The Union County Health Department is partnering with Ohio University in a way that will help students get real-life experience and the health department gain valuable assistance.
During the Board of Health Meeting Wednesday, the board unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with OU’s College of Health Sciences and Professions to establish an academic health department.
Board members Tiffany Wood and Donna Burke were absent.
According to the Public Health Foundation, academic health departments are “sometimes described as the public health equivalent of the ‘teaching hospital’ affiliation found between hospitals and medical schools.”
Health Commissioner Jason Orcena said the partnership offers a number of benefits to both the health department and the university.
He said it creates a “pipeline” for UCHD to receive students as interns or those looking for practicum experiences.
Additionally, it facilitates a relationship through which Ohio University could assist the health department with certain projects.
Orcena noted that OU is already working with UCHD to complete its Community Health Assessment, which identifies community health problems and acts a guide for strategic planning and decision-making.
Likewise, the health commissioner said it also provides the university with research opportunities through UCHD and the community it serves.
He said he is hopeful that the academic health partnership will lead to long-term relationships with students that create careers at the local health department.
“It helps us in a number of ways, not the least of which being interns which could later become staff,” Orcena said.
He also noted that the partnership does not make the local health department exclusive to Ohio University.
If another university showed interest, UCHD could also approve another academic health department partnership.
According to the Public Health Foundation, Columbus Public Health has academic health department partnerships with both Ohio University and The Ohio State University.
In other business:
– Director of Health Promotion and Planning Shawn Sech said all Safety Town programs at Union County schools have been scheduled.
Safety Town is an awareness program designed to prepare incoming kindergarteners to stay safe as they become students. In past programs, students have learned a variety of topics ranging from how to safely cross streets when walking or bicycling to school to how to be a good bus rider.
Safety Town is generally held over four summer days, but Sech clarified that the Jonathan Alder School District’s program, which was first started by a group of parents and supported by the Union County Health Department, is shifting to a during-school program.
UCHD is working with the Madison County Health Department on the program in Plain City.
Sech also noted that Safety Town scholarships are available to ensure that no child is ever turned away due to a family’s lack of ability to pay.
– The board accepted the $25,000 Mosquito Control Grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. The grant will be used for mosquito surveillance, hosting tire collections and education and awareness efforts.
Board Member Dr. Gary Bowman asked if it would be possible in future years to receive the grant earlier in order to begin surveillance earlier in the spring before mosquitos start emerging.
Orcena said he will contact those at the Ohio EPA with those concerns.