Hunterdon County Health Department Report

The recently published 2018 Department of Health Annual Report outlines all the responsibilities and achievements of the six Divisions within the Department, all contributing to the health and wellness of Hunterdon County residents. The Divisions of the Health Department include Environmental Health, Weights and Measures, Public Health Nursing, Public Health Preparedness, Mosquito and Vector Control, and Solid Waste and Recycling.

Freeholder Susan J. Soloway, Board of Chosen Freeholders liaison to the Department said, “The Department of Health Annual Report gives a clear and concise picture of each Division, its responsibilities, how it safeguards the public and how protection from large-scale health threats are implemented. All six divisions work cooperatively together to ensure public health and safety as well as protecting residents from large-scale health events.”

The Environmental Health Division performed 2,951 health inspections for all twenty-six municipalities, as a shared service, including septic, food vendors, water and air, as well as campgrounds, pools and pet establishments. The Weights and Measures Division tested 439 devices in the county making sure that grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies and laundromats were accurately charging for products and services.

The annual report highlights that Public Health Nursing (PHN), on the frontline of disease control, contributed to the successful identification of contaminated romaine lettuce as a source E. coli illness in a nationwide outbreak. PHN also educates schools and the community about immunizations and the dangers of lead poisoning and working with at-risk community members to improve overall quality of life.

The Public Health Preparedness Program helps to prevent, detect and respond to public health emergencies. Grant funds are used to assess hazard and vulnerabilities in the county to prevent public health incidents. With a full range of mosquito control and insect surveillance activity, the County’s Mosquito and Vector Control Program’s primary focus is mosquito abatement. There are approximately forty mosquito species in Hunterdon County and some of these species play a role in disease transmission to humans.

Department of Health Director, Karen DeMarco said, “The 2018 Annual Report highlights how our six divisions work cooperatively to prevent disease, promote healthy living, combat food-borne illnesses and the prevent the spread of diseases from vectors. The full complement of the County programs are highlighted in the annual report; ranging from programs for expectant mothers, seniors and community clean-up days.”

Director DeMarco continued, “Ensuring price accuracy with weights and measures, having a recycling program which includes smoke detectors and window-unit air conditioners, and giving residents in need access to quality food, medical care and investigation of cases of disease are all a part of the Department of Health’s day-to-day responsibilities.”

The Division of Solid Waste seeks to optimize recycling opportunities for households and assists businesses and municipal recycling programs in their recycling efforts. The 2018 annual report lists more than 2,000 electronic recyclables collected and over 2,400 household hazardous wastes collected. Through programs such as Clean Communities and other volunteer community events, residents and school groups cleaned up parks, forests and waterways throughout the county in 2018.

To view the full Health Department Annual Report, please visit http://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/health.html.

For further information on any of the programs or volunteer opportunities within the Department of Health, please call 908-788-1351.