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Coos County Health Department
SEATED: (left to right) Leslyn Danielson, Pam Robison, Gloria Marone, Carlee Jensen, Donna Kiehl, Lisa Hermann, Mary Claiborne. Standing:
Bonnie Acosta, Linda Manous, Donna Martz, Doreen Carson, Becky Voth, Sylvia Mangan, Linda Holbrook, Frances Smith, Beverly Ramey,
Elizabeth Hoffmeister, Angie Webster, Judy Vigue, Jan Low, Karen Mynes, Becky Schurman, Lauren Sproul, Angie Moore, Linda Layton, Pat
Orme and Joyce Smith. Not Pictured: Willa Harper, Liz Rodriguez, Marlee Newton, Muriel Schnier, Maxine Sigloh and Maria Wartnik.
PAT ORME
HEALTH
ADMINISTRATOR
EXT. 525
The mission of the Health Depart
ment is to promote, protect, and pre
serve the health of Coos County citi
zens and the environment in which
they live.
The department was established in
1922 and was the first full time health
department in Oregon. Through 7 ba
sic program areas, the Health Depart
ment provides preventive services
throughout the county to prevent dis
ease and improve the health of indi
viduals and also to prevent the spread
of disease to populations.
*The Women, Infant, & Children's
Nutrition program (WIC) is a sup
plemental food and nutrition education
program that serves infants and chil
dren up to age 5 years old, and women
who are pregnant, breast feeding, or
have recently had a baby. Participants
receive health screening, free foods,
nutritional counseling, and classes on a
wide range of topics, such as breast
feeding, feeding atoddler, smoking ces
sation, and food safety. Coos County
WIC services over 2000 participants a
year.
*The Family Planning Program
helps women plan or prevent pregnan
cies. Services include women's annual
physical exams, pregnancy testing and
counseling, low cost contraceptives,
and cancer screening (pap tests and
breast exams, with referral for mam
mography if needed). Community out
reach to teens includes health educa
tion about contraceptives, abstinence,
and sexually transmitted diseases, and
also immunizations for Hepatitis B.
* The Epidemiology and Disease
Control Program is mandated by law
to protect public health and safety. Cer
tain contagious diseases, such as
measles and tuberculosis, must be re
ported by physicians to the Health De
partment for record keeping and follow
up. Through drop, in clinks, persons
can get the HIV test, examsand treat
ment for sexually transmitted diseases
(such as genital warts and chlamydia),
and booster immunizations. Services
for AIDS also include the seropositive
wellness program and community edu
cation.,
*Immunizations are given to chil
dren and adults to prevent life threaten
ing diseases, such as tetanus, polio,
measles, and hemophilus b. Extra
immunization clinics are offered each
year to give flu shots and to immunize
children for school entry. Children not
up to date on their shots by the middle
of February are Excluded from school
or day care.
The Environmental Health Pro
gram includes investigation of diseases
that are spread by food or water; facility
inspections of hot lunch programs; in
spections of water and sewer systems
for real estate loan qualifications, hous
ing inspections for nuisance complaints,
and water monitoring for the Depart
ment of Agriculture shellfish program.,
* The Vital Statistics Program reg
isters all births and deaths occurring in
Coos County
For some services at the Health De
partment, such as WIC and community
education, there is no charge. Other
services have fees, some of which are
based on sliding scales. The Health
Department can also bill the Oregon
Health Plan, and private insurance.
Support for Health Department serv
ices comes from State and Federal
monies, county revenues, and grants
from public and private foundations.