In the midst of dealing with the local implications of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Logan County Health District staff this month has released the agency’s 2019 annual report, with a spotlight on services provided last year incorporating colorful graphics and picture graphs detailing a number of agency statistics and programs.
The LCHD began the more reader-friendly format for the annual report one year ago when releasing its 2018 report.
“We wanted to try a more reader-friendly format to make it more eye-catching and easier to read, instead of the text-heavy format used previously,” said Donna Peachy, deputy health commissioner, relating that copies of the report are currently available at the health district, 310 S. Main St., and can downloaded online at www.loganhealth.org.
“The annual report is a means to provide the public with Logan County statistics regarding births, deaths, cause of death, and incidence of infectious disease, as well as reporting services provided to the county to keep residents safe and healthy.”
In addition to programs and accomplishments from each of the agency’s divisions — nursing, environmental health and vital statistics — the report also looks back at the statewide smallpox outbreak in Ohio in 1917 and the influenza epidemic that swept across America from 1918 to 1920, which also has been highlighted recently in the Examiner.
As a result of that pandemic, the Hughes-Griswold Act was enacted in 1919, which established local health departments across Ohio.
In the 100 years since the Hughes-Griswold Act, public health has made a significant improvements to the health and life for area residents, including: people are living an average of 25 years longer; small pox, once a deadly occurrence, has been eradicated; motor vehicle fatalities have been reduced by 90 percent; and deaths from sudden infant death syndrome have decreased by 50 percent, LCHD officials said.
According to the vital statistics chart included the annual report, 356 births occurred in Logan County last year, including 339 hospital births and 17 home births.
Coincidentally, 182 boys and 182 girls were born in the county, and among the births were three sets of twins.
“Serenity” was the most popular girl name in Logan County last year, and the most common name for boys was “Jackson,” most often spelled “Jaxon.”
A total of 407 deaths were recorded in Logan County during 2019, and 498 deaths of Logan County residents occurred in the state. The oldest person who passed away was 108 years old, and five individuals who died were 100 or older.
Leading causes of death for Logan County residents included cancer, 23.1 percent; diseases of the heart at 21.7 percent; and other causes, 18.3 percent. Brain disease and respiratory disease each accounted for 5 percent and 6.8 percent of deaths, respectively.
Influenza and pneumonia were listed as the cause of 2.6 percent of deaths among Logan County residents.
Accidents were responsible for 5.8 percent of deaths in the county, while suicide was ruled as the cause in 1.6 percent of deaths; and drug overdose, 1.8 percent.
The annual report also highlights the agency’s Narcan training program that in 2019 reached 382 individuals during 29 trainings and provided 386 doses of the opioid reversal drug to loved ones and community residents.
Funding for the grant program, Integrated Naloxone Access and Infrastructure, was made possible from the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Additional funding was provided by the Mental Health, Drug & Alcohol Services Board of Logan & Champaign Counties.
Also related to the health district’s nursing division, the department administered 1,892 vaccinations, a 23 percent increase from the previous year, and reached 1,938 residents with health education. A total of 50 free newborn in-home baby visits were offered to mothers and their new infants, and 75 families received fresh fruits and vegetables at the Logan County Farmers’ Market through the Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program.
Nursing department staff investigated 262 infectious disease cases last year, with 32 of the cases related to vaccine-preventable diseases.
“There are more than 100 communicable and reportable diseases that are followed at the local level for the Ohio Department of Health. The Logan County Health District has seen an increase in the total number of these diseases in the past five years,” officials said, relating that department nurses spent about 1,500 hours per year investigating diseases.
The top five reportable diseases for Logan County in 2019 were: chlamydia, 51 percent of infectious diseases investigated; hepatitis C, 18 percent; gonorrhea, 7 percent; hospitalized influenza cases, 7 percent; and salmonella, 4 percent.
Nursing department members also made particular mention of the increase in hepatitis C cases. Last year, a total of 46 new cases were investigated by LCHD staff.
Related to emergency preparedness, LCHD staff members also participated in 24 drills, 14 exercises and 26 trainings and managed five real life events.
For the environmental health division, 1,068 food inspections were performed in 2019 and 276 food service licenses were administered. In addition, 185 nuisance investigations were completed, an increase of 57 percent from 2018.
A total of 924 sanitarian hours were spent implementing the new state-mandated Operation & Maintenance Sewage Program in the county, which is gradually being rolled out to each of the townships throughout the Logan County. The program requires property owners with a private sewage system that produces less than 1,000 gallons per day of wastewater to obtain a valid and renewable permit and comply with mandatory assessments and inspections. A fee of $50 is assessed for each permit.
A snapshot of the agency’s 2019 financial report also is included in the annual report, with $1,774,659 in reported revenues and $1,569,747 in expenditures. The LCHD ended fiscal year with a balance of $204,912.
For more information, contact Peachey at (937) 651-6217.