Submitted by Yadkin County

Department of Health

Ever wonder what the Yadkin County Board of Health does?

According to NC state statutes, each county must provide certain essential health services to its citizens. The statutes provide for public accountability for the delivery of those services through the establishment of a board of health.

Providing for oversight of health services delivery with a public board of health allows for the greatest responsiveness to the citizens needs without being subject to possible political influences in the delivery system.

The Yadkin County Board of Health has the responsibility to protect the public’s health. One responsibility of the board of health is the selection of a health director to administer the delivery of health services. The board of health is responsible for providing oversight and guidance to the health director, to evaluate the health needs of the citizens and to support the strategic direction for the health department.

The board of health has the authority to adopt local rules which address health issues and are enforced by the health director and the staff of the health department. The board of health also has the responsibility of reviewing the health department budget which includes funding from Yadkin County, the state of North Carolina, grants and federal health care funds. Allocations from Yadkin County comprise approximately one-third of the budget of the Yadkin County Health Department.

By NC statutes, the board of health is composed of 11 members that reasonably reflect the population makeup of the county. The statutes require that the board include: one physician licensed to practice medicine in the state, one licensed dentist, one licensed optometrist, one licensed veterinarian, one registered nurse, one licensed pharmacist, one county commissioner, one professional engineer and three representatives of the general public. The members are appointed by the Yadkin County Board of Commissioners and they may serve a maximum of three consecutive three-year terms.

The regular meetings of the board of health are typically the third Tuesday every other month in the Yadkin County Commissioners’ Conference Room at 7 p.m., unless otherwise noted. The meetings scheduled for the remainder of 2012 are: July 17, September 11 and November 20.

The meetings are open to the public and members of the public may address the board during a public comment period held at the beginning of each regularly scheduled meeting. The public comment period will provide three minutes per speaker, up to five speakers per meeting, for a total of 15 minutes, or at the discretion of the board.

Please contact the Yadkin County Health Department at 679-4203 for more information about the meetings.

The current Board of Health includes: Dr. Lynn Allred, Veterinarian; Kay Davis, RN, Nurse; Dr. Edward G. Geisel, Dentist; Anna Hamby, Public Representative/Chair; Britt Hennings, Engineer; Gail Hinson, Public Representative; Lynn Pinnix, Public Representative; Dr. Alexander Snyder, Physician/Vice-Chair; Ronnie Swaim, Pharmacist; Anne Watkins, Public Representative; Frank Zachary, County Commissioner.