Fall Health and Wellness 2022

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Children are also welcomed to come to the
health department clinic for wellness physicals and
reproductive health education.
A monkeypox vaccine clinic is available on
Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to noon for pre-registered patients
that have risk factors for developing the viral
disease.
A dental health clinic is available as well as a
mental health clinic in partnership with Mercer University
to provide free family therapy. A nurse practitioner
works part time for treating mild to moderate
mental illnesses.
A prenatal clinic is available at a low cost for
women with insurance complications. First-time
pregnant moms can take advantage of free home visiting
services up until the baby is two years old.
During the pandemic, the health department
utilized a mobile testing option as well as carside
dental assistance to provide antibiotics and keep cases
of dental abscesses out of the hospital emergency
room until adequate service was available.
Looking for a career in public health? Sikes
said, “there are no two days that are exactly alike.”
“What they can expect is
to form relationships with some
patients that may last years — you
may see generations of families
or help generations of families,”
Sikes explained. “In addition to
diversity, they should expect a
really great education through
training.
“I think public health is
one of those places that provide
a lot of training, and it’s really
high quality and it’s really diverse
training. They should expect to
see duties and jobs that they may
not have always thought of as a
nursing position. So, it is definitely
a career to get them to step out
of their comfort zone, but they
will be enriched by a lot of different
experiences.”
She elaborated on how the Houston
County Health Department sets itself apart from
other similar organizations.
“In my heart, I believe that what sets us
aside is that somehow the stars have aligned and
every single person who works in this building, I
have never worked with a better team of people
who are 100% dedicated when they are here and
even outside of work, they are 100% dedicated to
doing what they do,” she said.
The people who work at the department
also live nearby, so they have a vested interest in
the community, Sikes added.
The staff working with Sikes includes
registered nurses, nurse practitioners, a relevant
part-time role, health educators, administrative
staff, a full-time dentist, a full-time dental hygienist
and a dental assistant.
Sikes said she loves to travel as well as
work in the yard during her free time. Her husband,
Jody, is a teacher at Thomson Middle
School. They have two sons, Adam and Brian.
The Sikes also have two dogs, Jedi and Leia.
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