History

Part I: Past History

The Iroquois County Health Department was established in 1966 by Resolution of the Iroquois County Board. At that time the primary purpose for the formation of the agency was to provide Home Health Care under Medicare. The department was established under the County Health department law to serve the entire county and was located in the basement of the Court House in Watseka.

Present population of Iroquois County was approximately 35,000 spread over an area of 1,122 square miles. The County seat, Watseka, had the largest center of population approximately 5,500.

The County Health Department merged with the County nurse to provide services which included TB testing, vision and hearing testing, fluoride treatments in schools, and immunizations were offered in areas where mass immunizations were approved by medical personnel.A minimal environmental health program related to provide water sampling also existed.

Staffing for this office was as follows: 1- Administrator/Sanitation, 1- Supervisory Nurse, 1- Registered Nurse, 1- Licensed Practical Nurse, 1- Vision & Hearing Technician, 1- Secretary, and 1- Bookkeeper, a total of eight employees.

It was determined that in order to effectively serve the growing population of the community, more services and employees would be needed. Details of additional staff for the second phase expansion would involve an additional sanitarian, home health aide, R.N. or L.P.N. a part-time secretary, the contractual services of physical and speech therapists, and a part-time health educator.

In June of 1974 the Watseka office of the Public Health Department moved into the building at 123 North 8th Street, previously the Public Aid office. In 1980, the Iroquois County Health Department combined efforts with the Ford County nurse, and as a result of this, the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department was formed.

The Ford County Health Department office was housed in the basement of the Courthouse in Paxton, and offered the same services as Iroquois County plus they also offered (WIC), the Women, Infants, and Children Program.

In 1987, the Watseka office relocated to its current location at 114 North 3rd Street what used to be home for D & B Motors. Like the Watseka office, the Paxton office expanded too. In 1988, this office relocated to its present location at 235 North Taft Street. This building used to be occupied by the Soil and Water Conservation office.

Through the years more programs were added and more staff hired in both offices to keep up with the needs of serving the community. These programs included WIC, Maternal Child Health, Community Care, childhood and adult immunization, pregnancy testing, car seat loaning, cholesterol screening, sexually transmitted disease education, family planning, lead screening, and family case management. We also continue our home health care with skilled nursing care services.

In 1996 the Health Department purchased the Jewel Box next door and expanded the Watseka office even more. This move was needed due to the continued expansion of the Health Department’s programs and staff. What started as humble beginnings for the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department mushroomed into a hallmark leader of the community.

FORD-IROQUOIS PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT CELBRATES 20 YEARS - Year 2000 Part II

Since it’s beginning in 1966, the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department has grown into health care on the cutting edge of technology. At our 20th anniversary we had 34 full-time, and 7 part-time employees, and over 60 program that serve the bi-county jurisdiction. Some of these programs include, but are not limited to car seat loaning, childhood immunizations, adult immunizations, pregnancy testing, sexually transmitted disease education, family planning, lead screening, family case management, cholesterol screenings, septic system inspections and private well water testing. We also have outstanding home health care services with skilled nursing care, outreach services, community care, and case coordination.

We continue to be setting the stage for quality programming and services by leading the public health community. A state of the art computer system is in place and was recognized by the state health department as being one of the first of its kind in Illinois being used by a Health Department.

In 1995 the Cornerstone computer system was installed. This system enabled us to access immunization records from anyway in the state. The Health Department was also one of thirteen national sites and the pilot for developing and using the APEX/PH now known as I-PLAN. This health improvement program is used as a guide to promoting community health. FIPHD was 1 in 13 in the nation to undertake this task. The agency was also the first to have family case management; computerized home health clinical record keeping and full accreditation from the Community Health Accreditation Program, known as (CHAP). The Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department is the first Health Department in the state to be accredited in its entirety.

The Future Part III

No one is certain what the future holds, but one thing is for certain; the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department will be focusing their attention on serving the needs of the bi-county jurisdiction. “The business of public health continues to grow and expand, and we as a Public Health Department will continue to meet those demands”, say Public Health Administrator John Pickering. “We will continue to service the community by providing immunizations, family planning, and community education but I see the Health Department moving towards community partnerships and more coordination of services rather than the provider of services”, says Pickering. “An example of that would be the IPLAN. Our department develops the five-year health improvement plan then, in conjunction with other community providers, sees to it that all agencies involved in the coalition do their part to implement the plan”, says Pickering. The three present IPLAN health priorities are 1. Alcohol use amongst adults and youth, 2. Gateway Drug Use amongst middle school students and 3. Obesity amongst adults and youth “Over the next five years we will be coordinating prevention and educational programs to address these issues”, says Pickering.