Gilliam County to leave North Central Public Health District

The district was formed to cover three counties — Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam — and replaced the former Wasco-Sherman Health Department, which was only getting the funding for one county, rather than two, explained Bill Lennox, a Wasco County commissioner in 2009 and current member of the NCPHD Board of Health.

Bringing in Gilliam County and forming the state’s only three-county public health district brought full funding for three counties and more efficiencies, Lennox said.

This month, the commissioners and judge on the Gilliam County Court voted to form their own county health department.

Gilliam County Commissioner Pat Shannon, who is also on the Board of Health, said “The health community in Gilliam County has felt like the miles involved have made it difficult to get the services we think we should be getting. A feasibility study was done and we’ve determined that we can provide those services more efficiently internally in the county.”

Additional leadership in Gilliam County includes Commissioner Sherrie Wilkins and Judge Elizabeth Farrar Campbell.

NCPHD provides environmental health services, WIC, home visiting, women’s health services, communicable disease intervention — including COVID case investigation, testing, and vaccination, as well as tobacco prevention and emergency preparedness, among other programs in the three counties.

Kathy Schwartz, a Wasco County commissioner and chair of the Board of Health, said the Oregon Health Authority would be working with Gilliam County to move forward with developing their programs and holding them accountable on getting full public health services to their residents.

“It’s understandable that geographic distance is always a perceived challenge when you have regional services. But given that, I think we have provided a phenomenal service throughout our history together, and especially now during the pandemic,” she said.

NCPHD Director Shellie Campbell said, “We’re very proud of the work we’ve done in Gilliam County. We support them moving forward to establish their own health department. We want them to be successful, and we certainly want the people in the community served.”