Three years ago, COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency. Since then, one might be able to argue that COVID has become the most widely used term throughout the entire planet! It has certainly impacted all of our lives and it has directly impacted our work here at the Medina County Health Department. You personally may now have a better understanding of what public health is and what we do here at the Health Department because of the pandemic. You might have even interacted with us at one of our clinics, visited our website for information, or seen us out in the community.
While the COVID spotlight has certainly helped illuminate what public health is and does, it is easy to forget that public health does much more than responding to COVID. Here are our five reasons why public health brings value to the community, outside of responding to COVID:
- We focus on health from unique angles
The Medina County Health Department is uniquely focused on both treating patients and on preventing illness and disease. Our Health Center provides direct clinical care. On the flipside, we also work to prevent illness and disease from happening in the first place. While clinicians in healthcare might treat someone who is ill, public health works to identify the causes of that illness and develop ways to prevent it.
- We track many other diseases and hazards that impact health
COVID? Yes. But did you know we also track mosquito-borne diseases, communicable disease outbreaks, youth vaping rates, and so much more? All of this helps us better protect the community.
- We value community partnerships
We are only one part of the community. We recognize that working together and sharing resources is the only way to fully achieve positive health outcomes.
- We look for solutions to problems and try to fill gaps identified in the community
When a problem comes up, we look to solve it. If a health service is missing or needed in the community, we look to fill that gap. This might be done through a newborn home visit, our WIC Program, or through a vaccination clinic. If there is a need, we’ll be there.
- We work hard to communicate timely and factual information related to your health
And that leads us to why we are starting this new blog. The information landscape is changing and we hope to provide you with a new way to understand our work and what we do. We will focus on new and engaging public health topics and post these blogs to our website and social media channels. Be sure to follow us on Twitter or Facebook for updates. Thank you for joining us!
Services are partially funded by your local health levy. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
