WASHINGTON

In her recent annual report to the county supervisors, Emily Tokheim, Administrator for Washington County Public Health (WCPH), noting staff turnovers, position changes and new program structures, reported the 15-member team “faced every new challenge head-on and continually sought out opportunities for growth and improvement.” As a result, for the team (whose combined service totals 175 years) those challenges turned 2023 into a year of “opportunity.”

An ongoing opportunity is regular participation in community events that returned after the COVID-19 pandemic, especially KidzFest held by Washington County Hospital and Clinics in May. When WCPH attends such events, they represent major programs, including immunizations, emergency preparedness, Hawk-I, I-Smile at School, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Services (MCAH), and the 1st Five.

However, in 2022 the State of Iowa introduced the Collaborative Services Area (CSA) that changed a near 20-year arrangement in which Washington County held the grant for these programs in collaboration with Henry County Public Health, which provided the services. The transition to a CSA made Washington County a member of CSA 13, which consists of Washington, Henry, Lee, Des Moines, Louisa and Muscatine counties. Currently, Lee County Health Department holds the MCAH and 1st Five grants for the CSA. Washington County Public Health continues to provide many of the same services it has for years, including I-Smile at School (dental), vision screening, developmental screening, and lead testing, among others.

As reported by Tokheim, WCPH’s staff has continued to provide their long-time services “as we adjust to working with our new partners.” In fact, WCPH has been working with Lee County and Trinity Muscatine Public Health for the last two years to make the transition.

An important consideration is that Washington and Henry counties have a total of nine dental offices (some with multiple providers per office), but none are taking new or existing Medicaid clients. The result is that the grant-funded WCPH Fluoride, Varnish and I-Smile at School programs are essential in filling the gap for dental services. In numbers, that is 350 dental screenings, 347 fluoride applications, 350 risk assessments, 123 students receiving sealants, 441 sealants placed, and finding 120 students with tooth decay. The value of the services in Henry County was $11,898 and in Washington County, $9,486; the value of helping the young retain teeth, priceless.

Equally important is the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) program that helps families by providing healthy foods, nutrition education and referrals to other health care agencies. There are income guidelines for eligibility, utilizing the EBT System. WIC is one of the many programs impacted by the introduction of the CSA and is now provided by Community Action of Southeast Iowa two days each month in Washington County.

WCPH provides a social worker for vision screenings, referral to The Family Connection, resources and referral to a dental hygienist for oral screenings and referrals, and developmental screenings at the WIC clinic in the county.

The 1st Five Healthy Mental Development Initiative was created following national research aimed to identify all children, ages 0-5 years, with possible developmental delays. It follows recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics for its 1st Five providers and for the proper use of developmental screening tools. Children identified as having a possible delay are referred to 1st Five for care coordination services.

1st Five is the final program imported by the CSA transition, with Lee County taking on CSA 13 in January of this year. WCPH continues to give assistance to families referred to the1st Five program in Washington and Henry counties.

Housed for approximately for two decades in leased quarters in the Washington Federation Bank Building, the department has discussed where it may relocate if and when the building is sold; the bank operation moved to new facilities this year. Well before the move, Federation offered the building for a possible county administrative facility for $800.000. There also has been ongoing discussions about moving WCPH to Building 2 (occupied by HACAP) at the county-owned Orchard Hill facility on Lexington Blvd. and requests to reconsider the bank offer. The current bank building lease is valid through June 2024.