Public health center keeps eye out for SARS, West Nile

From bubonic plague and tuberculosis to AIDS, the world has always been a place lousy with deadly diseases and viruses. But relatively recent developments -- SARS, bioterrorism and the West Nile virus -- has brought public health shrieking back into the headlines.

Which is why it should be something of a comfort to know that there is an organization designed to watch and prepare for an occurrence or even an outbreak of all of those situations and countless others: the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center.

"It's certainly an interesting time for public health," said Jane Wernsman, a registered nurse and assistant director of the public health center in Cape Girardeau. "We seem to be getting more attention with all the bioterrorism issues as well as SARS and the threat of West Nile."

And this week is an especially good one to shine the spotlight on the center, considering that April 7 through 13 is National Public Health Week, which is celebrated in communities in 46 states and by 60 percent of local health departments.

The center monitors both hospitals daily for symptoms for any of those diseases and others. If a case of severe acute respiratory syndrome arose, it could coordinate with state and local health officials about how to handle the problem, including contacting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Or if the West Nile virus shows up, like it did last year, then the center goes into case assessment mode to find out who is affected and how to stop the spread.

Sometimes, the nurses at the center have to protect themselves first. Seven nurses at the center and one doctor recently got vaccinated for smallpox, despite a growing number of concerns about the vaccine's possible side effects, such as heart disease.

That way, if the war on terror results in a case of smallpox, then there are people in Cape Girardeau County who have been inoculated and could treat those affected as well as vaccinate those who would then need it.

"We had to be ready," Wernsman said.

But there's more to the center's high-profile jobs and there are countless less visible services. Besides, Wernsman said she doubts -- and hopes -- the "big issues" will ever make it to this area.

'A lot more broad'

Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, agrees.

"More people know about public health because of all of this, and that's good," Benjamin said from Washington, D.C., Monday. "But I'm hoping this year people will see that public health is a lot more broad."

Benjamin said that public health is often pigeonholed as a group that provides health care for the poor.

"But we also make sure food is safe to eat, water is safe to drink and a broad range of public protections," he said. "The problem is that public health does its job well, so nothing bad happens. And then when something really bad happens, like SARS, like anthrax, there we are. But we're working every day."

The local public health center is funded through county and state dollars. It has a roughly $1.5 million budget, a staff of 45, and most services are available for free. The center does have a rural health clinic that sees about 30 children a day, providing all sorts of services, such as treating minor illnesses, administering physicals and vaccinating preschoolers.

But Wernsman agrees that most people don't know much of what else the center does.

For example, the health center sees patients who may be suffering from a communicable disease, such as hepatitis, measles, salmonella, rabies and meningitis. The center offers confidential and free screening for sexually transmitted diseases.

It also provides home visiting programs, regardless of age, for those who meet certain medical guidelines. The center also has environmental sanitarians, who inspect restaurants, respond to questions about water and sewage and investigate complaints.

There is also the Women, Infants and Children program, the supplemental food program that provides free food to families. There is also a family planning clinic, which offers annual pap smears and birth control for cost-based, nominal fees.

Lelia King of Cape Girardeau was at the clinic Monday afternoon for her 16-year-old daughter to get a sports physical because she wants to be a cheerleader at Central High School. King periodically has used the clinic for her three daughters, when they were sick or needed shots to get into school.

"It's handy to have the center," she said in the waiting room. "Sometimes you can't afford a doctor. I'm so grateful we have a center like this."

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137

The Cape Girardeau Public Health Center is responsible for many things. Among them are:

Monitoring health status to identify community health problems.

Diagnosing and investigating health problems and health hazards.

Informing, educating and empowering people about health issues.

Enforcing laws and regulations that protect health and ensures safety.

Overseeing the Women, Infants and Children food supplemental program.

Running a rural health clinic, primarily for children.