Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department, your partners in regional health and wellbeing

The staff at SWNPHD include, front row from left: Sarah Minnick and Paula Wimer (program managers). Second row – Lori Rowley, RN and Joy Trail (program managers). Third row - Melissa Propp, RN (clinic manager), Jessica Glodowski (chief financial officer), and Georgia Baughman (executive assistant). Fourth row - Diana Garcia (program manager) and Elaine Polly (accounting assistant). Fifth row - Kay Schmidt (emergency response coordinator), and Myra Stoney (health director). Not pictured: Chloe Martin, Steffenie Fries, and Noelya Espino.

Courtesy photo

McCOOK, Neb. - Public health in Nebraska is well-organized, with the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) serving a significant nine-county region. The department covers Keith, Perkins, Chase, Dundy, Hayes, Hitchcock, Frontier, Red Willow, and Furnas counties.

Nebraska health districts formed as a result of the tobacco settlement funds (LB692) approved in the 2001 legislative session. This provided all ninety-three counties with public health services for the first time in Nebraska’s history.

The Board of Health of Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department is made up of one county commissioner and one public spirit-minded person from each of the nine counties of the health district. The Board also includes one physician and one dentist, constituting twenty members on the board.

SWNPHD Director Myra Stoney highlights the challenges faced by the department due to the vast area it covers. "One of the big challenges is that we have nine counties to cover, which is 126 miles across and 93 miles going the other way. It's about a three-hour drive worth of territory, so we have to work collaboratively with our hospitals, schools, and law enforcement," Stoney explained.

Collaboration and education are key strategies for SWNPHD. "Because we can’t be everywhere at all times, we educate our partners on the things we are working on. It’s not just one agency that does public health; all of them do," Stoney noted.

A primary goal of the department is to protect the population and assist the public in achieving health goals. "Public health is about the health of the population as a whole. We promote behaviors that keep us healthy and work on closing gaps through education," Stoney said.

SWNPHD runs several programs aimed at teaching healthy habits to people of all ages. One such program is Pool Cool, which educates youth on the importance of wearing sunscreen and sun protection. "Our managers visit every public pool in the district, sign agreements with lifeguards to teach sun safety, and in turn, lifeguards educate the kids," Stoney explained.

The back-to-school season is one of the busiest times for the district, marked by increased activity around vaccination clinics. "We get busy with back-to-school shots, running clinics in Curtis, Hayes Center, Imperial, Trenton, McCook, and Ogallala. We also encourage people to visit their doctors for vaccinations," Stoney said.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges for the public health district. "Initially, everyone sheltered in place as directed by federal and state governments. As we learned more about the virus, we identified its spread patterns and advised against risky behaviors," Stoney recounted.

The distribution of vaccines brought additional challenges. "Once vaccines were developed, there was a big push to vaccinate people, but resources were limited. The federal and state governments set guidelines on vaccination priorities, and our job was to manage these limited resources and communicate effectively with the community," Stoney explained. Healthcare workers were first to be vaccinated, followed by infrastructure workers, and so on.

“Our job was to manage those limited resources and help everybody understand the messaging that was coming out and how it related to us in Southwest Nebraska.”

Annual reports are a significant undertaking for SWNPHD, providing detailed insights into the district's health activities. "Our fiscal year ends June 30, and in July, our team starts compiling the annual report. This year, we plan to include local data specific to Southwest Nebraska, such as seatbelt usage statistics," Stoney said.

The team reviews every program and activity they have undertaken throughout the year. They ask different staff members to compile information so they are analyzing it from various perspectives, and then present it in a readable format.

Partnerships with other groups and organizations play a crucial role in SWNPHD's efforts. "We partner with law enforcement and other agencies to enhance education and prevention activities. They handle enforcement, while we focus on education," Stoney explained.

The Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department remains committed to using its resources and expertise to improve the health and lives of residents in the nine-county area.