Health Center has new employee

At the March 26 Nodaway County Health Center board meeting, Administrator Tom Patterson introduced the new part-time health educator, Dawn Stephens.

Patterson said he would look to hire a part-time nurse in the fall to help with vaccinations, etc.

The board discussed the generator bids again along with information obtained from other health centers with generators. It was decided to use natural gas and accept the bid for $59,183 from G5 Electric, LLC, Mound City. This generator will provide electric power to the entire health center building. This would allow the center to act as a shelter if needed.

The center is going to take advantage of Liberty Gas Utilities’ offer to run natural gas in exchange for an easement on the center’s rear section to tie its gas mains together. There will be a meter charge of $25 per month.

There were 83 COVID, 70 influenza A and 238 influenza B cases in February.

“Flu levels are declining throughout Missouri and are considered low,” Patterson reported. “Nodaway shows low on state data. COVID levels remain low.”

Patterson met with Jackie Cochenour, project director for Rural Northwest Missouri Behavioral Health Consortium for the multi-county mental health program, to support her efforts in gathering resource information throughout Nodaway, Gentry, Holt and Worth counties.