The key ingredients to healthy living haven’t changed since Kansas published textbooks on the subject 100 years ago, Barton County Health Director Karen Winkelman said. Children (and adults) still need to eat healthy foods, observe cleanliness and exercise, remembering to spend some time outdoors.
Winkelman presented a public health update at Tuesday’s Barton County Commission meeting. She presented commissioners with copies of “Leading Health - How you and 30,000 Kansans help communities thrive,” by Ed O’Malley, CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation.
“He reminds us, ‘I fear that our enthusiasm for what we can heal is blinding us to what we can prevent.’” Winkelman said, stressing the importance of collaboration with partners and networks.
Here are a few things Winkelman said her department has been doing:
• The Health Department has a new device that measures air quality called Purple Air. This is on the county’s website, under the health department tab. “We have a lot more to learn about it,” Winkelman said. The six-county Regional Emergency Preparedness team chose to acquire this using money left at the end of the grant year.
On Oct. 22, the monitor showed the sensor at the Barton County Health Department, stating, “The air quality is satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk with 24 hours of exposure.” The Air Quality Index was at 15, and a range from 0-50 is satisfactory.
• This Saturday, Oct. 25, is the national Drug Take-Back Event, sponsored by the Barton County Sheriff’s Office and the Health Department. People can bring medication that is no longer needed to the southeast side of the courthouse square from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and it will be safely disposed of. The county does this twice a year. For the October event, the Halloween Parade will be going on and employees will also engage with children, providing educational materials. Nationally, Drug Take-Back Day is sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Barton County has been participating since 2016. “To date, we have collected real close to 4,000 pounds of unwanted, unused, expired medications,” she said.
• “We expanded our operational hours and we increased that accessibility to meet the community needs.” The staff meet every Monday from 8-9 a.m. “This is truly about the only time that our staff is all together in one space, because after that hour, we disseminate and do our programs, do our activities, do our visits, whatever is required, and then we open to the public at nine.”
The office is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mondays; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; and 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays.
• Barton County IT department has “been phenomenal in helping us” with technological advances and digital outreach, Winkelman said. This allows the department to stay current and share education materials on more than just posters on the wall. With screens in the exam rooms, pertinent patient information can be put out quickly.
• Years ago, the health department had a mobile unit that was used for outreach until, “it kind of fell apart, literally.” Then in 2021 or 2022, the department got a mobile camper that can be pulled behind a vehicle. This can go to events or to continue mobile outreach to other communities.
“This year we had a great response,” Winkelman said. Sixty-two flu vaccines were given who might otherwise struggle getting to the Great Bend office. "This let them know that Public Health still sees them. They’re not just hidden away in those small communities.”
They will also go to businesses or health fairs. The mobile unit now visits Barton Community College once a month. The staff coordinate with the school nurse and bring vaccines and testing supplies.
• The Health Department has two certified car seat technicians who can install and inspect car seats to ensure child passenger safety. So far this year, they have installed or checked 50 car seats.
Other things the Health Department does include vaccinations, child-care facility inspections and surveys. Finally, the department was awarded a $239,138 grant to deal with transportation needs for doctor visits in the community. It started Oct. 1 but the delay caused by the government shutdown has created a few barriers. Winkelman said she has been assured that adjustments can be made in the timeline to allow for the delayed start.
