SWNPHD director: Message refined to simple ‘Protect Your Health’ during depth of pandemic

SWNPHD Director Myra Stoney displays the piñata she received in appreciation for her efforts during the pandemic.

Courtesy photo

McCOOK, Neb. — “We kind of survived,” Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department Director Myra Stoney told Red Willow County Commissioners Monday, delivering the 2021 annual report a year late, thanks to the pandemic.

The 2022 annual report, which she hopes will be available by the end of the year, will show a nine-county regional health department that grew from seven employees to 30 during the pandemic and has now dropped to 15 employees. The budget reflected similar growth, from $600,000 pre-pandemic to $2.3 million now.

July 2020-June 2021 showed 42% of the agency’s income from COVID funds and 53% of its expenditures toward COVID.

While President Biden took criticism for shutting the country down, that was actually President Trump, she said. While the health department took criticism for locking down the state, that was actually the governor’s call, Stoney said.

“It’s not a one-party thing. This is a true pandemic. This is worldwide. This is a highly contagious virus that spreads faster than any other virus we know right now.”

“The governor was the one who shut things down in the state of Nebraska and then asked the health departments to help enforce that.

“OK, so that took law enforcement to do that, and a lot of our law enforcement was not willing to tell people that they had to stay in their house if they were sick with an illness, so then we just kept spreading it, spreading it, spreading it to other people,” she said.

Finally, the health department’s role “mainly was trying to get information out here.”

COVID is here to stay, she said, citing the 1918 flu pandemic.

Both COVID and the flu affect our lungs, which are “kind of fragile things,” so vaccinations are important for both.

After months of criticism from people opposed to vaccinations, social distancing and other measures, the health department in July 2021 adopted a simple message. “Protect your health. Do what works for you.” By consulting with your healthcare provider, “you know your health better than anybody else,” Stoney said.

Stoney and other public health directors received the University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor’s Distinguished Service Award.

“These professionals have stood firm to support their jurisdictions and the state, providing direct service and leadership through the pandemic,” the citation reads. “Their commitment and unending passion and drive to keep Nebraska safe has been nothing short of extraordinary.”

Like other directors, Stoney received a piñata in the shape of a COVID-19 virus, which was soon destroyed so the staff could enjoy the candy inside, she said.

The SWNPHD is working to bring other new and existing programs back up to speed, including health screenings, lead poisoning prevention, dental care, opioid addictions and overdose, tobacco prevention, the Walk to Health program, respite care and radon.