The unit being highlighted this month is...

The Glenn County Public Health Division!

Note: The image above shows some of the Public Health staff members.

The Ambassadors representative for Public Health is Allison Weinrich!   Below are some of the programs and services Public Health provides our community.    Click Here to Learn More

It’s been three years of living through the COVID-pandemic, and most now likely know some essential public health functions: testing, contact tracing, disease investigation, vaccination against disease, and procuring scarce medical supplies for healthcare facilities. Our Public Health division is also much more than responding to crises; it supports our ability to work, and enjoy our lives by preventing us from getting sick in the first place.

What is Public Health?

Our Public Health division uses our close ties to our communities and science based-solutions to prevent and control the spread of disease, protect against environmental hazards, prevent injuries, promote and encourage healthy behaviors, respond to disasters and assist communities in recovery, and assure the quality and accessibility of health services and health equity. We use a skilled workforce that includes, nurses, case managers, physical therapists, registered dietitians, lactation consultants, health educators, analysts, program coordinators and managers, among others.

10 Essentials Public Health Services

1. Assess and monitor population health.
2. Investigate, diagnose and address health hazards and root causes.
3. Communicate effectively to inform and educate.
4. Strengthen, support and mobilize communities and partnerships.
5. Create, champion and implement policies, plans and laws.
6. Utilize legal and regulatory actions.
7. Enable equitable access.
8. Build a diverse and skilled workforce.
9. Improve and innovate through evaluation, research and quality improvement.
10. Build and maintain a strong organizational infrastructure for public health.

Some of the ways our Public Health division keeps Glenn County healthy include:

• Educating people about staying healthy.
• Immunization clinics for the most vulnerable.
• Preparing for disasters that impact the healthcare system.
• Helping children get a healthy start by supporting pregnant people and newborns.
• Monitor diseases in the community.
• Providing outreach, care, and connections to social supports for the most vulnerable.
• Building partnerships to eliminate health disparities.

How is Public Health funded?

Our Public Health division is funded through a combination of federal, state, and local categorical funding streams. The majority of our funds are categorical funding streams to support specific programs and activities; a small fraction of our funding is flexible.

The impact that Public Health makes:

The Public Health Alliance of Southern California released a report in 2020 documenting the value of Public Health.

• Return on investment: For every $1 spent on Public Health, $5.60 is reduced in overall health spending.
• Promotes healthy communities: Public Health is a key part of population health and addressing the Social Determinants of Health.
• Improves health outcomes: For every 10% increase in local public health spending, infant mortality decreases 6.9%, cardiovascular mortality decreases 3.6%, and diabetes mortality decreases 1.4%.
• Essential to disease prevention and response: Public Health is the backbone of the response to disease outbreaks. They provide essential prevention, surveillance, and response services to their communities. 

Current Public Health Services and Programs:

Public Health Nursing:

Clinical Services

• Twice weekly clinics offering TB testing, pregnancy testing, the seasonal influenza vaccine, and Bivalent COVID-19 booster vaccine. (click here for more information)
• Supports local healthcare providers through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program
• Provides flu vaccinations during community flu clinics
• Partners with community providers for COVID-19 vaccine clinics
• Coordinates outreach and media campaigns
• Note: Planned Parenthood - Shasta Pacific offers free pregnancy testing and provides other family planning services in Chico. To make an appointment, call (530) 342-8367

Click here to visit the Immunization Program's webpage

California Children Services (CCS) & Medical Therapy Program

• Fun fact: CCS was established in 1927 and is one of the oldest public health programs.
• Provides medical care and rehabilitation for children up to age 21 who have a serious qualifying medical condition
• Assists children and families in obtaining specialized pediatric medical care
• Educates families, local school personnel, and medical providers about the CCS program
• Works closely with the local special education programs to ensure that eligible children receive physical and occupational therapy through the CCS Medical Therapy Program

Click here to visit the CCS webpage

Communicable Diseases

• Investigates communicable disease reports
• Provides treatment, referrals and contact investigations
• Provides outreach and education in all disease related areas to groups and individuals
• Includes sexually transmitted diseases, enteric disease, tuberculosis and a variety of other diseases, including smallpox

Click here to visit the Communicable Disease webpage

Maternal Child and Adolescent Health (MCAH) & Pregnant and Parenting Teen Home Visiting

• Coordinates programs for women of childbearing years and children 0 to 18 years of age.  
• Perinatal Outreach and Education (POE)
• Comprehensive Perinatal Service Program (CPSP)
• Prenatal Care Guidance (PCG)
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Pregnant and Parenting Teens
• Provides referrals, education, depression screening, and home visits to women of childbearing years and parenting teens.
• Conducts assessment needs and utilizes evidence-based practices

Click here to visit the MCAH webpage

Health Care Program for Children in Foster Care

• Partners with community programs and agencies to identify major obstacles faced by children in foster care in gaining access to coordinated, multidisciplinary services
• Promotes access to comprehensive preventive health and specialty services for children in foster care
• Consults and collaborates with social workers and probation officers to meet the medical, dental, mental and developmental needs of children and youth in foster care

Women, Infants & Children

• Provides eligible participants benefits to purchase healthy foods
• Nutrition education
• Breastfeeding promotion and support
• Referrals to other community and healthcare resources
  • Contact WIC for an appointment at (530) 865-8791

Click here to visit the WIC webpage

Emergency Preparedness & Medical Health Operational Area Coordinator (MHOAC) Program:

• Administers public health emergency preparedness grants
• Assesses medical needs during an emergency event/disaster.
• Coordinates disaster medical and health resources
• Works closely with the local Office of Emergency Services and Social Services to respond to sheltering needs.
• Assists the healthcare system to prepare, respond, and recover from disasters
• Develops, evaluates, and implements emergency response plans and procedures for public health
• Cochair of the Butte-Glenn Emergency Preparedness healthcare coalition
• Prevents & mitigates health impacts from disasters through education, planning, training/exercising, and collaboration with partners

Click here to visit the Office of Emergency Services webpage

Health Promotion:

Car Seats

• Provides education to parents and caregivers on California child passenger safety laws
• Demonstrates proper installation and usage of safety seats
• Organizes and participates in community safety seat checkup events in collaboration with the California Highway Patrol

For more information, contact Marcy Torres at mtorres@countyofglenn.net

Child Safety (formerly known as Child Abuse Prevention)

• Educates youth at local elementary schools on how to stay safe with bullies, strangers and people they know
  • Provides education about good/bad touches, secrets and how to recognize warning signs or “Oh Oh feelings”
  • Youth learn to say "NO", to get away and to tell someone they trust

Tobacco Education

• Educates youth and community members about the health effects of tobacco
• Encourages smokers and chewers to access cessation services
• Collaborates with youth and adult coalitions to support their advocacy efforts
• Conducts educational media campaigns and outreach

Click here to visit the Tobacco Education webpage

Oral Health

• Provides education, prevention, linkages to treatment programs, case management and surveillance within the county
• Focus is on the oral health needs of underserved areas and populations

Click here to visit the Oral Health webpage

Child Health Disability Prevention Program (CHDP)

• Provides free well-child medical check-ups for eligible children through a CHDP Provider 
• Reviews all exam results and assists parents in getting treatment for identified problems
• Assist parents to find a doctor or dentist for their child
• Help parents schedule a CHDP exam and other medical appointments
• Assist with health exams required for school, sports, or camp
• Offer information about transportation resources

Click here to visit the CHDP webpage

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (CLPPP)

• Provides outreach and education on the hazards of lead exposure, reducing lead exposure, and increasing the number of children assessed and appropriately blood tested for lead poisoning
• Collaborates with Environmental Health for field investigations and environmental home inspections
• Offers home visitation and nutritional assessments to families of children found to be severely lead poisoned
• Public health nursing case management for lead burdened children and their families

Click here to visit the CLPPP webpage

Health Equity, Accreditation, & Informatics:

Health Equity

• Advances health equity & addresses health disparities
• Focuses resources on efforts to address upstream drivers for health and equity efforts.
• Developed and maintains Public Health’s Language Access Plan
• Established and facilities Public Health’s bilingual subcommittee

Future of Public Health (FoPH)

Focuses on improving Public Health’s collaboration across multi-disciplinary groups both within our agency and with local partners; in addition, working with community members and partners to conduct a systematic, comprehensive data collection and analysis for Glenn County’s first ever Community Health Assessment (CHA).

Initiatives include:

• Public Health transitioning to facilitating the Health Systems Collaborative (HSC).
• Supporting work on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) in Glenn County.
• Supporting efforts of the Glenn Accelerator Program (GAP) to address social determinants of health in Glenn County.
• Assisting in establishment, development, and support of Glenn County’s new Fatality Review Team.
• Assisting with the local Suicide Prevention Coalition in implementation of strategic priorities and goals.

Health System Change Collaborations:

Dr. Jared Garrison, Health Officer and Public Health are participating and championing multiple system change initiatives on the following topics:

• Health System Collaborative  

• Community Health Care Workers

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

• Fentanyl

• Medication Assisted Treatment for substance use disorders

• Suicide

• Fatality Review Team

• Ambulance/911 Response

• Medical Field Workforce

Current Public Health Org Chart:

What’s to come from our Public Health division?

Our Public Health division will continue to evolve and implement lessons learned from COVID-19. To better serve our community, some next steps include:

• Complete the Community Health Assessment and develop a Community Health Improvement Plan in order to establish and implement a Public Health Strategic Plan.
• Implement an evidence-based home visiting program for mothers pregnant with their first child.
• A focus on equity and data to further understand and address health disparities.
• Work towards becoming an accredited entity by the Public Health Accreditation Board.
• A focus on public health workforce and infrastructure needs.

Appreciations:

Our Public Health division would like to thank all whom we interact and partner with; you are all essential to our work and our ability to serve the community.

• Administration and fiscal staff that ensure our funding, contracts, purchases, etc. are in order.
• HHSA Director and Executive Team for their endless support and teamwork.
• CAO and County Board of Supervisors for their support and approval of our services and funding. 
• Other county agencies, county departments, and community groups for their collaboration and breaking down of silos. (i.e., CAD, TCCAP, Sheriff’s Office, Personnel, GCOE, School Districts/nurses…and many more!)  

Contact Information

240 N. Villa Ave 

Willows, CA 95677

Phone: (530) 934-6588

Toll-Free: (800) 655-5418

To report a Public Health emergency

after business hours: (539) 934-6431

Call 9-1-1 if there is immediate danger

We Rebranded!

The website has a new look to make it easier to navigate.

Click here to visit the 2-1-1 website!