The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

January, 1955The Health Bulletinand dentist." The matter-of-fact toneof his voice would tell you that he hastaken for granted the many other servicesthat your public health departmentand other health agencies makepossible in addition to those of hisprivate physician and dentist. Keepingwatch over Mr. North CarolinaCitizen and his family is the healthdepartment's responsibility.Beginning before Baby Citizen isborn, he is of interest to the HealthDepartment. The prenatal blood testrequired of every expectant motheris made in the laboratory of the healthdepartment. Should an expectant motherbe unable to afford a private physician,she may visit the prenatal clinicat the health department.The birth of Baby Citizen and everybaby in North Carolina is of concern tothe health department. All births arereported to the Vital Statistics Divisionof the Health Department.The public health nurse under thedirection of the family physician willvisit any home and instruct the motherin care of the baby.The Health Department, with the cooperationof local physicians and schoolofficials, conducts pre-school clinics inwhich the children are examined forobservable defects and determines thatthe necessary immunizations have beencompleted.Mr. and Mrs. North Carolina cansend their approximately one millionchildren off to school each day feelingconfident that school buildings andgrounds are free of insanitary healthhazards and that the food served themin school cafeterias is prepared andserved in a safe and sanitary manner.One of the major health problemsaffecting children in North Carolinais dental defects. Some of the countiesare giving special attention to thismatter by employing full-time dentiststo work in cooperation with schoolofficials and the local dental societies.Wonderful results are being attained,and without a doubt this phase ofpublic health should be expanded.One shudders at the thought ofwhat the results of venereal diseasewould have been had there been nopublic health program to deal withthis problem. Through the public healthprogram of three-fold-nature, embracingeducation, case-finding and treatment,venereal diseases are being controlledand progress is being made towardtheir elimination.Through public health programs, withthe cooperation of the medical profession,clinics are being conducted,open to all citizens for the purposeof detecting cancer and diseases of theheart before it is too late to do somethingabout them.North Carolina citizens should betold clearly and often of the fact thatpublic health touches and benefits eachand every one each day of our lives,in such ways as: meat inspection beforeand after the animal is killed; inspectionand approval of all public eatingplaces and food handling establishments;the program of rabies controlin connection with domestic animals,and the inspection and approval ofsewage disposal, septic tanks and pittoilets.What I have said about the publichealth program is not news to you,and I have not intended that it be.My purpose is to impress upon youthe importance of keeping the publicinformed as much as possible as to thevalue of the health department to eachand every citizen of North Carolina.It is my opinion that a good job ofpublic relations could be done by eachlocal health department in makinga special effort to see that its boardof county commissioners is at alltimes well informed about the healthprogram and its importance and thatthe local health organization is setup on a businesslike basis, with aminimum of lost motion. It is alsoImportant to keep in close touch anddevelop good relations with the localpress, as this is a health department'sgreatest asset in keeping the public informed.Dont use top sergeant methodsin dealing with problems that arise inconnection with minor violations, rememberingthat all the public does notknow the importance of these matters