CAPE PUBLIC HEALTH CENTER TO HOLD CLINIC

To commemorate National Public Health Week, the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center will sponsor a walk-in immunization clinic from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today.

No appointments are necessary for today's clinic, said Charlotte Craig, administrator of the health center, and free transportation is available to and from the health center at 1121 Linden in Cape Girardeau.

Transportation funding was made available through donations from the Cape West Rotary Club, she said.

Lack of transportation "is probably the number one problem" facing public health providers and clients, Craig said.

For more information about the immunization clinic, or to arrange for transportation, call 335-7846.

National Public Health Week was established two years ago to help increase public awareness and recognition of the services provided through public health, she said.

"Public health is probably the best kept secret in the state," Craig said, adding public health's mission is two-fold: prevention and follow-up of communicable disease and providing "stop-gap" care and services not available through other agencies.

"To be frank, what public health does is what the rest of the community isn't doing," she said.

New directions for the Cape County Public Health Center include the addition of screenings for breast and cervical cancers, family planning clinics and increased emphasis and training for disaster preparedness, Craig said.

She said health center staff are working with the Cape County emergency preparedness office staff.

"The role that I see us playing is bridging the gap, getting everybody to the table, finding out what everybody's planning on doing," she said.

While public health workers won't be "first responders" to a disaster scene, she said, they will be needed.

"We kick in to gear with communicable diseases, food-borne illnesses, water supplies, instruction and information, working with the American Red Cross or other agencies and emergency shelter inspections," she said.

Staff will be going to Emmettsburg, Md., the national center for disaster preparedness training, and to the National Disaster Medical Services conferences, Craig said.

Public health staff are also responsible for providing sanitarian services, including inspection of restaurants, water supplies and septic tanks; home health visits; communicable disease prevention; administration of WIC and other aid programs; and serving as a resource center to educate the public about health and nutrition needs.