County will contribute to newborn program

By STEPH TAHTINEN

Mt. Pleasant News

Henry County has been asked to contribute $10,000 to keep the Newborn Home Visitor Program running in Henry County.

?We feel strongly that we have to continue the program,? Bob Welander, Henry County Board of Health chair, told the board of supervisors on Tuesday morning.

The Newborn Home Visitor Program provides parents of newborns the opportunity to have a nurse come to their home for a checkup, education/instruction and reinforcement of parenting skills. This free service is available to all residents of Henry County, regardless of whether they gave birth at Henry County Health Center or some other location.

?All new babies and mothers, if they choose, can receive a home visit,? explained Welander.

It costs about $22,000 to run the program, and it was previously funded through a combination of Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) and other sources. However, the ECI funding has been taken away. The department has been awarded an Enhance Henry County Community Foundation grant for $10,000, but there is still a gap to fill, which is where the county comes in.

?If you as the board of health feel passionate about it, then I feel passionate about it,? said Supervisor Chairman Kent White. White had attended a previous board of health meeting where the program was discussed and heard input from board of health members who had used the program and appreciated the service and noted how beneficial it is to new mothers.

Supervisor Marc Lindeen also commented that he was ?all for it.?

?I think it?s just a great example of a public health initiative,? said Robb Gardner, Henry County Health Center CEO, who attended Tuesday?s budget presentation with Welander and Community Health Director Linda Albright. ?It should start at the first moment of life,? Gardner added.

This request for an additional $10,000 is the only major change in the board of health?s budget.

?We feel very proud about the fact that the budget we?re presenting today is not cutting programs,? said Welander. He noted that in the current economic situation, many public health entities have had to cut back on programs offered in order to stay afloat.

The board of health also requested $148,940 for public health nursing and $78,750 for homemaker health. Both of these requests are for the same amount received from the county in fiscal year 2011-12. Henry County contributes about 55 percent of the board of health?s funding.

In other business, the board of supervisors

- Appointed Lindeen to fill the vacancy on the Southeast Iowa Community Action Board with Supervisor Vice Chairman Gary See serving as alternate. Lindeen replaces Glenwood Tolson, who is stepping down from the board. Tolson has represented the county on the board since 1965.

- Heard budget presentations from Recorder Shirley Wandling and Treasurer Ana Lorber. Neither department?s fiscal year 2013 budget varied significantly from fiscal year 2012?s budget.

- Met with County Engineer Bill Belzer, who updated the supervisors on work being completed by the road department in the past week.