By KATHERINGE HOYER

Prevention. Promotion. Protection. These are the pillars upon which public health is built on. Preventing disease, promoting healthy lifestyles, and protecting the environment is the daily mission of those who serve at the Panhandle Health District. As of 2021, PHD hit a milestone; 50 years of service to the North Idaho community.

However, if you are like most people, you may not know what "public health" is, or the important role the seven public health districts in Idaho play.

If you have eaten in a restaurant, applied for a septic system permit, received vaccinations, or enrolled in a tobacco cessation program, you have likely benefited from services provided by your local health district.

Each health district in Idaho responds to local needs, so services and programs may vary by district, but all share a common vision: “Healthy People in Healthy Communities.”

The PHD offers over 40 different services within their main departments: Clinical Services, Environmental Health, and Health Services. Many might know of common services offered by the health district, such as, the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program that offers nutritional and breastfeeding support to families or their assistance with STI testing and treatment.

“Public health often operates under the radar and communities may not be aware of the great work we do,” said Don Duffy, PHD director. “We are working to raise that awareness and encourage more community members to become involved in public health. Our work has the most impact when the entire community comes together to support and practice public health efforts that affect everyone.”

Over the last 50 years, PHD has experienced and been involved in significant events within their jurisdiction. In 1971, the North Idaho region was designated as PHD after the Idaho Legislature established Idaho’s seven health districts. In the years since, PHD has played an important role in protecting the Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, providing homebound seniors with companions, creating clinical services for low-income individuals, responding to pertussis, measles, H1N1, and COVID-19 outbreaks, establishing tobacco cessation and diabetes prevention programs, hosting dental clinics, among a cascade of other needed services.

“This April, we will celebrate National Public Health Week and we encourage our community to celebrate with us by learning more about what we do,” said Duffy. “We continually expand and enhance our services to meet the needs of our community. I’m often shocked to hear people say ‘PHD does that?’ when out in the community talking about some of our programs. If you are curious if we offer a service, give us a call, we just might have what you need.”

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Katherine Hoyer is public information officer with the Panhandle Health District.