Closing of Sparta Health Department

To the editor: I would like to openly express my concern for the residents of Sparta. I am an RN and I live in Highland Lakes (Vernon Twp.) I recently heard that your town was seriously considering closing your local health department. I feel the health department plays a vital role in the community, not only do residents rely on the resources the department provides, physicians and the medical community rely on those resources as well. My 25-year career as an RN and my own personal life have taken me down many paths that have lead me to the local health department. I was a hospice nurse and a visiting nurse for many years and have used the expertise and resources of the health department many times. I personally have had to use my local health department when my son was tested with an elevated lead level. In fact, my son’s pediatrician referred me there for the information I needed to find the root cause of his increased lead level. Since then, I have worked as a school nurse and have used much of the information and education I received from my local health department for my own practice. The health department touches all people in all stages of life. With the world changing so quickly and with all the threats to our society, I would think now is the time to expand our health departments, not dissolve them. Karen D. Vrabel Highland Lakes