South Central Public Health District

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Mission

• Prevent Disease
• Promote Healthy Lifestyles
• Protect and Prepare the public against health threats.

Vision

Healthy and Prepared People in Our Communities.

Values

• Accountability - We are accountable for the efficient and effective use of our resources.
• Integrity - We demonstrate honesty, consistency, and confidentiality.
• Client-Focused - We provide information to the public, to help them make informed choices.
• Professionalism - We demonstrate competence, reliability, and respect to the public.
• Collaborative - We promote partnerships and alliances with community members and agencies to link public health needs and services.
• Health - We promote collaboration and alliances with community partners to link planning efforts for the inclusive public health needs of the community.
• Excellence - We seek to improve the quality of our services through ongoing evaluation and feedback.

Idaho's Public Health Efforts

Public health efforts began in south-central Idaho in 1928. Twin Falls County was fighting an "infectious" meningitis epidemic. Hundreds of cases and many deaths resulted in a quarantine of the entire city of Twin Falls. The county commissioners developed the first area health unit consisting of three public health nurses and a sanitary inspector. Today, South Central Public Health District employs nearly 100 professionally trained nurses, dietitians, epidemiologists, a dental hygienist, health educators, and environmental specialists.

South Central Public Health District is the leader in the multi-county concept of providing public health services. We have offices in Bellevue, Gooding, Heyburn, Jerome, and Twin Falls; and with part-time clinics in Shoshone and Fairfield we serve all eight counties of south central Idaho and are part of a statewide system of seven public health districts.

South Central Public Health District is governed by an eight-member Board of Health with a representative from each of the eight counties. Regular board meetings are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month and are open to the public. Occassionally meetings will be moved or canceled depending on other scheduled activities of the Board and administration.

See Also:

Idaho Public Health Districts
Districting Law - Idaho Code, Title 39, Chapter 4, Sections 401 through 426 and IDAPA Rules