Worth County discusses regional behavioral health consolidation and searches for office space for CICS; board appoints new medical director for public health
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Summary
Supervisors discussed a possible regional consolidation of mental-health regions, the need to find regular office space for CICS services, and appointed Jenny Johnson Proetzer as the county's new Board of Health medical director after Nicole Sheffield stepped down.
Worth County supervisors discussed potential consolidation among mental‑health service regions and the county’s search for a reliable, private office space for CICS (regional behavioral health/coordination services). Separately, the board voted to appoint Jenny Johnson Proetzer as the county’s new Board of Health medical director after Dr. Nicole Sheffield informed the board she must step down.
On regional consolidation, supervisors said one neighboring region is financially struggling and that state officials have been encouraging mergers to preserve service capacity. No final vote on consolidation occurred; the speaker asked for permission to continue participating in regional discussions and to return eventual merger agreements to the county board for signature. Supervisors described Worth County as currently doing "okay" financially but acknowledged that mergers could increase the number of counties represented in a governance body and complicate coordination.
On office space for CICS, supervisors reviewed county-owned spaces in the EMA and public‑health buildings and discussed privacy concerns and storage constraints. Staff and supervisors noted a private office in the EMA building is currently used for storage (hand sanitizer and medical supplies) and that some back‑hall offices behind the VA area are filled with county program storage. The board asked staff to inspect county facilities, clear or condense stored materials where feasible, and report back with a consistent Friday space for one‑on‑one client meetings. The supervisor who raised the request said she had suggested Northwood City Hall and local churches as alternatives but the CICS representative preferred a county location.
For public health leadership, the board accepted the resignation of Dr. Nicole Sheffield as medical director and approved Jenny Johnson Proetzer (a doctor of nursing practice and Northwood native) to fill the role. The board moved and seconded the appointment and approved it by voice vote; no salary or contract details were read into the record at the meeting.
The board asked that staff continue to coordinate with regional partners on consolidation proposals and to return any formal agreements or bylaws to the board for final consideration.
