Chickasaw County public health director outlines services, rising well-test costs and increased animal-bite work

Public Health Director Lisa Walter presented the Chickasaw County annual report to the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 21, saying the department has provided home‑health services in the county since 1970 and continues to adapt services amid shifting demand and grant rules.

"We've been providing home care to residents of Chickasaw County since 1970," Walter said, outlining the agency's mission to "promote healthy lifestyles, prevent disease, provide services to restore wellness, and respond to the ever changing needs of the community." She listed key grants the agency uses, including emergency preparedness, a six‑year public‑health response grant, the immunization services grant and the state private‑well grant.

Walter told the board the agency administered 685 childhood immunizations and 926 adult influenza vaccinations in the past year. She also reported a rise in animal‑bite investigations, from 12 in 2020 to 29 last year, and said environmental‑health tracking has been added to the department's reporting.

A notable budget pressure Walter flagged is the private‑well testing program. "It used to be, I wanna say, around $60 to $65, and now it's a hundred and 25," she said, referring to what the program pays toward testing costs. Walter said the county's private‑well grant is about $50,000 and that higher testing reimbursements will cause the county to spend more of that grant this year.

On department operations, Walter described cross‑training staff to cover home‑health and public‑health duties and listed contracted therapy and infusion providers the county uses to ensure continuity of care. She also said the agency is exploring collaboration with neighboring counties on food‑assistance and STD/HIV testing programs to expand services without large new local costs.

Board members asked about service logistics: Walter confirmed WIC clinics are held the third Wednesday of each month, said space needs had been flagged and noted discussions with other counties about accepting referrals if neighboring counties reduce services. She provided the board a budget snapshot for environmental health showing total revenue of $56,125.93 and expenses of $88,197.73 in the last year, a difference she said will narrow as grant spending increases.

The presentation concluded with a plan to add a mental health specialist (Derek) to staff listings and an invitation to the board to review the full report posted on the county website. No formal board vote on the annual report was recorded during the meeting; the report was discussed and copies were made available to supervisors.