at that time that monthly blood pressure screenings in Colfax and Newton were started with about 180 clients served each month.

The county’s health services changed significantly in 1984 when the public health nurse program merged with Skiff Medical Center, then Skiff Memorial Center. The two would partner until 2016 when public health went back to the county after Skiff was acquired by Mercy Medical Center.

In the years to follow, the board continued to work addressing sanitary conditions through the Food Service Establishment Inspections, water testing and well plugging throughout the county. In 1995, it was decided to put all septic systems into the records.

At the turn of the century, the board made the decision to have the Jasper County Home Care Aides be a stand-alone program. The board would solely oversee the program until the Jasper County Health Department was established 16 years later.

Many environmental issues and programs were established throughout the 2000s after Kevin Luetters was hired to serve as the environmental health director. The department received a new GIS system and a bioterrorism grant. It also assisted the state with surveillance by collecting dead cows, blue jays and cardinals to check them for West Nile Virus during its peak outbreak.

In 2007 when the Iowa Speedway came to Newton and a bio-emergency plan was established. The exercise involved fire, police and hospital personnel, environmental health and concentrated on areas including a pandemic response and emergency preparedness.

To identify the needs within the county, a Community Health Needs Assessment and Health Improvement Plan committee was formed in 2010. Through a community needs assessment, it was determined nutrition, transportation to health care, dental health, wellness, strengthening families and households, improved self-esteem, childhood obesity and access to and awareness of community resources were areas of priority for the county.

The biggest change for the board came in late 2015 when Skiff Medical Center made the decision to discontinue its partnership with the county. In February 2016, public health went back to Jasper County and subsequently hired Becky Pryor to serve as the departments administrator. Later that year, Brenda Steenhoek was hired as the Home Care Manager and Kristina Winfield as Public Health Coordinator to round out the leadership team for the county.

“(In that time the county has) received numerous grants including $92,712 for public health, $26,530 in grants to counties, $15,977 for immunizations and an emergency preparedness Ebola grant for $8,332,” Pryor said.

The board has only seen growth since taking back the services. In the last year, the department has added the Parents as Teachers program and moved to a new location at 116 W. Fourth St. S.

“In 50 years we have come so far,” Pryor said. “Even in the past two years, I think of all of the things we have accomplished and how things have changed. It is just ever evolving and changing but you can see where it is going.”

Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com