The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-01-17
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
In GARRETT COUNTY
Curtailment of the Activities of
Only Nurse Now Employed
Deemed Advisable

! Garrett county at present has but
one public health nurse, therefore a
very careful program must be planned
in order that the people who contrib
uted and are interested in health work
in the county may be benefited. Gar
rett county is the largest county in
the State and modes of transporta-
ton most difficult, particularly in the
winter months.
Due to i'll health one of the nurses
employed rendered her resignation. 1t
has been decided to continue with one
nurse. Inasmuch as travel during the
winter months is very difficult and the
work not systematized and the esti-
mate given by DR.. J. H. Mason Knox,
Jr., chief of the Bureau of Child Hy-
giene, to maintain two nurses for one
year, has not been sufficient, DR.. Knox
agreed to contribute 1000 if $4,000
could be raised by the county for the
maintenance ftwo nurses. The total
J e'hlOullC VI IIllS SuHl LOG DSSji
secured at the present time. It does
not seem advisable for the County
Commissioners to again appropriate
funds, nor for the Public Health As
ISOLATION Of the county to again So
licit funds until some definite work
has been accomplished in order to
demonstrate to the people of the coun-
ty wha tpublic health nursing means.
Sufficient funds are available to
continue with one nurse, thereby civ
ing the people an opportunity to de-
eide if this work is of real benfit or an
unnecessary expense. The public
health work in this county was be-
gun by public subscription and to a
large number of people the work has
not clearly been defined.
The program decided upon by the
County Commissioners and the Gar
rett County Public Health Associa-
ton has been that the nurse shall do
general nursing. This includes tuber
cuiosis, contagion, school, pre-schooI.
medical, maternity and child hygiene
work. That is to say, anyone desir-
ing the services of the nurse in all
health matters, to instruct or assist
in the preservation of health, care of
the sick or prevention of disease, shall
feel free to call for the public health
nurse at any time.
Health centers have been establ;s h
ed and home nursing classes are be-
ing conducted. A careful school pro-
gram has been outlined as it is felt
that through the public schools the
nurse Will have more ready access
to the rural homes and that time not
taken up in answering calls viii be
devoted to school inspection and fol-
low-up visits.
The plan of work outlined by DR..
]. H. Mason Knox, Jr., chief of the
Bureau of Child Hygiene, is to con-
duct "health conferences" for well
children. keep the well child we'll"
10 Tie SlOSdu. IHeS6 conferences are
to be held at the various health CEN
ters throughout the county.
1t is with difficulty the rural people
of the county could attend these con-
ferences and it does not seem plausi-
BILE that such an effort would be made
by them to keep well children well,
as no curative work could be done at
the conferences. This plan of work
does not seem adaptable to this coun-
ty, particularly during the winter
months. Therefore the 81, 900 offered
by the Bureau has been returned until
such time as a program suitable to
the needs of Garrett county people
can be outlined.
1t is felt public health work is most
successful when begun on a small
scale and controlled by those most in
terested and for the best results of the
people of the county. The object of
the Public Health Association, as out
lined when it was formed, was to
work with and under the direcaion of
the local physicians whom it is be-
lieved approve the present plans Of
the Association.