70th Anniversary of Brownwood/Brown County Health Department Celebrated - Photos

Brownwood/Brown County Health Department celebrated its 70th Anniversary with an open house and comments from Mayor Stephen Haynes Monday.

Visitors such as Mayor Haynes; City Manager Bobby Rountree; County Commissioner Richard Gist; the two previous Health Department Administrators, Donita Denison and Wanda Followell, and many others from the city and county were present for the celebration.

Mayor Haynes gave some brief comments regarding the history of the Health Department in Brown County. Facts about its early beginnings during the Camp Bowie days of Brownwood to current day were given as Haynes proclaimed its importance to the community through the years.

“All kinds of entities get created and they come and go, and we didn’t even know why they were created in the first place” stated Haynes. “That is not the case of the Health Department.”

Haynes spoke of how the boom in population during WWII caused an increase in diseases and risks of diseases in the area and that there was a need for health care and education that still remains.

“Although funding has shifted from federal to state to city and then to county, this need remained constant,” stated Haynes. “They keep us safe, educate us for the future. We know more now about nutrition and wellness than ever. As we find ourselves frustrated with ever-changing health alerts, it is nice that the health department gives us advice.”

Health Department staff recounted memories of working with some of the previous administrators and relocating to the current building on E. Lee Street. When the move took place in the late 1980s, the building was remodeled, and this year murals have been painted on the side of the building that houses the Women Infants and Children Program. Butterflies, blue skies and rainbows create a happy and inviting atmosphere for all who visit and hopefully make the children feel more comfortable.

Regarding the murals, Mayor Haynes stated, “You see that kind of work when people enjoy and love what they do.”

“You guys have done a great job giving the citizens a nice place,” stated Rountree to Administrator Alicia Long and her staff.

Services provided by the Health Department include:

Children’s and Adult Immunizations
Education Regarding Nutrition and Health
Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Blood Sugar Checks
Pregnancy Testing
Tuberculosis Screening
B12 Injections (with prescriptions only)
HIV & STD Testing
Pneumococcal & Flu Vaccines
Rabies Depot for the region (Supply state issued rabies treatments)

Some special events the Health Department will be hosting in March include:

Baby Birthday parties each Tuesday: For Babies that are 2 months old to educate parents and immunize babies. It is hoped this will help keep area babies’ immunizations up to date.
Maternity Fair: The Health Department will be participating

The Brown County Health Department is definitely not the old institutional style health department of days gone by. It offers a fresh and clean feeling with a welcoming staff who take their job seriously providing education and programs that help keep the people of Brown County safe and healthy.

Pictured above: Health Department Administrator Alicia Long with retired administrators Wanda Followell (Retired in 2000 after 30 years of employment with the Health Department) and Denita Denison (Retired in 2006 after 25 years with the Health Department).

Below are pictures of the event and of staff.