Public Health

What does Public Health do?

Sierra County Public Health (SCPH) activities lay the groundwork for healthy communities. They protect us from diseases and injury and help us change behaviors that could cause us harm. SCPH activities keep us out of doctors’ offices.

Community Health Assessment

The 2023 Sierra County Community Health Assessment (CHA) is a planning process led by Sierra County Public Health with a goal for long term positive change in the health of the community. Health is affected not only by individual factors such as behaviors, genetics, and age, but also socioeconomic factors such as education, insurance access, income, and access to healthy foods. In order to analyze these factors, we have written the 2023 CHA.

Prevents Epidemics

SCPH ensures healthy communities by preventing epidemics. It locates and treats the contacts of persons possibly exposed to tuberculosis and other communicable diseases, limits the spread of food-borne outbreaks, and provides vaccine to children and adults, including children without insurance. Winter Virus Protection Tips.

Protects the Environment, Workplace, Housing, Food and Water

SCPH assures the safety of food and water through inspection, education and regulation. We help to assure lead-safe housing and we work with other agencies to assess the health impact of hazardous substances in the environment.

Promotes Healthy Behavior

SCPH programs encourage people to behave in healthy ways. The setting may be a community meeting, health fair, tobacco cessation programs, sexually transmitted disease clinic or a breast feeding class -- and the message may be as diverse as avoiding teen pregnancy, improving indoor air or adopting a healthy diet.

Monitors the Health of the Population

SCPH maintains a constant vigil over the health of our County. We monitor disease trends statewide and watch for potential new health problems. SCPH maintains health statistics on communicable diseases, cancer, births, deaths, risk factors and many other health events.

Supports Disaster Response

Sierra County Public Health Emergency Preparedness staff implements emergency health  messaging, assists in opening shelters, opens mass vaccination centers and facilitates collaboration with health care and medical first responders.