CLICK TO HEAR JACK HALL’S INTERVIEW WITH KERRY OTT, LMAS DISTRICT HEALTH DEPT
This summer, U.P. public health departments teamed up to promote the importance of local public health, to raise awareness of the public health services provided in local communities, and to build stronger community relationships.
To bring these goals to life, the six U.P. health departments formed the U.P. Local Public Health Partnership. The partnership consists of the:
Chippewa County Health Department,
Dickinson-Iron District Health Department,
LMAS District Health Department,
Marquette County Health Department,
Public Health, Delta & Menominee Counties
Western Upper Peninsula Health Department.
Together, partners created a U.P.-wide campaign of commercials, billboards, radio ads, and social media posts and videos featuring real health department staff providing real services in the community. This content starts airing in August. The campaign will also feature community outreach.
“We are wirking in helping people know what is available through their local public health department,” Kerry Ott with the Luce-Mackinac-Alger-Schoolcraft District Health Department, told RRN News on Monday. “The work that we do to protect the health of the public is often behind the scenes. People don’t see us checking on restaurants, or site-visits for wells and septic, all of those things that go on naturally and normally. They’re all really important to keeping people healthy in our communities.”
Ott says that one area of emphasis is on mental health services, and letting the community know that there is help available.
“You can’t separate your mental health from your physical health,” she said. “If your body is sick, it makes you depressed. And when you don’t have good mental health, you don’t feel like doing anything. We’re just trying to wrap all of those pieces together, for each of us, in a holistic way. We’re hopeful that this (campaign) will be received warmly, and that people will take the time to learn about the hard work and the number of people who are putting in long hours to keep our people as healthy as possible.”
Overall, the U.P. Local Public Health Partnership wants people to know that, as local public health professionals, “We live here. We work here. We care about you, your family and the communities we serve.” As a reminder, local health departments provide a variety of programs for all stages of life – designed to support and protect the health and well-being for all who live in the Upper Peninsula.
To see promotional and informational content, visit lphcares.com.
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