About Us
Mission
Our mission is to prevent disease, promote healthy lifestyles and protect the health of the people we serve.
Vision
The St. Clair County public health system achieves health improvement through interventions that work.
Values
- Collaboration: We value our partners and recognize both our independence and interconnectedness. As a governmental public health agency, we know that our success depends on a strong, comprehensive public health system.
- Competence: We strive for excellence in all that we do. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of performance and adhere tothe principles of continuous quality improvement.
- Integrity: We adhere to high ethical and professional standards in our work and relationships. We are honest in our daily interactions andvalue honesty in others.
- Respect: We treat everyone with dignity and respect.
- Responsibility: We follow through on our commitments. We hold ourselves accountable and encourage the same of our partners.We are conscientious stewards of our resources.
- Equity: We advocate for public health policies and programs that promote fairness, social justice, and cultural awareness
The ESSENTIAL Public Health Services we provide are:
- Monitor Community Health Status to Identify Community Health Problems
- Diagnose and Investigate Health Problems and Health Hazards in the Community
- Inform, Educate, and Empower People about Health Issues
- Mobilize Community Partnerships to Identify and Solve Health Problems
- Develop Policies and Plans that support Individual and Community Health Efforts
- Enforce Laws and Regulations that Protect Health and Ensure Safety
- Link People to Needed Personal Health Services and Assure the Provision of Health Care When Otherwise Unavailable
- Assure a Competent Public and Personal Health Care Workforce
- Evaluate Effectiveness, Accessibility, and Quality of Personal and Population-based Health Services
- Research for New Insights and Innovative Solutions to Health Problems
Our History
The St. Clair County Health Department was established in October 1985, by Resolution of the St. Clair County Board. This Resolution provided for the establishment of a local health department for the 18 townships not served by East Side Public Health District and provided for the utilization of the tuberculosis tax as a new public health tax.
In January 1986, the Board of Health members, under the direction of Congressman Jerry Costello, former County Board Chairman, organized and elected officers. In February 1986, the Mission Statement was developed to guide the functions of the St. Clair County Health Department. The Board of Health proceeded with recruitment of a Public Health Administrator, Kevin Hutchison, who assumed duties on May 12, 1986. Mr. Hutchison served until 2015 when Barbara Hohlt took over the Exectutive Director position until May 2021 when Myla Oliver-Blandford assumed the role of Executive Director upon the retirement of Director Barb Hohlt.
The operating budget for 1986 was $485,161 with a minimal amount of services offered: food sanitation, potable water, maternal and child health, solid waste and nuisance monitoring and chronic and communicable disease control. There were a total of 21 employees at the St. Clair County Health Department. Over the years, with several additions in staff, funding and programs, the St. Clair County Health Department has grown to 70 employees and a 2012 operating budget of over 5 million dollars.
Currently, the same levels of government are governing the St. Clair County Health Department. The County Board and the Board of Health provide guidance and leadership to the St. Clair County Health Department under the direction of the Honorable Mark Kern, Chairman of the Board.
ORGANIZATION
The St. Clair County Health Department consists of five functional Divisions related to a variety of public health services. While these offices utilize specially trained staff and funding sources that are uniquely related to their public health objectives; they share a common goal of working together for the health of all St. Clair County residents.
Administration Division
The goal of Administration is to ensure that the Department carries out the functions of public health. These functions include assessing the health of the community, developing plans, resources and programs to meet the needs of the community and assuring that the health goals are met through collaborative planning and public health policy development. Administration oversees the operations of the Department through fiscal management and coordination of community health partnerships.
Health Protection Division
The goal of the Health Protection Division is to promote wellness, develop implementation plans to respond to public emergencies and to protect the health and safety of St. Clair County residents through the control of infectious disease, the management of environmental resources, the safe handling of food products, and the maintenance of an effective health alert system.
Community Health Division
The goal of the Community Health Division is to promote healthy families in the county through outreach programs and services that improve access to health care. It also helps to promote healthy lifestyle choices among County residents through health education services.
Health Promotion & Wellness
The goal of the Health Promotion & Wellness Division is to promote the health of women, infants and children by offering prevention, education and supportive services in our clinics, throughout the community or in your home.