Wayne County Health Commissioner Cascarelli highlights public health services at LWV forum

The League of Women Voters of Wayne County welcomed a capacity crowd to the Wayne County Public Library in July for its How Local Government Works for Us series of guest speakers. Kicking off the lineup was Wayne County Health Commissioner Dr. Nicholas Cascarelli.

Cascarelli gave an overview of the health department, describing its mission, programs, community responsibilities and the partnerships it maintains with other organizations to serve residents.

“We are here for you to promote healthy lifestyles,” Cascarelli said. “Coming out of the pandemic, there was some mistrust of the work that health departments do. We want the citizens of Wayne County to know that we are a trusted source of information. We are here to serve the public, and we want the public to be as healthy as possible, and we want to give the public the knowledge they need to make (health) decisions.”

The health department provides a range of services including immunizations, tuberculosis testing, vision screenings, lead testing, HIV and STD screenings, and health education. It also administers the Women, Infants and Children program, which offers nutrition support, breastfeeding counseling and infant safety initiatives such as the Cribs for Kids program.

Part of the health department, the environmental health team conducts inspections of private water systems, septic systems, food service operations, schools, campgrounds and body art establishments. The department also works in emergency preparedness and injury prevention and promotes healthy community living standards.

Cascarelli said the department's work benefits residents by ensuring access to vital health services, preventing disease, protecting environmental safety and supporting families through targeted programs.

Thanks to its programs, the health department does the following:

—Ensures access to vital services that are especially important in communities with health care shortages.

—Helps prevent disease and environmental hazards, from water safety to infectious disease control.

—Supports families and future generations through programs like WIC and maternal-child health.

—Promotes overall health and safety, combining promotion, prevention and preparedness. During a Q-and-A session, attendees raised topics including insect-borne disease concerns, how the department collects field data, lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, funding sources and challenges the department faces.

Dan Starcher is the public communications coordinator for Wayne County.