Stark County Health Department reports nearly 8,000 environmental inspections, unveils water-well GIS app

Paul DePasquale, Stark County's environmental health director, briefed North Canton City Council on March 31 about the health department's recent work, saying environmental health staff completed 7,945 inspections last year and that the department investigated 595 animal bites or exposures under its rabies-prevention program.

DePasquale said the department also conducted 2,652 food inspections and 1,440 out-of-office consultations in the county, averaging roughly 38 inspections or consultations per business day across the district. He described the rabies follow-up process: if vaccination status of the animal cannot be verified, the department quarantines the animal for 10 days and sends specimens to the Ohio Department of Health Laboratory.

DePasquale highlighted a new water-well GIS application developed with county GIS staff that maps private wells for emergency response, education and protection. The department has demonstrated the app to county emergency management and said it will roll out examples to communities so staff can be operational within hours during a contamination event.

On communicable-disease work, DePasquale described a surveillance group made up of two nurses and an epidemiologist who monitor positive lab reports from physicians, emergency departments and labs. He said the epidemiology capacity at local health districts expanded in the years after 9/11 to strengthen public-health surveillance.

Council members asked about staffing levels. DePasquale said environmental health has 24 staff; the health department's full-time staff count is 72 with additional part-time employees and summer hires for mosquito surveillance.

DePasquale closed by thanking council for the invitation and said he would pass council's comments on to Health Commissioner Kirk Norris, who was unable to attend because he was ill.