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Show Guarding Public Health is a 'preventative job' "The recommended time for inspection qf eating establishments," establish-ments," he said, "is every six months, but we are on a timetable of once a year." Besides inspection of food services, Dawson said he is responsible for water quality-private quality-private and stream and lake polution, air quality, radiation and occupational health, food handling, swimming , pool Inspection, In-spection, public plumbing and sanitation, rodents and Insects. Not only is inspection the main aspect, but also Dawson said he is available for consultation on problems. Trailer courts, schools, hospitals, warehouses and other buildings, campgrounds, recreation sites and city dumps all come under the inspection of the Southwestern Utah District Health Department, Dawson said, which he consists one-half of. ; I h a I I - mm PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE. Kathy McRae shows Bill Dawson one of the techniques she uses in her Dre-natal classes. Dawson and McRae comprise the public health personnel in Iron County. There are certain areas, where Dawson and Mrs. McRae overlap in their duties. In food services, for example, all food handlers must get a certification of TB tests from Mrs. McRae, and the business must get a permit to operate from Dawson. Mrs. McRae also said she oversees communicable disease investigation, if it' becomes epidemic in nature. Dawson said he also becomes involved in epidemic diseases if it looks like they may be environmental in cause. "Our main responsibility is to protect the health of the communities com-munities prior to something happening," he said. Dawson said he is responsible for Iron and Garfield counties and, he added, 80 percent of his time is spent with waste water systems. Dawson said he has to inspect any waste water system-septic tanks, drain fields, and the like, -and make sure any subdivision or individual home is "ready to go." He said the state Department Depart-ment of Health has the final say on many projects, but he does the on-site inspection for the state agency. Dawson said he also follows up on every complaint that comes into his office that has anything to do with environmental health. Dawson said his main problem is one of lack of time and personnel. vill also be responsible for the dissemination of the "swine flu" vaccination, along with state community health departments. She said the vaccinations will probably take place in October or early November, in numerous places throughout the county. Mrs. McRae said it is unusual to have side effects to a flu vaccination, but anyone who has reactions to vaccinations should contact authorities before taking the swine flu immunization. She also said volunteers will undoubtedly un-doubtedly be needed when the vaccinations begin. "I also conduct pre-natal classes three times ayear at the hospital," Mrs. McRae added. "And we try to visit all new babies after they go home, especially the first-time mothers." She also said her office conducts con-ducts "child clinics" in the county and on referral from Family Life Services. These An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and if you don't believe it, just ask Kathy McRae and Bill Dawson. Kathy is the public health nurse, working out of the community com-munity Health Nursing office located at 1552 West 200 North. Bill is also located at the same address, working with the district Public Health Department. Depart-ment. "uurs is mainly a preventative job," Dawson said, "and we achieve that chiefly through education, inspection and enforcement." en-forcement." Mrs. McRae said she is responsible for the prevention and teaching of health for preschool pre-school children and adults of Iron County. The schools have their own nurses, which relieves her of that responsibility. She said her main duties include in-clude immunization, teaching of nursing to individuals who desire it, tuberculosis surveillance, senior citizen blood pressure clinics and a resource for any one who may desire it. Mrs. McRae, who has experience ex-perience in Los Angeles as a registered nurse, said her office clinics are conducted by a doctor, especially designed for rural and low income areas. Bill Dawson said he is responsible for a different aspect of community 'health, that of environmental health. |