Hocking County Health Department Annual Report 2025

Mission

Our mission is to serve and educate the citizens of Hocking County with public health programs that prevent disease, promote healthy lifestyles and protect the environment.

Vision

The vision of the Hocking County Health Department is to achieve excellence in health education, disease prevention and environmental health. It is our desire to provide high quality, community friendly, accessible services that reflect our mission in accordance with the Public Health Standards, and make the Hocking County Health Department become recognized as a model public health agency.

Contents

• 1: Mission and Vision
• 2: Letter From the Health Commissioner
• 3: The 10 Essential Public Health Services
• 3-4: Digital Metrics
• 5: Vital Statistics Report
• 6: Health Services Report
• 7-8: Environmental Health- Programs, Mosquito Control Grant, Contractor’s Workshop, Sewage Grants, and Tire Drives.
• 8: Emergency Preparedness
• 9: Reportable Diseases
• 10-11: Nursing Reportable Disease Update, Immunizations, Hepatitis B Vaccine Updated Recommendations, Tobacco Prevention
• 12: Health Department Staff Staff Changes
• 13: Revenue
• 14: Expenses
• 15: Contact Information
• 15: Board of Health Members

Letter From The Health Commissioner

It is my honor to present the Hocking County Health Department’s 2025 Annual Report and to reflect on a year marked by progress, growth, and renewed purpose. The past year represented an important period of transition for our agency, including a change in leadership and a continued commitment to strengthening the foundation of public health services in Hocking County.

I would like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to Doug Fisher for his years of dedicated service as Health Commissioner. His leadership, knowledge, and commitment to public health made a lasting impact on this department and the community we serve. Doug’s steady guidance helped shape many of the systems and practices we rely on today, and he will be greatly missed. I am grateful for his service and the strong foundation he left behind.

Throughout 2025, our focus remained clear: to protect and improve the health of our community while being thoughtful stewards of the public resources entrusted to us.

A major emphasis this year was to focus on continuing our strong, collaborative, and service-driven workforce. We worked intentionally to foster teamwork, accountability, and a shared culture centered on excellence and respect. Our staff demonstrated resilience, professionalism, and dedication as they adapted to change, supported one another, and continued to provide high-quality services to the public. Leadership is not confined to titles, and in 2025, leadership was evident at every level of our organization.

This report highlights the collective efforts of our staff, Board of Health, community partners, and residents who work alongside us to make Hocking County a healthier place to live, work, and raise a family. Public health is a shared responsibility, and our success is rooted in collaboration, trust, and community engagement.

As we move forward, we remain committed to continuous improvement, responsive service, and thoughtful leadership. Thank you for your continued support and confidence in the Hocking County Health Department.

With appreciation and commitment to our community,
Jamie L. Carrell
Health Commissioner
Hocking County Health Department

The 10 Essential Public Health Services

The 10 EssentialPublic Health Services provide a framework for public health to protect and promote the health of all people in all communities. To achieve optimal health for all, The Essential Public Health Services actively promote policies, systems, and services that enable good health and seek to remove obstacles and systemic and structural barriers, such as poverty, racism, gender discrimination, and other forms of oppression, that have resulted in health inequities. Everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to achieve good health and well-being.

Digital Metrics

5: Vital Statistics Report 6: Health Services Report 7-8: Environmental Health-Programs, Mosquito Control Grant, Contractor’s Workshop, Sewage Grants, and Tire Drives.

8: Emergency Preparedness 9: Reportable Diseases 10-11: Nursing Reportable Disease Update, Immunizations, Hepatitis B Vaccine Updated Recommendations, Tobacco Prevention 12: Health Department Staff Staff Changes 13: Revenue 14: Expenses 15: Contact Information 15: Board of Health Members Letter From The Health Commissioner It is my honor to present the Hocking County Health Department’s 2025 Annual Report and to reflect on a year marked by progress, growth, and renewed purpose. The past year represented an important period of transition for our agency, including a change in leadership and a continued commitment to strengthening the foundation of public health services in Hocking County.

I would like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to Doug Fisher for his years of dedicated service as Health Commissioner. His leadership, knowledge, and commitment to public health made a lasting impact on this department and the community we serve. Doug’s steady guidance helped shape many of the systems and practices we rely on today, and he will be greatly missed. I am grateful for his service and the strong foundation he left behind.

Throughout 2025, our focus remained clear: to protect and improve the health of our community while being thoughtful stewards of the public resources entrusted to us.

A major emphasis this year was to focus on continuing our strong, collaborative, and service-driven workforce. We worked intentionally to foster teamwork, accountability, and a shared culture centered on excellence and respect. Our staff demonstrated resilience, professionalism, and dedication as they adapted to change, supported one another, and continued to provide high-quality services to the public. Leadership is not confined to titles, and in 2025, leadership was evident at every level of our organization.

This report highlights the collective efforts of our staff, Board of Health, community partners, and residents who work alongside us to make Hocking County a healthier place to live, work, and raise a family. Public health is a shared responsibility, and our success is rooted in collaboration, trust, and community engagement.

As we move forward, we remain committed to continuous improvement, responsive service, and thoughtful leadership. Thank you for your continued support and confidence in the Hocking County Health Department. With appreciation and commitment to our community, Jamie L. Carrell Health Commissioner Hocking County Health Department2 The 10 Essential Public Health Services The 10 Essential Public Health Services provide a framework for public health to protect and promote the health of all people in all communities. To achieve optimal health for all, The Essential Public Health Services actively promote policies, systems, and services that enable good health and seek to remove obstacles and systemic and structural barriers, such as poverty, racism, gender discrimination, and other forms of oppression, that have resulted in health inequities. Everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to achieve good health and well-being.

Digital Metrics The Hocking County Health Department utilizes website updates and social media accounts to share evidence-based information with thousands of individuals. These platforms serve as important tools to expand the reach of public health education and increase community awareness of available resources and services. The digital engagement metrics in this report reflect activity from January 2025 through December 2025. 3

Facebook

The Health Department’s Facebook page reached a wide audience, generating 514,723 total views and 23,245 engagements. Engagements increased by 869.3% compared to 2024. Of total engagements, 55.4% were from followers and 44.6% were from non-followers, indicating strong reach beyond the Health Department’s established audience. During this timeframe, the page maintained a strong online presence with 5,833 total followers. The charts below further highlight engagement trends, including engagements by content type and engagements by interaction type.

Website

The Health Department website received 466,921 hits from 46,411 unique visitors, reflecting substantial public interest in its resources. The top 10 document downloads are highlighted below, demonstrating which resources were most accessed by the community.

Vital Statistics

Top 5 Leading Causes of Death in Hocking County 2025

1. Cardiac
   a. Leading Cause- Heart Attack 40
2. Cancer
   a. Leading Cancer- Lung Cancer 34
3. Respiratory/Pulmonary
   a. Leading Cause- COPD 31
4. Neurocognitive Disorder
   a. Leading Cause- Dementia/Alzheimer’s 18
5. Cerebrovascular Disease- (refers to conditions that disrupt blood flow to the brain, including strokes and aneurysms. 8

Health Services Report

Environmental Health

Mosquito Control Grant

During the summer, we hired two interns to support the mosquito surveillance program. Mosquitoes were collected and submitted to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) for testing and identification. Traps were set at 51 locations throughout Hocking County, resulting in the collection of 647 mosquitoes. A total of 401 mosquito pools were tested, and one tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). We plan to apply again in 2026 for EPA grant funding to continue mosquito surveillance and larviciding, public education on mosquito-borne disease prevention, and expand tick collection and population monitoring.

As part of tick surveillance efforts, 10 tick drop-off stations were placed at State Park entrances, resulting in 16 ticks submitted to ODH. The most prevalent species identified was the Lone Star Tick, which is known to carry Alpha-gal Syndrome. Statewide in 2025, ODH reported collecting 478,139 mosquitoes and testing 397,357 pools for WNV. Of those tested, 2,329 pools were confirmed positive, with Franklin County reporting the highest number of positive pools (1,052).

Sewage Grant

We continue to administer the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assist homeowners with repairing or replacing failing sewage treatment systems. For 2024–2025, we were awarded $150,000, which allowed us to assist 15 Hocking County residents. This included seven full onsite sewage treatment system replacements, one connection to the county sewer, and seven service repairs that brought existing systems into compliance with Ohio Administrative Code 3701-29.

Since 2010, the WPCLF program has assisted 361 residents and secured $2,295,534.91 in funding, significantly improving public health outcomes in Hocking County.

Contractors’ Workshop

We successfully hosted our annual Contractors’ Workshop, welcoming 108 contractors and eight vendors. This important event provides sewage treatment system contractors with the required six hours of continuing education while offering valuable opportunities for updates, networking, and industry collaboration.

Tire Drives

In 2025, two tire drives were held, collecting approximately 12.4 tons (24,800 pounds) of scrap tires. One remaining tire drive, funded with 2025 dollars, is scheduled for March 12, 2026, in Falls Township. Grant writing for 2026 funding is currently underway, with the goal of hosting three additional tire drives in June, August, and October 2026, pending funding approval. These future tire drives will be limited to townships and will not be open to the general public as they were in 2025. Townships may also collect and store tires independently; once 100 or more tires are accumulated, an application can be submitted to the Ohio EPA for no-fault scrap tire removal at no cost.

Emergency Preparedness

Through federal funding, the Emergency Preparedness Division continues to plan for emergency situations, conduct drills and exercises, and review and update response plans annually in collaboration with local and regional partners. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires specific preparedness activities to be completed each year as a condition of this funding.

In 2025, some activities included:

• Multiple trainings for Emergency Preparedness staff sponsored by the National Disaster Preparedness Consortium;
• Expanded epidemiological and foodborne outbreak trainings through the Ohio Department of Health (ODH);
• Development of a Point of Dispensing (POD) coloring book to distribute to families attending POD events; and
• A focused effort to bring Large Animal Response trainings and teams to the Southeast Central Ohio region, providing resources to help large farm animals and their owners prepare for disasters.

Hocking County Reportable Diseases

Reporting infectious diseases is mandated by the Ohio Administrative Code. Diseases of public health concern require a timely response by the health department because of the potential for epidemic spread. Infectious disease nurses and epidemiologists handle notification, response, education, prophylaxis, and prevention activities daily.

Nursing

Reportable Disease Update

Updates to Ohio Administrative Code rules became effective on Oct. 1, 2025. A summary of key updates for communicable disease reporting is summarized below.

The following conditions are newly specified as Class A reportable conditions and should be reported immediately via telephone:

• Infant and wound botulism, in addition to foodborne botulism.
• Free-living amoeba infection.
• Tularemia, inhalation.

The following conditions were added as Class B conditions and should be reported by the end of the next business day:

• Carbapenemase-producing organisms (replacing carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, CP-CRE).
• Cholera.
• Cronobacter, invasive infection in infants less than 12 months of age.
• Melioidosis.
• Mpox.
• Latent tuberculosis (TB) infection in a child 2 years of age or younger.
• Tularemia, non-inhalation.
• Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM).
• Hospitalizations of:
  • Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The following conditions were removed as reportable conditions:

• Amebiasis.
• Aseptic meningitis.
• Non-hospitalized COVID cases

Hepatitis B Vaccine Updated Recommendation

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted that the infant HepB vaccination series, beginning with a birth dose of HepB, be changed from a routine recommendation to individual-based decision-making (also known as shared clinical decision-making) for children born to mothers known to be hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative (i.e., not actively infected with HBV).

ACIP voted to recommend that parents ask their healthcare provider to draw blood from their infant to test for hepatitis B antibody levels before administering each dose in the 3-dose HepB series.

Immunizations

In collaborationwith the Logan Hocking School District, we significantly increased student immunization rates.

Kindergarten: Increased from 82.2% in the 2024–2025 school year to 100% for the 2025–2026 school year.

7th Grade: Increased from 57.1% in the 2024-2025 school year to 99.6% in the 2025-2026 school year.

12th Grade: Increased from 64.5% in the 2024-2025 school year to 95% in the 2025-2026 school year.

To support these efforts, the Health Department hosted an Ice Cream & Immunization Event in August. Happy Cones of Hocking Hills provided ice cream in the parking lot for individuals who received a vaccination, helping make immunization a positive and engaging experience for families. Additionally, we expanded access by offering walk-in immunization clinics to provide students throughout Hocking County more opportunities to meet school vaccine requirements. Due to the success of this initiative, walk-in immunizations are now available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Tobacco Prevention

12:

Health Department Staff

Staff Changes

13: Revenue 14: Expenses 15: Contact Information 15: Board of Health Members Letter From The Health Commissioner It is my honor to present the Hocking County Health Department’s 2025 Annual Report and to reflect on a year marked by progress, growth, and renewed purpose. The past year represented an important period of transition for our agency, including a change in leadership and a continued commitment to strengthening the foundation of public health services in Hocking County.

I would like to begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to Doug Fisher for his years of dedicated service as Health Commissioner. His leadership, knowledge, and commitment to public health made a lasting impact on this department and the community we serve. Doug’s steady guidance helped shape many of the systems and practices we rely on today, and he will be greatly missed. I am grateful for his service and the strong foundation he left behind.

Throughout 2025, our focus remained clear: to protect and improve the health of our community while being thoughtful stewards of the public resources entrusted to us.

A major emphasis this year was to focus on continuing our strong, collaborative, and service-driven workforce. We worked intentionally to foster teamwork, accountability, and a shared culture centered on excellence and respect. Our staff demonstrated resilience, professionalism, and dedication as they adapted to change, supported one another, and continued to provide high-quality services to the public. Leadership is not confined to titles, and in 2025, leadership was evident at every level of our organization.

This report highlights the collective efforts of our staff, Board of Health, community partners, and residents who work alongside us to make Hocking County a healthier place to live, work, and raise a family. Public health is a shared responsibility, and our success is rooted in collaboration, trust, and community engagement.

As we move forward, we remain committed to continuous improvement, responsive service, and thoughtful leadership. Thank you for your continued support and confidence in the Hocking County Health Department. With appreciation and commitment to our community, Jamie L. Carrell Health Commissioner Hocking County Health Department2 The 10 Essential Public Health Services The 10 Essential Public Health Services provide a framework for public health to protect and promote the health of all people in all communities. To achieve optimal health for all, The Essential Public Health Services actively promote policies, systems, and services that enable good health and seek to remove obstacles and systemic and structural barriers, such as poverty, racism, gender discrimination, and other forms of oppression, that have resulted in health inequities. Everyone should have a fair and just opportunity to achieve good health and well-being.

Digital Metrics The Hocking County Health Department utilizes website updates and social media accounts to share evidence-based information with thousands of individuals. These platforms serve as important tools to expand the reach of public health education and increase community awareness of available resources and services. The digital engagement metrics in this report reflect activity from January 2025 through December 2025. 3 Facebook The Health Department’s Facebook page reached a wide audience, generating 514,723 total views and 23,245 engagements. Engagements increased by 869.3% compared to 2024. Of total engagements, 55.4% were from followers and 44.6% were from non-followers, indicating strong reach beyond the Health Department’s established audience. During this timeframe, the page maintained a strong online presence with 5,833 total followers. The charts below further highlight engagement trends, including engagements by content type and engagements by interaction type. Engagement By Interaction Type Reactions 3,445 Shares 2,287 Comments 477 Engagement By Content Type Photo 45.7% Other 29.2% Text 22.7% Link 2.1% 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 Water Softener Face Sheet Hocking County Sanitary Regulations Sewage Installers List Health Department Fees Building Brochure Vital Stastics Birth/Death Application Logan City Code Home Treatment System Assistance Applicant Well Disinfection Instructions Building Placement Perment 2,602 1,440 1,398 1,370 1,363 1,299 940 903 882 807 Website The Health Department website received 466,921 hits from 46,411 unique visitors, reflecting substantial public interest in its resources. The top 10 document downloads are highlighted below, demonstrating which resources were most accessed by the community.

Vital Statistics Top 5 Leading Causes of Death in Hocking County 2025 1.Cardiac a.Leading Cause- Heart Attack40 1.Cancer a.Leading Cancer- Lung Cancer 34 3.Respiratory/Pulmonary a.Leading Cause- COPD 31 4.Neurocognitive Disorder a.Leading Cause- Dementia/Alzheimer’s 18 5.Cerebrovascular Disease- (refers to conditions that disrupt blood flow to the brain, including strokes and aneurysms.8 County Statistics Total County Resident Births 271 Births in County 8 Total County Resident Deaths 333 Deaths in County 201 Premature Deaths (0-74 Years) 89 Certificates Issued Birth 1,153 Death 760 External Causes of Death Suicide 4 Overdose 4 Homicide 1 Health Services Report NURSING 2025 School/Community Car Seats 32 Head Lice Checks 38,486 Breastfeeding Consultations 155 Cribs For Kids 20 Tobacco Cessation Sessions 2 Immunizations Covid-19 Immunizations 478 Flu Shots 921 Immunizations 826 Health Clinic Tuberculin Skin Tests 206 Pregnancy Tests 14 Project Dawn Kits 256 Fentanyl Test Strips 330 WIC WIC Certification/Recertification 740 WIC Nutrition Education 1,656 Environmental Animal Bite Reports 76 Building Placement Permits 153 Food Inspections 505 Lot Splits 24 Nuisance Complaint Investigations 102 Plumbing Permits (Residential/Commercial) 177 Plumbing Inspections 439 Private Water System Permits 101 Sewage Final Approvals 167 Sewage Permits 145 Site Evaluations 151 Private Water Samples 68 Environmental Health Mosquito Control Grant During the summer, we hired two interns to support the mosquito surveillance program. Mosquitoes were collected and submitted to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) for testing and identification. Traps were set at 51 locations throughout Hocking County, resulting in the collection of 647 mosquitoes. A total of 401 mosquito pools were tested, and one tested positive for West Nile Virus (WNV). We plan to apply again in 2026 for EPA grant funding to continue mosquito surveillance and larviciding, public education on mosquito-borne disease prevention, and expand tick collection and population monitoring.

As part of tick surveillance efforts, 10 tick drop-off stations were placed at State Park entrances, resulting in 16 ticks submitted to ODH. The most prevalent species identified was the Lone Star Tick, which is known to carry Alpha-gal Syndrome. Statewide in 2025, ODH reported collecting 478,139 mosquitoes and testing 397,357 pools for WNV. Of those tested, 2,329 pools were confirmed positive, with Franklin County reporting the highest number of positive pools (1,052).

Sewage Grant We continue to administer the Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) through the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assist homeowners with repairing or replacing failing sewage treatment systems. For 2024–2025, we were awarded $150,000, which allowed us to assist 15 Hocking County residents. This included seven full onsite sewage treatment system replacements, one connection to the county sewer, and seven service repairs that brought existing systems into compliance with Ohio Administrative Code 3701-29.

Since 2010, the WPCLF program has assisted 361 residents and secured $2,295,534.91 in funding, significantly improving public health outcomes in Hocking County.

Contractors’ Workshop We successfully hosted our annual Contractors’ Workshop, welcoming 108 contractors and eight vendors. This important event provides sewage treatment system contractors with the required six hours of continuing education while offering valuable opportunities for updates, networking, and industry collaboration.7 Tire Drives In 2025, two tire drives were held, collecting approximately 12.4 tons (24,800 pounds) of scrap tires. One remaining tire drive, funded with 2025 dollars, is scheduled for March 12, 2026, in Falls Township. Grant writing for 2026 funding is currently underway, with the goal of hosting three additional tire drives in June, August, and October 2026, pending funding approval. These future tire drives will be limited to townships and will not be open to the general public as they were in 2025. Townships may also collect and store tires independently; once 100 or more tires are accumulated, an application can be submitted to the Ohio EPA for no-fault scrap tire removal at no cost. Emergency Preparedness Through federal funding, the Emergency Preparedness Division continues to plan for emergency situations, conduct drills and exercises, and review and update response plans annually in collaboration with local and regional partners. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires specific preparedness activities to be completed each year as a condition of this funding.

In 2025, some activities included:

Multiple trainings for Emergency Preparedness staff sponsored by the National Disaster Preparedness Consortium;

Expanded epidemiological and foodborne outbreak trainings through the Ohio Department of Health (ODH);

Development of a Point of Dispensing (POD) coloring book to distribute to families attending POD events; and A focused effort to bring Large Animal Response trainings and teams to the Southeast Central Ohio region, providing resources to help large farm animals and their owners prepare for disasters. 8 Reportable Diseases 2023 2024 2025 Anaplasmosis (tick borne disease) 0 0 1 Campylobacteriosis 5 7 7 Chlamydia infection 59 34 32 CP-CRE 2 0 0 Cryptosporidiosis 0 1 1 Cyclosporisasis 0 1 0 E.coli, Shiga Toxin-Producing 3 1 0 Ehrlichiosis- Ehrlichia Chaffeensis 0 0 1 Giardiasis 0 1 1 Gonococcal infection 7 6 6 Haemophilus influenzae 2 1 0 Hepatitis B- chronic 8 3 3 Hepatitis C - chronic 31 17 10 Hepatitis C- Perinatal 1 0 1 Influenza - associated hospitalization 4 31 53 LaCrosse (Mosquito-borne Disease) 0 0 1 Legionellosis 1 3 3 Lyme Disease- Confirmed 9 27 13 Lyme Disease- Suspected 52 52 53 Meningitis- aseptic/viral 0 1 0 Pertussis (Whooping Cough) 0 1 1 Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever 2 0 0 Salmonellosis 4 4 2 Shigellosis 0 1 0 Streptococcal- Group A - invasive 2 1 0 Streptococcal- Group B- in newborn 1 0 0 Streptococcus pnueumoniae - unknown or non-resistant 5 3 2 Syphilis-unknown duration or late 1 1 2 Tetanus 0 0 1 Varicella 1 0 0 Total 200 197 194 Hocking County Reportable Diseases Reporting infectious diseases is mandated by the Ohio Administrative Code. Diseases of public health concern require a timely response by the health department because of the potential for epidemic spread. Infectious disease nurses and epidemiologists handle notification, response, education, prophylaxis, and prevention activities daily. Nursing Reportable Disease Update Updates to Ohio Administrative Code rules became effective on Oct. 1, 2025. A summary of key updates for communicable disease reporting is summarized below.

The following conditions are newly specified as Class A reportable conditions and should be reported immediately via telephone:

Infant and wound botulism, in addition to foodborne botulism.

Free-living amoeba infection.

Tularemia, inhalation.

The following conditions were added as Class B conditions and should be reported by the end of the next business day:

Carbapenemase-producing organisms (replacing carbapenemase-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, CP-CRE).

Cholera.

Cronobacter, invasive infection in infants less than 12 months of age. Melioidosis.

Mpox.

Latent tuberculosis (TB) infection in a child 2 years of age or younger. Tularemia, non-inhalation.

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM).

Hospitalizations of:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

The following conditions were removed as reportable conditions: Amebiasis.

Aseptic meningitis.

Non-hospitalized COVID cases Hepatitis B Vaccine Updated Recommendation The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted that the infant HepB vaccination series, beginning with a birth dose of HepB, be changed from a routine recommendation to individual-based decision-making (also known as shared clinical decision-making) for children born to mothers known to be hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) negative (i.e., not actively infected with HBV).

ACIP voted to recommend that parents ask their healthcare provider to draw blood from their infant to test for hepatitis B antibody levels before administering each dose in the 3-dose HepB series.

Immunizations In collaboration with the Logan Hocking School District, we significantly increased student immunization rates.

Kindergarten: Increased from 82.2% in the 2024–2025 school year to 100% for the 2025–2026 school year.

7th Grade: Increased from 57.1% in the 2024-2025 school year to 99.6% in the 2025-2026 school year.

12th Grade: Increased from 64.5% in the 2024-2025 school year to 95% in the 2025-2026 school year.

To support these efforts, the Health Department hosted an Ice Cream & Immunization Event in August. Happy Cones of Hocking Hills provided ice cream in the parking lot for individuals who received a vaccination, helping make immunization a positive and engaging experience for families. Additionally, we expanded access by offering walk-in immunization clinics to provide students throughout Hocking County more opportunities to meet school vaccine requirements. Due to the success of this initiative, walk-in immunizations are now available Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Tobacco Prevention The Health Department partnered with the Advanced Health Teacher and students at Logan High School to implement a youth-led Policy, Systems, and Environmental (PSE) project focused on tobacco and nicotine prevention. This initiative empowers students to take an active role in identifying community health concerns and developing strategies that promote long-term, positive change.

Through hands-on participation, students examined the impact of tobacco and nicotine exposure in their community. As part of the project, students conducted a cleanup at Kachelmacher Park and Mingo Park, collecting 796 nicotine-related products in total. This experience was eye-opening for participants, as both parks are designated smoke-free areas, and it reinforced the importance of policy awareness and community responsibility.

Health Department Staff Front Row: Nikki Hankison, Amber Hartley, Nichole Sigler, Lacee Roop, Ashlee Hagenbarth.

Back Row: Mandi Tripp, Lisa Hall, Chance Graham, Emily Norris, Tammy Napier, Kevin Smith, Kahla Cosper, Jamie Carrell, Kayla Seitz, Keely Rinehart, Ashley Mount, Deven Speck, Jayanna Smith, Walt Keigley. Staff Changes 2025 brought many changes to our staff. These transitions were met with mixed emotions, sadness as valued colleagues departed, along with heartfelt gratitude and best wishes for their next chapters. Those who left our team included Health Commissioner Douglas Fisher, Clerical Support Staff member Sharon Schorr, and Environmental Health Specialist Justin Sargent.

At the same time, we were pleased to welcome new members to our team, including Clerical Support Staff member Keely Rinehart and Environmental Health Specialist Jayanna Smith. Additionally, Jamie Carrell has transitioned into the role of Health Commissioner, providing continued leadership and stability for the department.

Revenue

Total Program Revenue $ 2,194,676

Expenses

Public healthplays a vital role in protecting and improving the health and well-being of our community. To continue providing essential public health services and state-mandated programs in Logan and Hocking Counties, community financial support is crucial. The levy enables the Health Department to sustain daily operations while delivering necessary services that residents rely on. We greatly appreciate your support of public health and look forward to continuing our work to strengthen and improve the health of our community.

Board of Health Members

• Robert Lilley, JD, President, Logan, Ohio
• Ruth Ann Spatar, Vice President, Logan, Ohio
• Steven Carpenter, Licensing Counsel, Logan, Ohio
• Charles Keller, D.O., Rockbridge, Ohio
• James Hayward, D.O., Logan, Ohio
• Douglas B. Carr, M.D., Board Medical Director

Contact Information

350 State Route 664 North
Logan, Ohio 43138
Phone: 740-385-3030
Fax: 740-385-2252
Office Hours: Monday-Friday
8:00 A.M.- 4:00 P.M.
Website: www.hockingcountyhealthdepartment.com
Facebook: Hocking County Health Department