Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments Collaboration
Written by Dan Fischer on December 27, 2018
News Release: Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
With the year closing out, both the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments would like
to wish you and yours a healthy and Happy New Year!
The collaboration between the two counties has provided several opportunities to meet our joint
mission to work collaboratively ensuring conditions that promote optimal health for individuals and
the communities we serve. In 2018, we have had a successful joint Point of Distribution (POD)
exercise to test our Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program. Staff have had the
opportunity to work across the county borders to assist in department functions during times of
limited staff. We have added the Weights & Measures program in both counties to provide a
consumer connection with vendors of food, fuel and other providers to test and verify the accuracy
of weighing and measuring devices.
Our children’s programs work diligently to provide education, case management, support and
referrals to help the children of our counties succeed and enjoy a good quality of life. The
Community Health Services of both departments work hard to limit the spread of communicable
diseases by providing immunizations, lead poisoning prevention direction, as well as provide
guidance for pregnant moms and families with new babies. The nursing staff has provided
migrant health outreach to assist the farm workers in both counties along with investigating
disease / foodborne illness outbreaks.
The Environmental Team provides quality inspections to assure we are safe from foodborne
illness, have working septic systems, and help keep our pets safe from rabies. The Public Health
Education Team has welcomed Marlowe Thompson to work in both counties assisting with the
upcoming Community Health Assessment (CHA), Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP),
and the Public Health Accreditation Board process. The team along with one of our nurses is able
to provide Narcan training to local businesses and organizations to help battle the opioid crisis.
Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Workshops will be starting up in early 2019 in both counties in
partnership with our hospitals. Our support team is always working to make sure the department
is run within budget, keep our forms straight and provide guidance with insurance reimbursement.
In 2019, we are looking to shift from organizational thinking to community focused thinking by
taking the role of Community Chief Health Strategists. Our departments have always worked
collaboratively with other agencies within our borders and are looking to focus community
resources on improving specific health outcomes as we develop our tri-county CHA/CHIP and in
partnership with the local hospital systems, Community Services Plan. We will be looking to
community members to assist in this process by participating in community conversations and
taking a community health assessment survey. Both departments look forward to having a joint
web site where you can access forms and information from both county health departments. We
continue to provide timely posts on our GO Health NY Facebook and Twitter pages along with
increasing interviews on our GO Health NY YouTube site.
