Services and Responsibilities of the Board of Health
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Environmental Health Division
The mission of the Environmental Health Division is to provide quality services to Mahoning County residents, consumers, and regulated industries through evaluation, standard setting, and consultation. The Division provides for the development of and involvement in contemporary environmental health programs for the Mahoning County General Health District. Its staff promotes community awareness of environmental health issues through professional comprehensive outreach education to residents. Its services and responsibilities include:
RABIES CONTROL
The Environmental Health Division investigates all reported animal bites and enforces the ten-day quarantine and rabies vaccination requirements for dogs and cats. The Board of Health and volunteer veterinarians offer pet vaccination clinics and carry out seasonal raccoon-rabies oral baiting with the Ohio Department of Health.
BATHING BEACHES
The Environmental Health Division inspects beaches and collects water samples to ensure that safe conditions and acceptable water quality are maintained in the beach environment.
CAMPGROUND AND RECREATIONAL VEHICLE (RV) PARKS
The Environmental Health Division inspects and licenses campgrounds and RV Parks to ensure proper spacing, adequate sanitary conditions, potable water supplies, sewage disposal, and general safety.
COMMERCIAL SEWAGE SYSTEMS
The Environmental Health Division inspects commercial sewage systems serving small businesses.
FOOD SERVICE OPERATIONS AND RETAIL FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS
The Environmental Health Division inspects and licenses establishments where food is prepared, processed, manufactured, packaged, stored, and offered for sale. Health standards are enforced covering operation, maintenance, and sanitation to protect the public from food-borne illness. Mobile and temporary food-service operations also are inspected to ensure safe, wholesome food is served at festivals and fairs.
HOME SEWAGE SYSTEMS
The Environmental Health Division conducts evaluations of property for the suitability of installing home sewage systems for single, double and triple-family homes. The Division approves original and replacement septic system designs, inspects their installation, and inspects all septic systems before a home is sold. It investigates complaints regarding malfunctioning septic systems and enforces the abandonment of home sewage systems and connection to the sanitary sewer when it becomes available. Low-interest loans for home sewage system improvements and sewer connections are available from several local banks through a partnership with the Board of Health and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency.
MOBILE HOME PARKS
The Environmental Health Division inspects and licenses manufactured home parks to assure adequate sanitary conditions, safety, spacing requirements, and general nuisance abatement.
NUISANCE CONTROL
The Environmental Health Division and the Solid Waste Program investigate complaints regarding conditions that may be harmful to the health, safety, comfort, or property of an individual or the public. These investigations include garbage, refuse storage, insects, noxious odors, animal waste, sewage, and unsanitary living conditions.
PLUMBING AND DOWN SPOUT INSPECTIONS
The Environmental Health Division inspects plumbing installation and new construction for proper drainage of storm water to storm sewers or streams.
PRIVATE WATER SYSTEMS
The Environmental Health Division inspects the installation of water wells to ensure that a safe and adequate water supply is provided for residents relying on private wells for their drinking water.
REAL ESTATE EVALUATIONS
The Environmental Health Division conducts inspections of all private water wells and home sewage systems prior to home sale to determine the safety and adequacy of home sewage systems and water supplies.
SCHOOL SAFETY
The Environmental Health Division inspects schools to ensure that children are provided a healthy and safe environment in which to learn.
SOLID WASTE
The Solid Waste Program enforces Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Board of Health regulations governing solid waste disposal and construction and demolition debris disposal, infectious waste, composting, and scrap tire management and illegal dumping activities.
SWIMMING POOLS AND SPAS
The Environmental Health Division inspects and licenses public swimming pools and spas to ensure that proper water quality and safety are maintained in the pool environment.
TATTOO AND BODY PIERCING
The Environmental Health Division inspects and approves tattoo and body piercing establishments and registers tattoo and body piercing practitioners to ensure sanitary conditions.
VECTOR CONTROL
The Environmental Health Division provides for the control of rodents (rats) through baiting and sanitation. The Division provides expert advice for controlling other vectors such as mosquitoes and maintains a disease surveillance program to monitor and control vector-borne diseases.
WATER WELL TESTS
Low-cost bacteriological water testing is provided by the Environmental Health Division. This test is used to determine if water is safe for human consumption.
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DIVISION OF FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES
The mission of the Division of Finance and Human Resources is to properly manage all financial and personnel matters of the Mahoning County General Health District. Its goal is to maximize the output and return on funds generated by users of Board of Health services and from public tax dollars paid by residents of the Health District.
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COMMUNITY HEALTH DIVISION
The mission of the Community Health Division is to organize and lead efforts to achieve the health promotion goals of the District Board of Health. Prevention, Preparedness and Promotion are the building blocks of the Community Health Division.
RESIDENTIAL LEAD HAZARD INVESTIGATION
The Community Health Division investigates sources of lead poisoning which include lead hazards found in paint, dust, soil and water..
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
The Community Health Division prepares and responds to bioterrorism, terrorism or naturally occurring events that result in a public health threat or emergency.
MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS
The Community Health Division coordinates the MRC for both Mahoning and Columbiana Counties. The MRC provides structure to deploy healthcare personnel in response to an emergency..
COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND PLANNING
The Community Health Division assists with tri-county (Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana) planning to improve health and prioritize health issues in the community, identify resources, and implement strategies to address the issues.
PUBLIC INFORMATION
The Community Health Division develops and coordinates the release of accurate and timely information to the public including alerts, warnings and emergency response and recovery processes.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND DISEASE SURVEILLANCE
The Community Health Division maintains the capacity to rapidly identify diseases and initiate prevention and control activities for response to bioterrorism, terrorism, unintentional or naturally occurring events that result in a public health threat or emergency.
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
The Community Health Division facilitates the process for the agency to commit to continuous Quality Improvement.All public health staff receive basic quality improvement training upon hire. On a rotational basis, public health staff serve on various internal Quality Improvement teams.
ACCREDITATION
The Community Health Division facilitates the process by which the Mahoning County District Board of Health aspires to become one of the first fully accredited public health agencies in the United States. This will be the first time the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) will be granting accreditation to local, state and tribal health departments.
CHILD FATALITY REVIEW
The Community Health Division helps to decrease the incidence of preventable fetal and child deaths by promotion, collaboration and communication between all groups, professionals, agencies and entities that serve families and children.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT
The Community Health Division promotes continuing education for public health staff, consults with subject matter experts to increase staff knowledge and promotes information and communication process between all levels of public health staff.
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LABORATORY SERVICES DIVISION
The mission of the Laboratory Services Division is to provide timely, accurate, and affordable environmental testing for public-health related concerns. The laboratory has state-of-the-art equipment to test water and other environmental media for contaminants and is fully certified by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and American Association for Laboratory Accreditation. With support from the Mahoning County Reuse and Recycling Division the Laboratory Services Division provides free well water testing to residents living near Mahoning County landfills.
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NURSING DIVISION
The Nursing Division exists to provide core public health nursing services to the residents of Mahoning County. Its services include:
ADULT DAY CARE
The Adult Day Services Program provides day care for seniors 60 years of age or older who would be unable to live at home without this type of service. The center is staffed with a registered nurse, an activities coordinator and a van driver who provides transportation to the center for participants. Individualized activity programs, field trips and medical assessments are offered to all clients.
CHILDREN WITH MEDICAL HANDICAPS PROGRAM
The Nursing Division provides public-health nursing services to children who have special health-care needs. Public-health nurses coordinate services provided to handicapped children by health and social service agencies. Public-health nurses can also arrange for diagnostic services to rule out a potentially disabling condition.
COMMUNICABLE DISEASE INVESTIGATIONS AND CONTROL
The Nursing Division receives and investigates reports of communicable diseases within the Mahoning County General Health District. Public-health nurses also serve as consultants and teachers of methods to prevent and control communicate disease transmission in child day care centers, nursing homes, residential care centers and schools.
IMMUNIZATIONS
The Nursing Division offers childhood and adult immunizations, foreign travel immunizations and flu shots.
PRENATAL AND WELL-CHILD SERVICES
The Nursing Division holds well-child clinics at convenient locations around the county, and offers prenatal services through contract provider members of the Mahoning County Child and Family Health Services Consortium.
SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES
The Nursing Division assigns a full-time public health nurse to the Springfield School District and provides hearing, vision, and scoliosis screening in other Mahoning County school districts. Public health nurses are also assigned to the Mahoning County Educational Services Center and the Mahoning Youngstown Community Area Partnership Head Start programs.
TUBERCULOSIS CLINIC
The Tuberculosis Clinic provides TB skin testing, medical evaluation, tuberculosis treatment and outreach services for Mahoning County residents.