Vernon County health staff identify translation gaps for WIC, promote radon kits and community screenings

Vernon County health staff told the board they are evaluating options to provide interpretation for WIC and clinic clients and described several outreach and prevention programs planned for the year.

Staff reported that the longtime WIC translator is no longer available, creating occasional barriers for Spanish- and Venezuelan-language speakers who now require alternative interpretation services. The department discussed options including commercial language lines, subscription-based kiosk services, training staff with basic dialect modules, and mobile-translation apps. Staff said they would evaluate HIPAA and technical compliance before committing to a solution and may seek regional input from WALVAD partners and other counties.

The board was also told January is radon awareness month; free radon test kits are available at the health department Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and November–March is the preferred testing window. Staff described the kit as a charcoal-based detector that residents complete and mail to the testing lab; results are returned by the testing company.

Staff reviewed community-program planning: tobacco-control funding through a seven-county coalition has reduced considerably and will end July 2025, so the department plans to continue youth education without coalition dollars; cholesterol-screening outreach will be refocused toward events such as agricultural sales fairs to reach farmers; and WIC staff are joining a regional food-security group led by Second Harvest Food Bank.

No formal votes were taken on translation purchases or program changes; staff will return with proposals and cost estimates.