Northern Nevada Public Health outlines staffing, surveillance and PFAS testing

Dr. Chad Kingsley, district health officer for Northern Nevada Public Health, presented the agency's biannual report on services, staffing and recent public-health metrics.

Kingsley summarized strategic planning for fiscal years 2027–2030 and staffing levels across divisions (for example, clinical health services at 51 of 61 FTEs and population health at 38 of 45 FTEs). He said the department is working to measure impact as well as outputs and described budget-alignment efforts and an ongoing search for sustainable funding.

On disease surveillance, Kingsley reported recent respiratory-season impacts: "509 flu hospitalizations, 70 percent were unvaccinated with 26 deaths," and "We had 120 hospitalization, 8 deaths" for COVID-19 cases, emphasizing most hospitalizations were age 65 and older. He also said the agency tested 39 residential wells for PFAS and found 13 positive results and that the department will pursue grants and make data available to the community.

Kingsley outlined environmental health work (inspections and a new Verde monitoring station), mosquito surveillance, and expanded programs such as WIC and newborn screening. He also described EMS oversight, including zone-based response-time standards (zone A target ~9 minutes and 90% compliance) and plans to improve access to image-trend call timing data.

Why it matters: The report links local health indicators, environmental testing and preparedness to budget and service decisions affecting Sparks residents. Council members asked about data access and collaboration; Kingsley said dashboards and records are available on the department website or via 311 requests, and he offered to provide links and follow-up materials.

What’s next: Public-health staff will continue to share data and collaborate with regional partners and can provide specific datasets to council or the public on request.