Walworth County Health and Human Services board accepts 2024 public health annual report, approves car-seat grant application

The Walworth County Health and Human Services Board on April 23 accepted the department's 2024 public health annual report and approved pursuing a Buckle Up for Life grant that would provide 50 car seats for community distribution.

The annual report, described by a public health staff member as “our mandated report,” summarizes 2024 public‑health programming and outcomes across newborn home‑visit services, WIC participation, lead‑testing changes, vector‑borne disease outreach and suicide‑prevention efforts. Board members voted by voice to accept the report so the department could submit it to the state.

The report said the county completed its first full year of the Hello Baby home‑visit program in partnership with Aurora Lakeland Medical Center and later Mercy Health. Public‑health staff reported meeting with 442 families in the program’s first year; about half of those families accepted a home visit and 151 visits were completed, which staff said produced an estimated contact with roughly 375 parents, caregivers and infants. The report cited screening outcomes: 26% of mothers had a positive mental‑health screen for depression, anxiety or PTSD; 15% had concerning physical symptoms that led to referrals; 13.5% had conditions identified that required emergency care or referral; 9% of families reported tobacco smoke exposure; and 10% reported infant feeding concerns. The presenter said nurses provided resources, referrals and breastfeeding and nutrition support when appropriate.

Board members heard that public health facilitated a county overdose fatality review team that completed three case reviews in 2024 and recommended more peer recovery specialists, improved housing stability and better communications about recovery resources. The department highlighted WIC program growth — staff reported about a 34% increase in participants over the last two years and a roughly 30% increase in farmers‑market dollars spent in 2024 compared with 2023 — and continued partnership programs such as Fit Families and a community garden initiative run with a local library.

On childhood lead prevention, the report described three 2024 changes: universal lead testing recommendation for children ages 1 and 2 (replacing the prior risk‑based approach), lowering the blood‑lead level of concern from 5 to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter to allow earlier education and intervention, and assistance for homeowners in obtaining water lead testing after an EPA notification requirement for municipal systems. Public‑health staff said about 40 homeowners used the county laboratory service for water testing.

Vector‑borne disease outreach included tick‑prevention education at farmers markets and distribution of tick‑removal kits. The department said roughly 1 in 20 ticks it tested carried the bacterium associated with Lyme disease; UW–Madison testing also identified one tick positive for Anaplasma.

The report noted suicide‑prevention work including completion of Project Hope, an ARPA‑funded Hope Squad initiative that supported or continued 15 Hope Squads across 10 school districts with about 350 students participating. Staff said there were no reported youth suicides in 2024; men remained the county’s highest‑risk group and the department continued Question‑Persuade‑Refer (QPR) trainings targeting workplaces and community events.

After the presentation, public health staff described outreach and referral pathways for the Hello Baby visits, saying the program is offered in the hospital prior to discharge and that the department conducts regular communications with OB‑GYN and pediatric providers so the visit can be scheduled during routine postnatal care. Mallory Bettke, community health supervisor, also announced two public events: an “Overdoses in Walworth County” community conversation at Lake Geneva Library on May 1 and a documentary screening and discussion in Lake Geneva on May 28.

Separately, the board approved seeking a Buckle Up for Life grant that would provide 50 car seats for county distribution to support car‑seat installation events and giveaways. The grant application was described by staff as time‑sensitive; the board voted to proceed and the motion carried by voice vote.

Board members also received updates: a short water‑lab survey by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection was completed and the lab passed; and staff summarized ongoing uncertainty about federal and state budget developments tied to Medicaid and other health funding, noting the county’s nursing home and HHS budgets rely in part on Medicaid reimbursement. A board member also provided an update on Delta‑8/Delta‑9 hemp‑derived product loopholes and reported ongoing conversations with state legislators and the Wisconsin Counties Association; no state legislative change had been adopted at the time of the meeting.

Votes at a glance: The board approved the April 23 agenda and the minutes of March 19 by voice vote earlier in the meeting. The public health annual report was accepted by voice vote; the Buckle Up for Life grant application to receive 50 car seats was approved by voice vote. (Individual roll‑call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.)

The board scheduled its next meeting for May 21.