2024 ANNUAL REPORT

PDF Version of the 2024 Annual Report

Foreword

By Zachary Moser, Administrator

At the time of writing this report, I am approaching four years as Administrator of the Dent County Health Center. Over this time, I have witnessed firsthand the evolution of public health—from the intense demands of the COVID-19 pandemic to a broader, more proactive approach that meets the diverse needs of our community today.

Dent County Health Center has continued to grow in both services and impact. In 2024, we introduced innovative new programs, including a public health vending machine to provide life-saving harm reduction resources, XRF lead testing events to help families reduce lead exposure risks, and expanded community health initiatives like our coat drive, vaccine clinics, and health fairs. These programs reflect our commitment to removing barriers to health access and supporting the well-being of all Dent County residents.

Looking ahead, 2025 is poised to be another landmark year for public health in our region. Dent County Health Center will begin leading a Fetal & Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) program spanning 25 counties, an initiative that will allow us to examine and address systemic factors contributing to infant mortality across a broad region. This expansion also marks an important milestone for our organization, as we welcome our first public health professionals with Master of Public Health (MPH) degrees, further strengthening our expertise and capacity.

In addition, we will be launching a public transportation service, an effort aimed at improving access to healthcare and essential services for our residents. We also continue to pursue new funding opportunities, including grants to address workforce shortages in Dent County. These initiatives underscore our commitment to expanding services beyond traditional public health roles, meeting the ever-growing needs of our community with innovative, practical solutions.

While our growth has been substantial, it is not the work of one person but of many. Our dedicated staff, the support of our Board of Trustees, and our community partners have made it possible for us to expand services while maintaining the core mission of improving and protecting public health. I cannot express enough gratitude to those who work tirelessly every day to serve this community.

As we publish this report, marking the 62nd year of operations for the Dent County Health Center, I look ahead with optimism. Public health is not just about responding to crises—it is about building a healthier future. Our work is far from done, and I have no doubt that those who follow us will look back on this year as yet another step forward in our shared journey to improve the lives of those we serve.

The People of Dent County Health Center

2024 Board of Trustees
NamePosition/RolePaid/Volunteer
Robert ParsonsChairmanElected, Unpaid
Dennis FloydVice-ChairElected, Unpaid
Bob GravleySecretary/TreasurerElected, Unpaid
Lori HastenTrusteeElected, Unpaid
Carol LacyTrusteeElected, Unpaid
2024 Medical Staff and Volunteers
NamePosition/RolePaid/Volunteer
Jessica King, MDCollaborating Physician, Medical DirectorPaid/Volunteer
April Greener, DNPFamily Nurse PractitionerPaid
Anil Gupta, MDPhysicianPaid
2024 Year End Employees
NamePosition/RoleNamePosition/Role
Zachary MoserAdministratorMeagan WilliamsMedical Assistant
Roma JonesAssistant AdministratorEmily KeeneRN – MCH Services
Joan RaulstonWIC CoordinatorTammy VenaMedical Assistant
Joan FleenerWIC ClerkApril GreenerNurse Practitioner
Sonnya HayesWIC ClerkBobbi KuczynskiRN – Clinic
Ashley FowlerMedical AssistantBecky HuntRN – Immunizations
Kelci FaulknerPublic Outreach/BCBH Lead AssessorTonya NorrisMedical Assistant
Anil GuptaPhysician  
2024 Departed Employees
NamePosition/RoleNamePosition/Role
Katie StrawbridgeRN – ImmunizationsTim UmfleetLead Risk Assessor
Tammy VenaMedical AssistantTrisha O’NeilRN – CD
Janelle MoorePublic Outreach/BCBHBrittany ShepherdRN – MCH Services

Organizational Chart

Mission, Vision, Values

Mission Statement

The Mission of the Dent County Health Center is to improve and protect the health of Dent County residents.

Vision Statement

The vision of the Dent County Health Center is for Dent County to be a community free of disease, food-borne illness, and preventable injury.

Residents will be healthy, vaccinated appropriately, and educated on healthcare issues and available assistance programs.

No residents will be harmed by use of tobacco, alcohol, or other substances. Dent County children will be safe from preventable illness, injury, and abuse.

Dent County will be a community in which access to affordable and effective healthcare is available for all.

Values

Resilient Passion

Work in Public Health can be rewarding, but also difficult. We believe that passion for public health that is resilient to the many difficult situations we face is important.

Empathetic Altruism

In Public Health, we serve our community’s needs at our own expense, and we do it with empathy and understanding.

Motivating Positivity

We do not allow negative thinking to dominate our work or our workplace. Framing of our challenges in a positive and motivating way is essential to success.

Honesty and Integrity

In order to be trusted by our community and clients, we must be honest with them at all times, even when the truth is unpleasant. Furthermore, we don’t implement policies or actions that are not evidence-based, nor do we engage in commerce for profit or personal gain. We uphold rules and laws to the best of our ability and for the good of our community.

Non-Judgmentality and Non-Discrimination

Equity is important, and we have a responsibility to serve all the residents of our county, including (and sometimes especially) the ones that come from a different background from our own, or who lives their life in a way different than we do. We do not judge them for their situation, whether there by choices made or by what life has imposed on them. We simply help them.

Humility

We recognize that we are no better than the people we serve. Therefore, we treat them all with respect, kindness, and love.

Administrative Notes

Due to continuing growth and evolution, toward the end of 2024, the Health Center reorganized in preparation for adding a new program, fetal & infant mortality review, in early 2025. Previously, the Health Center operated under a flat structure, with all employees reporting to the Administrator. As the number of employees approached 20, and the diversity of activities continued to grow, we developed departments with their own leaders.

These departments are

  • Patient Services
  • Clinical Services
  • Environmental
  • Population Health
  • Administration

This year’s report will be organized according to these departments.

WHAT IS PUBLIC HEALTH?

The Institute of Medicine has defined public health as “an organized community effort aimed at the prevention of disease and promotion of health.”  Unlike our health care system which provides medical services to individuals, our public health system focuses on the health of our city/population as a whole.

Public health affects us all, all of the time.  Public health efforts have increased our life span by nearly 30 years in the past century.  Simple actions we take for granted today such as drinking clean water and breathing clean air, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, wearing seatbelts and bike helmets, and using pedestrian cross-walks, are benefits that we owe to the efforts of a system that is dedicated to making good health available to every citizen. 

Our public health system involves many players.  The Health Department has legal responsibility for ensuring public health and employs professionals, such as disease investigators, environmental inspectors, social workers, and nurses.  The Health Department also relies on medical professions in public and private practice to perform public health functions and help patients practice prevention.  Police and fire departments play a crucial role in sustaining public safety and well-being, and even architects, housing developers, city planners and parks and recreation staff contribute through their everyday work to the safety and health of our community. 

Neighborhood and nonprofit organizations are also part of the public health system. Our department has active partnerships with the American Red Cross, area health departments, the Salem Memorial District Hospital, Compass Health, local pharmacies, physicians and veterinarians, the Division of Family Services, Dent County Fire Department, local law enforcement, and the Council for a Healthy Dent County.

The Main Functions of a Public Health System:

  1. Preventing diseases and decreasing transmission of existing diseases
  2. Protecting against environmental hazards
  3. Preventing injuries
  4. Promoting and encouraging healthy behaviors
  5. Responding to disasters and assisting communities in recovery
  6. Ensuring the quality and accessibility of health services
  7. Ensuring every child has a healthy start

Public health is a vital function that requires broad public concern and support in order to fulfill society’s interest in assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy.  History teaches us that organized community effort to prevent disease and promote health is both valuable and effective.  It is this philosophy of assuring a healthy environment, promoting healthy behaviors, and preventing disease that the staff of the Dent County Health Center is committed to practicing now and in the future.

Patient Services

Our patient services department handles all phone calls, scheduling, insurance, billing, and more. They are the first and friendliest faces you see when you enter the building, and they are extremely important in supporting our Clinical Services and WIC program.

WIC (Women, Infants and Children)

What is WIC?


WIC is a supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children. WIC helps to prevent health problems and improve the health status of participants through good nutrition. The WIC Program supplements the diets of qualified participants with nutritious food items by issuing a food “prescription.” WIC promotes breastfeeding as the optimal feeding for infants and provides education and support.

Who qualifies for WIC?

  1. Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding (nursing a baby up to one year old), and postpartum (up to 6 months after a pregnancy has ended)
  2. Infants (a child under one year old)
  3. Children (from 1 year old up to age 5)

All women, infants, and children must meet income guidelines and medical criteria to qualify for WIC.

WIC will not provide all of the foods needed. WIC foods are intended to supplement the diet. The food packages approved for use in the Missouri WIC program are designed to help meet infants’ developmental needs and current pediatric feeding recommendations, and to complement the eating patterns of preschool children. WIC foods also supplement the special requirements of pregnant and breastfeeding women and help to re-supply the nutrient stores women use during pregnancy.

Women, Infants, and Children
Total Visits in 20243906

Vital Records

Our local registrars can print birth and death certificates on-site during normal business hours. This important service is necessary for people applying for identification, signing up for school, life insurance, and other situations. The fees are established by the State of Missouri. Birth certificates are $15. Death Certificates are $14 for the first copy and $11 for each additional copy.

Vital Records 2024
Birth and Death Certificates Issued2038

Clinical Services

Nurse Practitioner Services

April was instrumental in the success of the Health Center throughout 2024.  She offers acute illness visits, on-demand visits for Show-Me Healthy Women, well-child visits, Family Planning, and more. The positive community feedback on these services has been overwhelming.

Physician Services

Dr. Anil Gupta, MD, joined the team in November of 2024, with a focus on acute illnesses, minor injuries, occupational health, and substance use disorder.

Family Planning

This program supports free or reduced cost family planning services, including long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs), among other services related to family planning. Supported by a grant from the Missouri Family Health Council, this program offers access to contraception not previously available within Dent County.

SEMO Partnership

DCHC partners with SEMO Behavioral Health to provide intake physicals for their rehabilitation program. This partnership has grown our Family Planning and STI program immensely.

Provider Services
Acute Illnesses867
Other visits699

Immunizations

We provide all immunizations for children and adults. Off-site clinics at SMDH, area schools, and places of employment are offered regularly and can be scheduled by request.

Immunizations are available by appointment, Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

We offer free vaccines for those who qualify. Vaccines for Children are always free. 

Immunizations Given 2024
COVID-19 Vaccines    403
Influenza Vaccines 450
Other Vaccines 1276

Laboratory Services

Outpatient lab services are provided at greatly reduced rate to clients with an order from a medical provider. We offer any test currently conducted by Labcorp. In addition, we have a variety of rapid testing available for results in an hour or less.

Laboratory Services 2024
Outpatient Lab Draws    2455
Rapid tests187
Non-Clinical Urine Drug Screenings1343

Treatment Court Partnership

In 2024, our partnership with the 42nd Circuit Treatment Court program continued. We provide urine and saliva drug screenings for the Court to ensure participant compliance with the program. We also connect participants with resources and serve on the treatment court team, which helps guide participants through the program for recovery from substance use.

Population Health

Communicable Disease

Surveillance, Investigation and Prevention

The purpose of communicable disease investigations is to identify the causes of the disease and decrease the incidence of new people becoming sick. Communicable diseases are those diseases that are a concern to public health.  They are reported and tracked by the state or federal government.  All states must collect information on the federally reportable list.  In addition, they may choose to mandate the reporting of other diseases of interest to the state officials.  Public health officials at state health departments and CDC continue to collaborate in determining which diseases should be nationally notifiable.  A disease may be added to the list as a new pathogen emerges, or a disease may be deleted as its incidence declines.

As part of its activities in keeping the community informed, the Communicable Disease Prevention Program is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the Dent County node of the Missouri Department of Health’s Health Alert Network (HAN).  This notification system targets physicians, hospitals, local health departments, veterinarians, ambulance services and other first responder agencies.  Disease alerts, warnings, recommendations and other information can be transmitted through this system to all or selected recipients. The communicable disease department is critical in emergency planning for our community to identify and contain disease outbreaks.

The reporting of communicable diseases to the health department assists in identifying how many people are affected and who else is at risk. Another critical component is to protect those at risk. Individuals may qualify to receive confidential testing and treatment for a communicable disease by contacting our office.

HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection Services

The Dent County Health Center provides comprehensive HIV and Sexually Transmitted Infection Services aimed at promoting sexual health and preventing the spread of infections within our community. We offer testing for sexually transmitted diseases, including gonorrhea, chlamydia, HIV, syphilis, and others, with a commitment to confidentiality and sensitivity. Moreover, we provide free treatment for gonorrhea, chlamydia, and syphilis, ensuring accessibility to necessary medical care for those affected. These services reflect our dedication to supporting the well-being and sexual health of all individuals in Dent County.

Changes in CD in 2024

Hepatitis C testing was added in 2024. Dent County was the top submitter to the State Public Health Lab in 2024 for hepatitis C! STI testing encounters doubled from 99 to 213 in 2024.

Maternal/Child Health Initiatives

The Maternal/Child Health Program works to improve the health of women, children and families over their lifespan through community engagement, partnerships, education and advocacy. Our most recent focus in Dent County has been on substance use prevention and injury prevention. These programs have achieved positive, measurable outcomes with a strong community partnership with Healthy Dent County and the local school.

For the upcoming contract year, the Dent County Health Center will be working with several community partners in conjunction with Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition to focus our efforts on Child and Adolescent Intentional and Unintentional Injuries, with an emphasis on Substance Abuse awareness and prevention. 

Child Abuse/Injury Prevention

The Health Center works closely with new mothers to promote and educate parents on safe crib standards and infant bedding to prevent accidental suffocation and SIDS deaths. A Children’s Trust Fund grant support personnel to provide education and safe cribs to program clients.

Childcare Health Consultation

We have health professionals that are prepared to offer consultation and education to providers, parents and children in daycare settings.  The consultation and education services provide credit hours to childcare providers to qualify for licensure.  The education provided focuses on child safety, CPR, communicable disease prevention and emergency response.

Show-Me Healthy Women and WISEWOMAN

The Show-Me Healthy Women program offers free breast and cervical cancer screenings to women ages 21-64, or older if they do not receive Medicare part B. To qualify, women must have a household income at or below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level and have no insurance to cover the services or be unable to pay the deductible for the insurance. The Health Center partners with Salem Memorial District Hospital to offer mammogram screenings and sends a healthcare provider to facilitate the program. 

The WISEWoman program is a companion to Show-Me Healthy Women. It provides free blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes screenings for women who qualify.

Community Health Fairs and Vaccine Clinics

In 2024, the Dent County Health Center hosted multiple community health fairs and vaccine clinics to provide residents with vital health screenings, immunizations, and educational resources in convenient, accessible settings. These events emphasized preventive care and helped connect individuals and families with essential health services.

Health Fairs

We held two community health fairs in May and October, offering free health screenings, wellness education, and resources from local healthcare providers. Attendees had access to:

  • Blood pressure, height and weight screenings
  • Lead Screenings
  • Cholesterol and A1c screening
  • Community resource connections
  • Vaccinations

Back-to-School Vaccine Fair

In August, we hosted a Back-to-School Health Fair, with a special focus on ensuring that students were up to date on required school immunizations. Families were able to receive vaccines, learn about childhood health and safety, and access other health-related services in one convenient event.

Drive-Through COVID-19 & Flu Vaccine Clinic

To enhance accessibility, we organized a drive-through vaccination clinic in October at the Dent County Fire Station, providing COVID-19 and flu shots in a quick and efficient format. This event allowed residents to receive their vaccinations from the comfort of their vehicles, reducing wait times and increasing participation.

These initiatives reflect our commitment to making preventive healthcare more accessible and convenient for our community. We look forward to continuing these events in the future to support the health and well-being of Dent County residents.

Public Health Vending Machine

In 2024, the Dent County Health Center introduced an innovative public health vending machine designed to expand our community’s access to critical health resources and support harm reduction efforts. Conveniently located and accessible around-the-clock, this vending machine provides Dent County residents with essential public health items, discreetly and free of judgment. The machine was provided by the Meramec Regional Planning Commission.

Available items include:

  • Naloxone: Free nasal naloxone for rapid opioid overdose reversal.
  • Harm Reduction Kits: These kits help reduce the risks associated with substance use, preventing infections and promoting safer behaviors.
  • Drug Disposal Kits: Easy-to-use kits for safely disposing of medications, reducing medication misuse, environmental contamination, and accidental poisonings.
  • Emergency Contraceptives: Accessible contraceptives for timely intervention to prevent unintended pregnancies.
  • Condoms: To promote safe sex practices and reduce sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Since its introduction, community response has been overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating both the need for and the value of accessible, stigma-free health solutions. While innovative, the machine aligns fully with our mission to protect public health through compassionate, practical, and evidence-based interventions.

Community Warmth: Fall/Winter Coat Drive

In 2024, the Dent County Health Center successfully coordinated a Fall/Winter Coat Drive to support local residents in need. Thanks to the generous donations from our community members and local organizations, we collected and distributed coats, hats, gloves, and scarves to individuals and families across Dent County.

This entirely donation-based initiative allowed us to supply essential winter clothing to more than 40 local residents, including many children. The drive exemplified our community’s dedication to supporting one another, embodying our core values of Empathetic Altruism and Humility.

As the cold weather set in, our community’s response reminded us once again that when we come together, we can make a significant difference in the lives of our neighbors.

Highlights from the 2024 Coat Drive:

  • Warm coats provided to residents of all ages
  • Community-driven and entirely donation-based
  • Supported numerous families, promoting warmth and wellness through winter

We are deeply grateful for our community’s support and look forward to continuing this heartwarming tradition in the coming years.

Health Education and Promotion

In response to the growing obesity epidemic, the Health Center works with other community partners on a number of healthy eating and active living initiatives.  These include The Salem Fitness Center, health fairs, and community gardens, walking programs, workplace health planning and support for healthy foods in schools.

CPR Classes

In 2024, the Dent County Health Center continued to offer Basic Life Support (BLS) and Heartsaver CPR classes, equipping community members with critical skills to respond effectively in emergencies. These courses provide hands-on training in CPR, choking relief, and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), ensuring participants are prepared to act confidently in life-threatening situations.

Course Offerings:

  • BLS (Basic Life Support): Designed for healthcare professionals and first responders, this course focuses on high-quality CPR for adults, children, and infants, including team dynamics and advanced airway management.
  • Heartsaver CPR: Aimed at non-medical professionals, teachers, parents, and community members, this course teaches essential CPR and AED use for various age groups in a straightforward, accessible format.

Throughout the year, we trained numerous individuals, strengthening our community’s ability to respond to cardiac emergencies. By expanding access to CPR education, we continue to support a safer, more prepared Dent County.

For those interested in future classes, schedules and registration details are available through the Health Center.

Building Communities for Better Health

In 2023, the Dent County Health Center hired a community engagement specialist to grow support for improving the health of Dent County residents by changing the built environment. The two areas of focus were active transportation and smoke-free air.

DCHC hosted a walk audit with city leaders, regional leaders, and local residents to demonstrate the need for improved walking infrastructure.

Kelci Faulkner, Project Manager, continued the work of her predecessor as the project shifted toward more of a focus on Active transportation. Community engagement brought new partners into the Healthy Dent County Prevention Coalition, which eventually helped introduce a smoke-free parks and city-owned property ordinance in Salem, which passed the Board of Aldermen in early 2024.

DCHC staff raised concerns with transportation advisory committees and communicated directly with City and MoDOT officials to promote safe, walkable streets.

The program purchased a series of bicycle racks designed to complement the City of Salem’s Downtown TAP grant.

Population Health Statistics

Maternal/Child Health Services 2024
Safe Cribs Distributed    3
Childcare Nurse Consultation 9
Show-Me Healthy Women Exams12
Pregnancy Tests45
Presumptive Eligibility Cases23
Car Seats Distributed10
Title X Patients227
CPR Classes13
Population Health Statistics
COVID-19 Cases 191
Other Communicable Diseases 64
Animal Bites 65
Influenza Cases119
STI Testing Encounters213
Total STI Tests Conducted773

Environmental Public Health Services

The Environmental Public Health Services offered by the Dent County Health Center encompass a wide range of critical functions aimed at safeguarding public health and ensuring regulatory compliance. One key aspect involves the enforcement of state ordinances governing various aspects of food service, retail food sales, and on-site wastewater disposal specific to Dent County. Our dedicated team conducts thorough inspections of food service establishments, retail food stores, schools, licensed daycares, lodging establishments, and public swimming pools to uphold sanitation standards and protect community health.

Additionally, we facilitate the issuance of construction permits for on-site sewage disposal systems in collaboration with the Department of Health and Senior Services. Our commitment extends to the sampling of private water supplies and the investigation of environmental complaints, ensuring the safety and well-being of Dent County residents.

Furthermore, our team plays a vital role in responding to incidents involving distressed foods, including vehicular accidents, fires, floods, and other emergencies, while also actively participating in emergency response planning efforts throughout the county. These comprehensive services reflect our dedication to promoting a healthy and sustainable environment for all members of the Dent County community.

Food Protection

Food protection is a responsibility of the Environmental Public Health Program.  The program handles inspections for all food establishments in Dent County.

Food protection is also responsible for the investigation of any and all truck wrecks (trucks carrying food, drugs or cosmetics) that occur in Dent County for proper disposal of damaged or contaminated products.  Food protection responds 24 hours a day, seven days a week to all fire investigations and natural disasters that involve any food establishment.

In 2023, a new food regulation/licensing was passed, for implementation in 2024.

Lodging Inspections

The Environmental Public Health Program partners with the Bureau of Environmental Health Services at the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to inspect all lodging establishments within Dent County.

The licensing year is from October 1st through September 30th.  Licenses may be obtained by completing an application that is mailed to each establishment on August 1st by the Bureau of Environmental Health Services.  Establishments must include an approved inspection for the current year and payment of the appropriate licensing fee with their completed applications.

Inspections are unannounced and can take place anytime throughout the year.  Establishments that meet the sanitation and safety standards outlined in the lodging rule, 19 CSR 20-3.050, will receive an approved inspection report.  Re-inspections are conducted as needed on non-compliant establishments, and no license will be issued until the violations are corrected.

Child Care Inspections

The Health Center works with the Department of Health and Senior Services staff to assure that annual sanitation inspections are conducted in all licensed child care facilities.  Inspections are conducted to protect children in and out of home care from environmental hazards such as exposure to disease, harmful chemicals, lead hazards, building safety and food safety hazards. 

Lead

DCHC applied for and was awarded a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2023 to address lead poisoning. Dent County has a high rate of lead poisoning, despite the low rate of testing. There are three main goals for the new program:

1) To increase the number of children appropriately tested for lead poisoning.

2) To increase the community and provider awareness of the problem.

3) To assist families who are experiencing lead poisoning with hands-on interventions.

DCHC hired a Lead Risk Assessor using grant funds to promote community education and to provide in-home assessments for children who are lead-poisoned.

The award was timely, as a new Missouri law, called the “Get the Lead Out of Schools Act,” required all Missouri schools to test their water for lead for the first time, and set a strict standard of 5ppb for acceptable levels. At least three of the schools had lead in some of the water outlets. DCHC used the opportunity to educate on lead poisoning and direct individuals to testing.

XRF Lead Testing Day: Protecting Our Community from Lead Exposure

In 2024, the Dent County Health Center hosted an XRF Lead Testing Day, providing residents with a valuable opportunity to have household items tested for lead contamination. Using an X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, our team was able to quickly and accurately detect lead in a variety of items, including toys, dishware, jewelry, and antiques.

This event aimed to raise awareness about potential lead exposure risks in everyday household items, especially those frequently used by children. Families, collectors, and homeowners participated, bringing in items of concern and receiving immediate results along with guidance on safe handling and disposal when necessary.

Online Reports

Throughout the year, inspections were posted and available on the website.

Environment Statistics

ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES
Food Inspections70
Lodging Inspections7
Food Complaints10
Sewage Complaints6
Recalls1
Lead (average active cases per month)41


Administration

Public Health Emergency Preparedness

Background

Any number of public health emergencies could occur in Dent County ranging from disease outbreaks, to food, environmental and health needs after a natural disaster.

The Health Center plans for and responds to such events. It is not enough to write plans to address public health concerns. The staff works with volunteers and community partners to develop and exercise these response capabilities.

In the event of a serious occurrence of a communicable disease, the counties must be prepared to execute functions not normally required during events normally planned for by other disciplines such as law enforcement and fire service. These include disease surveillance and investigation, mass prophylaxis, isolation and quarantine, mass patient care and even mass fatalities.

Over the last several years, the health department staff have deployed in response to prolonged power outages due to ice storms or tornados. We also assist the EMD and the American Red Cross by inspecting emergency shelters and/or mass feeding sites and providing food safety guidance to volunteers.

Our Role

It is important to remember that many disciplines will have a role in events as serious as a natural disaster and that it may not be contained within the county limits of Dent County; nor will any communicable disease outbreak.

Dent County staff maintains ongoing working relationships with public health agencies in neighboring jurisdictions and other government agencies. They participate in several committees and subcommittees that meet to plan and coordinate responses to public health emergencies. The department has a Memorandum of Understanding with the American Red Cross to offer support for functional need clients in emergency shelters. The Dent County Health Center is actively involved in a regional partnership with Region I State Emergency Management and meets regularly to improve our ability to respond to various emergency events.

Community Partnerships

The Dent County Health Center partners with the Phelps County Medical Reserve Corps which works to recruit citizens to join the Health Departments to serve as volunteers.  They are taught how to keep themselves safe and healthy and to impart this same information to people in their circle of influence, such as their family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and faith family. This effort supports the goal to keep the communities informed and engaged in the prevention of the development of chronic disease as well as responding appropriately to public health emergencies.  These citizens will perform a critical role during public health outbreaks and crisis, as well as during health information campaigns designed to keep the community healthy.

Through these and countless other activities, the program strives to ensure the health and safety of the citizens and visitors of the counties. Plans evolve to meet the increasing challenges of these changing times.

Medical Reserve Corps maintain a trained, background checked list of volunteers to allow a surge of public health services in case of an emergency or disease outbreak.


Finances

DCHC had a strong financial year. Revenue was $1,767,750.66 vs. expenses of $1,369,223.18, resulting in a net income of $397,527.48. This was beneficial in working toward the goal of expanding and renovating the building.

As of the end of 2024, the balance sheet showed $1,225,265.02 in cash, CDs, and savings accounts and $902,944.81 of fixed assets for total assets of $2,167,206.83. Total liabilities were $404,327.64 and equity was $1,762,879.19 for total liabilities and equity of $2,167,206.83.

Facilities

In December of 2024, DCHC purchased the building at 1014 E. Scenic Rivers Blvd from the Cook Trust. DCHC plans to utilize the building for meeting spaces and storage to provide more office space in the main building at 1010 E. Scenic Rivers Blvd.

Community Engagement

Public Health Information is provided to the community in the Your World Today, local newspaper, local radio, and the Health Center Facebook page as well as the website, www.dentcountyhealthcenter.org. 

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