Churchill County continues making progress on the creation of a local health district that so far will include Eureka and Mineral counties. County Commissioners have approved an agreement with the University of Nevada School of Medicine for the next two years at the cost of $200,000 to develop a plan to create the special district, giving more autonomy and local control when it comes to making decisions, gathering data, and reacting in the face of a public health crisis.
Currently, Churchill County, along with 14 other rural Nevada counties fall under the purview of the state when it comes to matters of public health. The drawbacks to that structure have been felt since the COVID pandemic began, with serious conflicts in the reporting of data and in the way decisions are made for the disbursal of testing supplies and vaccines.
The idea for the creation of the health district along with a satellite lab was developed and approved by commissioners last December 2020, after dealing with the state through the pandemic. At the time Commission Chairman Pete Olsen said the county had relied on the state for years because it was a cost-effective way to provide public health services. “We learned that we were in a position to rely on people for serious matters who were not answerable to us,” he said.
The Churchill County Board of Health members heard from Marena Works, a consultant with UNR, yesterday at the regular Board of Health meeting. Works gave an in-depth presentation about the history of public health, explaining how the changes over time in federal health policy have come to encroach on state authority, ultimately affecting local residents. She explained that the primary focus of providing Public Health services in a community is prevention; to stop health threats before they start, catching issues early to provide better treatment, and serving residents to lessen impacts when needed.
The supreme authority for public health is the State Board of Health, a seven-member board made up of two physicians, one registered nurse, one veterinarian, one dentist, one engineering or building contractor, and one member of the general public. “They are declared to be supreme in all nonadministrative health matters relating to the lives and health of the citizens in the state of Nevada,” said Works. “They are supreme over the state health officer and all district, county, and city health departments, boards of health, and health officers.” Nevada public health is governed under Nevada Revised Statutes and Nevada Administrative Code.
Originally, local Boards of Health were responsible for public nuisance, noise, clean air, and garbage. Modern boards are now responsible for addressing education, employment, housing, and nutrition.
The main difference between a Health District (what Churchill County is working to create) and a Board of Health is the district has more power and responsibility. A local Board of Health is made up of county commissioners, the sheriff, and the appointed health officer who is also a physician. When a Health District is created, there are two officials from each county or city in the district, plus a physician who directs the health clinic. One person is named the official Health Officer.
Responsibilities of a Health District include regulating sanitation and sanitary practices in the interest of public health, providing for the sanitary protection of water and food supplies, protecting and promoting public health generally in the geographic area subject to the jurisdiction of the public health department, as well as abatement of mosquitoes, flies, insects, and rats.
No longer would the community rely on the state for health inspector services, those also would fall under this newly created health district.
On November 4, county commissioners voted to provide public health services to Eureka County as the county works to stand up the rural health district. Churchill County Social Services will hire a full-time health worker and a part-time health nurse, hopefully, who live in Eureka to provide public health services to that community out of an office that will be rented in Eureka for $300 per month. The total cost is $102,000 and is covered by a grant from the State of Nevada specifically for that purpose.
Yesterday at the county commission meeting, Commissioners agreed to a similar contract with Mineral County. Shannon Ernst, Director of Social Services said she will be meeting with Pershing County representatives next week to discuss folding that county into the district as well.
“It feels a little bit like the cart before the horse,” said Shannon Ernst, Director of Social Services, “but this will give us the opportunity to provide services in those communities while we are working through the development of the district. We are helping our partners respond to needs they have, we are building relationships, and learning what works and what doesn’t.”
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