Gilliam County to create own health district, leaving North Central Public Health

From North Central Public Health District:

North Central Public Health District was formed in 2009 by Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam counties to efficiently and economically bring a coordinated system of public health programs to the region.

The previous Wasco-Sherman Health Department was only getting the funding for one county, rather than two, said Bill Lennox, then a Wasco County commissioner in 2009 and currently a member of the NCPHD Board ofHealth.

Bringing in Gilliam County and forming the state’s only three-county public health district brought full funding for three counties and more efficiencies, he said.

This month, the commissioners and judge on the Gilliam County Court voted to form their own county health department. The county will start its own health department on July 1, 2022.

Gilliam County Commissioner Pat Shannon

Gilliam County Commissioner Pat Shannon, who is also on the Board of Health, said, “The health community in Gilliam County has felt like the miles involved have made it difficult to get the services we think we should be getting. A feasibility study was done and we’ve determined that we can provide those services more efficiently internally in the county.”

NCPHD provides environmental health services, WIC, home visiting, women’s health services, communicable disease intervention, including COVID case investigation, testing, and vaccination, tobacco prevention, and emergency preparedness, among other programs in Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam counties.

Kathy Schwartz, a Wasco County commissioner and chair of the Board of Health, said the Oregon Health Authority would be “working with Gilliam County to move forward with developing their programs and holding them accountable on getting full public health services to their residents.”

“It’s understandable that geographic distance is always a perceived challenge when you have regional services,” She said. “But given that, I think we have provided a phenomenal service throughout our history together, and especially now during the pandemic.”

NCPHD Director Shellie Campbell said she was proud of the work we’ve done in Gilliam County. “We support them moving forward to establish their own health department,” she said. “We want them to be successful, and we certainly want the people in the community served.”

For more information, please visit COVID-19 Vaccine in Oregon, contact North Central Public Health District at (541) 506-2600, visit us on the web at www.ncphd.org or find us on Facebook.