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Crow Wing County public health highlights grant-funded programs, asks for permanent WIC nurse
Summary
Public Health Manager Gina Hyer said the department runs multiple grant-funded programs (14 staff plus temps), cited a Foundations of Public Health grant for $185,338 and described new initiatives for maternal-child health, developmental screenings and targeted substance-use prevention for pregnant/parenting moms.
Gina Hyer, the county—mployed public health manager, walked commissioners through public-health programs, staffing and recent grant awards. Hyer said her unit comprises 14 staff and manages more than a dozen grants; about seven temporary staff have supported WIC and other programs over the last several years. "We received the Foundations of Public Health grant ... for $185,338 for the year," Hyer said as she described grant-funded staff and programming.
Hyer explained a recent strategy to direct cannabis- and substance-use prevention funds toward pregnant and parenting mothers and described a new "follow along" developmental assessment program integrated with WIC and family home visiting. Hyer warned that temporary workers create training churn and asked the board to consider a permanent, grant-funded public health nurse position to reduce overtime and maintain continuity; she said the position would not rely on levy funding. Commissioners pressed for detail on eligibility, interagency licensing and how the county fulfills statutory public-health responsibilities if grants were declined.
