Press Release
Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) invites residents and partners to join them in celebrating National Public Health Week. There are many people doing public health work in southwest Nebraska along with the health department, making sure people have safe places to live and play, and protection from disease.
“We appreciate all of our staff and our partners that work to keep southwest Nebraska healthy and thriving,” stated Myra Stoney, Health Director at SWNPHD. “There is a lot of work being done and always more to do. It can be hard to see the results of this work since it is often about what didn’t happen or what was prevented.”
Public Health Successes
- Secondhand smoke in public buildings in Nebraska is a thing of the past
- Animals are tested for rabies and anyone who encountered them gets treated quickly
- Students are in school with fewer sick days, protected from 14 vaccine-preventable diseases
- Public health nurses share information on diseases carried by local insects like ticks and mosquitoes, helping providers make life-saving diagnoses
- People aren’t made sick by getting in the water at lakes when it is unsafe due to harmful bacteria or algae
- Children don’t get exposed to lead or radon when their homes are tested and fixed
- Country homeowners test and treat their well water for nitrates that could cause cancer
- Adults get screened for chronic diseases and catch them early, preventing years of pain and disability later in life
For more information on the services and programs available through public health, call SWNPHD at 308-345-4223 or visit swhealth.ne.gov. Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department serves Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, Keith, Perkins, and Red Willow counties. You can follow us on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.