Vision:
Shaping the healthiest and safest community
Values:
- Empowerment: providing information and necessary resources to support healthy decision making
- Dedication: investing in the individual to improve quality of life
- Collaboration: strengthening relationships to build a healthier community
What We Do
In general, local health departments help to prevent the start and spread of outbreaks and disease, promote healthy opportunities, and protect community health through public health policy and community partnerships.
We do this through a wide variety of programs and services that all have the goal of enhancing the quality of life of people living in Williams County. We work with community members and organizations to offer immunizations, a food safety program, public and commercial swimming pool inspections, health education, child passenger safety, school-based MyPlate program, solid waste recycling, and so much more!
History of Williams County Health Department
The Williams County Health Department has served as a public health agency for over 100 years. We were founded out of a need to improve collaboration and communication to better the health of Williams County during the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918-1920. With the passing of the Hughes Griswold Act in 1919, establishing county health departments, the first Williams County Board of Heath was appointed on August 15, 1919 and the first members of the board were appointed on September 15, 1919.
During the last 100 years, we have seen major improvements in health for our residents. When the health department was founded, communicable (infectious) disease commonly caused illness and death. Through the use of science, improvements have been made in sanitation, immunizations, and overall health education to achieve great progress in reducing the spread of disease.