Pope County health director warns of maternity-care gaps, flags one-week WIC interruption

Pam Sellers, director of the Pope County Health Unit, told the Pope County Quorum Court at its May 2026 meeting that some pregnant residents are not seeking prenatal care until late in pregnancy and urged the court to support public education and outreach.

“We provide good maternity care in all local health units, and we don’t want anybody . . . to go without maternity care,” Sellers said, adding that some patients “are not seeking care maybe until their last trimester.” She said the county participated in a recent governor-led awareness effort and plans further outreach.

Sellers also warned the court that federal changes to the WIC program will create a one-week gap in local WIC services at the end of June into July 1. “There will be one week the end of June that no WIC services will be available in local health units,” she said, and asked justices to be prepared to answer constituent questions during that window.

Sellers summarized other local public-health work, noting the unit’s environmental-health staff inspect food-service locations, pools and investigate animal bites. She also reported that state and federal salary dollars for the local health unit total about $1,318,000 for roughly 20 people who work out of the unit, and said those payroll dollars return to the county through local spending by employees and vendors.

Sellers invited any justices with questions to meet with health unit staff and asked the court to help spread information about services beyond immunizations, including environmental health, maternal care and nutrition programs.

The presentation was introduced by the county judge and followed by a brief opportunity for questions; no formal action was taken at the meeting on the issues Sellers raised.