The Nespelem tribune. [volume] (Nespelem, Wash.) 1934-1936, 1935-05-22
Health Data Told
In Nurses Report:
Miss Katherine Prusack, County
Nurse, Tells Of Work;
Many Aided

Carrying in it an index to health
conditions existing in Okanogan
county, as revealed to the county
nurse through hundreds of home
visits and doctor consultations, the
annual report of Miss Katherine
Prusack, county VERA nurse, was
| issued this week.
Introducing the report, read at
County tuberculosis Leagues recent
annual meeting, Miss Prusack ex-
plains:
County tuberculosis nursing
service in this county consists of a
generalized public health program
which includes maternity, prenatal,
and infant welfare work, pre-school
and school health supervision, as
well as tuberculosis nursing and
other contagious disease prevention
and the supervision of the INDECENT
sick, with some social welfare SER
vice."
Miss PrusacK came to the county
in August, 1884, as VERA nurse to
serve in the capacity of public
health nurse in cooperation with
the County Medical Society, the
county commissioners, the relief
office and the tuberculosis League.
Many Pupils Inspected
During this time, in connection
with the school health program, she
has visited 80 schools; inspected
1862 pupils; found 1892 obvious de-
fects; inspected 277 children without
obvious defects; referred 1853 cases
to the physician; inspected 100 for
mouth and skin conditions and in
spected 20 nursery school children.
Each of the 1862 children received
an individual inspection for tooth
and other mouth conditions, throat
and tonsil conditions, lymph and
thryoid gland, and for skin, posture,
vision and eye conditions, as well
as for general appearance. An in
dividual conference was held with
each child.
! During the past year the county
nurse has cooperated with the Red
Gross in helping to distribute cloth
ing to needy children as well as to
report families who needed emer-
gency help. Investigations have
been made for the Red Cross in
answer to calls for medical relief.
The work also includes two visits to
the county farm each month and
home visits to the INDECENT sick at
the request of the county commits
sioners.
Under the orthopedic division,
Miss Prusack reports that she has
sent IA children to the Children's
Orthopedic hospital at Seattle; one
to the Shriners' hospital at Spo-
kane; one case of deafness to the
state school for deaf; and two to
the state custodial school.
Hospital Gave Aid
"It will be of interest to know"
she explained, "that during the past
year the Children's Orthopedic
hospital at Seattle gave crippled
children of Okanogan county free
services amounting to $2,419 and
that in turn the hospital received
sos in donations from this county,"
Miss Prusack reported having
made 652 cooperation and confer
ence calls; 474 pre-school and
school calls and child welfare visits;
81 infant and prenatal visits; 26O
calls on private and county
physicians; 365 home visits, and
wrote 178 letters.
She also reported that there are
II active cases of tuberculosis in
the county and 16 suspicious cases
now under inspection. During the
year Sanitorium care was furnished
for three tubercular patients and
four cases now are taking the rest
cure at home. she states.