New public health office assumes control early

It was several months earlier than planned, but San Juan Public Health has assumed full responsibility for public health issues in San Juan County.
The new San Juan County department was created in January and had planned to take over public health services on July 1, 2015. However, an increasingly awkward relationship with the Southeast Utah Public Health Department (SEUDHD) resulted in the changeover on March 1 rather than July 1.
San Juan County notified SEUDHD in late 2014 that it intended to pull out of the Price-based district and take over public health programs in San Juan County. It was initially determined that the change would take place on July 1, at the beginning of a new fiscal year.
While the earlier-than-planned and hastily announced change left the newly formed department scrambling, officials are confident that all necessary services are being offered. They state that a few services are still in transition, but they are being worked out quickly.
“It has been quite a month,” said Worthy Glover, Jr., director of the new department. “We are finalizing contracts with the Utah Department of Health (DOH) and are ready to go.”
“The public health department generally has four main programs,” said Glover. “They include the Women, Infant, Children (WIC) program; immunizations; tobacco cessation programs and vital records.”
Glover said the WIC program, which provides nutritional programs to women and children, transitioned seamlessly from one department to the other.
“There should be no change in services for those involved in the WIC program,” said Glover.
The new department has been waiting to receive a new batch of immunizations after SEUDHD took their inventory.
“Local healthcare providers have immunizations and can meet the immediate needs,” said Glover. “We sent back the immunizations SCU DHD and will be getting our own immunizations soon.”
A number of issues related to immunizations have increased the challenge related to transitioning from one department to another. There was a full-fledged outbreak of whooping cough in Blanding, in addition to an outbreak of measles in the western United States and talk of chickenpox in the area.
SEUDHD also retain their inventory of paperwork for vital records, which include birth and death certificates. Glover states that the office has received new paperwork and can provide the vital record work.
The fourth major service are the tobacco cessation programs, and they will continue as soon as the DOH contracts are finalized, said Glover.
Glover says one of the main goals of the new department is to develop and expand collaborative efforts for education and prevention, in addition to pursuing funding and partnering opportunities with the Navajo Nation. More than 50 percent of San Juan County residents are Native American, and a local concern was that the prior district, headquartered in Price, was not adequately meeting the diverse needs of the county Native American populations.
Glover states that another one of the main goals is to have “better rhythm” in Monticello, where the public health offices have been opened only a couple of days a month.
One of the first actions of San Juan Public Health has been to create a board to oversee the department. Glover states that the board is diverse and includes Sue Morrell, Carla Sorrell, Dorthy Pipkin-Padilla, Gary Suttlemyre, Debra Benally and Commissioners Rebecca Benally and Phil Lyman.
Glover said a Bluff-area member of the board is still being finalized, and they continue to look for a member from the Monument Valley area.
Employees joining Glover in the new department include Senna Yoakam, Britney Carlson, Katie Knight and Rick Meyer.
Dr. Val Jones is overseeing clinic operations. The new department is finalizing contracts for epidemiology and communicable disease services. Glover says they are also still finalizing the health education portion of the staffing.