MESSAGE FROM THE HEALTH OFFICER

Public health is all about assessing the needs of the community, developing policies to address those needs, and assuring those needs are met by what you did. It’s trying to prevent people from even beginning to have risk factors.

As part of our plan to become a model public health community, we created Healthy Howard. This initiative joins individuals, businesses, schools, community organizations and government together, to bring healthy alternatives and choices to the lives of Howard Countians. We want to encourage healthy behavior in as many areas of one’s life as possible.

Our Healthy Restaurants, Healthy Homes and Healthy Recreation programs have launched to very positive feedback. The Healthy Schools and Healthy Individuals programs are soon to follow and will again demonstrate how working together, we can improve health in every facet of our lives.

In mid-October, we announced the Healthy Howard Plan. Built on strong community partnerships, the plan will give uninsured Howard County residents access to an affordable and comprehensive list of health-care services designed to keep them healthy and out of emergency rooms. The plan is not insurance, nor is it portable, but it will help bridge the care gap until the state and federal governments act to solve the problem.

All of this is geared toward one overarching goal: improving the health of our community.