The Nursing Division at the Van Wert County Health Department is involved invarious programs and areas of service. Through the Help Me Grow Program, prenatal home visits are made to expectant parents and newborn home visits are made to parents of newborns. Our nurses also assist with school health screenings in some of the county schools. The Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps Program, which is funded by the Ohio Department of Health, is administrated by our local health department. In addition, our Nursing Division is responsible for the investigation of infectious diseases and Emergency Preparedness Planning. The Environmental Health Division of the Van Wert County Health Department conducts various activities geared toward preserving and improving public health in Van Wert County through protection from environmental health hazards. This is done by regulation of private drinking water supplies and sewage treatment systems, as well as inspection of public food establishments, schools, swimming pools and campgrounds. The Environmental Health Division is also responsible for inspection of manufactured home parks, solid waste disposal facilities, and body art establishments. Finally, the Environmental Health Division conducts nuisance complaint investigations, rabies prevention activities, and provides consultation and advice to the public on various other environmental health-related issues. The Vital Statistics Division maintains Birth and Death records from 1908 to present. If a person died in Van Wert County, that record is available at our office. Certified birth certificates are available at this office for persons who were born anywhere in Ohio after 1908. Birth and Death records are used for Passports, Age Verification, Genealogy, Social Security Benefits, Insurance, Health Related Reasons and Research. The Van Wert County Health Department's emergency preparedness responsibilities include developing effective plans and resources at a local and regional level to create defense against Bioterrorism, other outbreaks of infectious disease and other public health threats and emergencies. Development of the Public Health Infrastructure is a key component in strengthening the nation's Homeland Security.
