COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT TURNS 10

The Cape Girardeau County Health Department is celebrating its 10th anniversary. In that time, the department has come a long way in scope of services it provides.

The voters can thank themselves for the department's growth. In 1986, a tax was approved to fund operation of the new department.

Today the county health department touches residents lives in many ways through education, prevention, health services and policy-making decisions.

In 1989, the department moved into spacious new quarters on Linden Street. Today, every square inch of the building is being used. The department employs some 38 people to provide such services as immunization clinics, sexually transmitted disease clinics, home visits, restaurant inspections, and much more.

The department has also been instrumental in many health-related projects, including the new health information hotline.

Much of the credit of the department's success is also due to its director, Charlotte Craig. Her leadership and care has powered the department into the successful agency it is today.