THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 13, 1995 TAG: 9508130291
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 192 lines
TAWANA FOSTER'S HOME IS small, but her dreams are big.
``Shaquanda is gonna be the best,'' Tawana, 18 and a single mother, vows. ``I'm gonna send her to college, let her graduate - be somebody.''
Tawana and the Western Tidewater Health District know the road to such a future for the child is hard and cannot be traveled alone, so the agency is helping chart the course with guidance and services.
Some people may feel that Tawana created her own difficulties, but resource mother Mona Powell believes that unless babies such as Shaquanda get off to a good start, they might end up in a similar situation.
Powell works part time for the health district, which serves Suffolk, Franklin and Isle of Wight and Southampton counties.
Its role is to ``assure good health in our communities through prevention of disease, promotion of healthy lifestyles and protection of the health of citizens and the environment,'' said Dr. Sujata Buck, district director.
``There's a lot of animosity toward (young, single mothers), but this is a different age,'' Powell said. ``We need to help young and old. Unless the baby gets a good start, she'll be part of this system forever.''
Tawana is getting all the help she can, hoping her 10-month-old daughter can escape it.
She is proud that, although she had to stay out of school for a few months, ``I still made two A's, a B and two C's. And next year, I'm going to Pruden Vo-Tech.''
Sitting in her small, clean house in Hobson - graced by one red rose bush in the front yard - she talked of teen parenthood, mixing words of love with words of caution.
``I'm happy with my little Shaquanda,'' Tawana said. ``But tell girls not to have babies until they're married.''
Powell said resource mothers tell their clients about health district resources, make sure they get to medical appointments, talk to them as friends and refer them to other agencies as the need arises.
Nutrition and parenting skills are taught during 10-week classes, including such topics as CPR, birth control, social issues ``and,'' Tawana emphasized, ``how to bond with my baby.''
The district has five resource mothers, each with 10 to 15 clients working with pregnant teens.
``Sometimes, they have family support, other times they don't,'' Powell said.
In the old days, she said, the rule for many was ``get pregnant, get sent away.'' But now, ``babies have babies . . . There's no stigma attached.''
Seventeen-year-old Rebecca Edwards offered: ``Kids should not have babies. It's a big responsibility. I don't want more kids. She's enough.''
Rebecca, who has the help of her mom and brother, said: ``I thought parenting would be easier. Last night, I got home from work and Quantaza (5 months old) stayed up all night.''
Connie Martin, a registered nurse and infant care coordinator, works with Rebecca, a shy, quiet young woman.
``Girls under 18 need health education,'' said Martin, who follows high-risk pregnancies. ``We make sure they get the services they need.''
The services of the health district run the gamut - caring for babies and senior citizens, giving immunizations, handling inspections of public buildings, treating communicable diseases.
``We're the eyes and ears of general public health,'' Buck said. ``We know what's going on. We know what to be concerned about.''
Health Department services are numerous. It is not just a place for shots.
``We're important,'' Buck said, ``but people are unaware of what we do.''
The department's annual budget is $7 million. That comes from federal, state and local sources, plus revenue generated from services. They are offered on a sliding fee scale, based on ability to pay.
Personal services include pre-natal and post-natal obstetrical care, routine well-child care, and BabyCare, which offers preventive and curative services. Its goal is to reduce the infant mortality rate.
The WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program offers food and nutrition education to young mothers.
``There is a great deal of education involved,'' said Joan Turner, Maternal Child Health/Nursing supervisor. ``We help clients learn wise food choices and show them how to use WIC vouchers to get the most nutritious food for the money.''
The Health Department also offers help in family planning, gives immunizations and offers treatment for communicable diseases.
Home health care is particularly important to senior citizens.
``We provide skilled nursing care,'' said Nancy Cisco, nursing supervisor. ``The patient has to be homebound. Right now we have a caseload of about 50.''
Marie Jordan, 96, who lives on a dirt road just off Kings Fork Road, is visited every three weeks through the program.
``She had a blood clot in her lung, so she gets the blood work done to make sure her medicines stay within the normal range,'' Cisco said. ``If it wasn't done at home, she'd have to go to the hospital, and getting out is not very easy for her.''
``I'm sure gettin' care,'' Jordan said. ``They look out for me like a baby.''
Most people are familiar with the health services of the Health Department, but fewer are aware of its environmental programs.
It does site and soil evaluations for people needing sewage disposal systems, septic tanks and wells.
Carey Horne, environmental health specialist, said, ``We issue about 10 permits a week.''
Kevin Crum, national promotions manager for The Family Channel, is a pleased customer. Horne worked with him at a lot on Adams Drive West, where Crum is building a home. ``The Health Department has been really great,'' he said. ``They made sure we had the best spot for drainage.''
Monitoring child care facilities, homes for adults and eating establishments also is a Health Department task.
``We check restaurants, motels, campgrounds,'' said H.R. Gray, environmental health specialist. New establishments get extra attention.
``We drop in to make sure they follow their submitted plans. There's a final inspection before we issue a permit. And there are surprise inspections.''
Another service offered by environmental health specialists is vaccination of pets, especially during the spring Rabies Awareness Week. Last year, 278 cats and 564 dogs were vaccinated in the district.
Serious problems in the district include syphilis, HIV and tuberculosis.
``In 1994, there were 221 cases of syphilis in Suffolk,'' said Jack Kress, an epidemiology specialist.
From 1982 to April 1995, 111 people in the district were found to be infected with HIV, the virus that can lead to AIDS, and 69 developed AIDS.
``We test for TB,'' Kress said, ``because the case rate in this area is about three times the state rate.
``We do a number of screenings in certain areas where we know there is a concentration (of these problems). We give out pamphlets and condoms,'' he said.
``We counsel anyone who has a (sexually transmitted) disease, telling them what will happen if it goes untreated. And we talk about their contacts, who must be treated.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color cover photo]
Caseworker Marie Godette pushes the wheelchair of Marie Jordan.
Jordan's brother Ritchie Jordan walks behind them while nursing
supervisor Nancy Cisco follows with Jordan's health care records in
hand. Marie Jordan gets a visit from health care staff every three
weeks. Photo by by John H. Sheally II.
Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
H.R. Gray, right, an environmental health specialist, watches Mario
Villalpando during a restaurant inspection.
Photo by FRANK ROBERTS
Carey Horne, left, takes soil samples from Kevin Crum's property.
The soil will be tested for drainage.
Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Rebecca Edwards got help from the Health Department in learning to
care for her 5-month-old, Quantaza.
Graphic
CLINICAL SERVICES
All services covered by Medicaid. Sliding fee scale. No set
schedule for services in Franklin or Isle of Wight or Southampton
counties. Call for information and appointments.
In Suffolk:
Full pre-natal obstetrical care: Regular checkups for women
throughout pregnancy. Thursday only.
Routine well-child care: Physical examinations, routine
immunizations, hearing and eye checks as needed. Call for
information on next clinic.
Family planning: All matters of contraception, for males and
females. Friday only.
Immunizations: Every afternoon, 2-3:30 p.m. No charge for routine
childhood shots.
Treatment of communicable diseases: available daily.
Home care services: Referrals through physicians or by patient.
Skilled or non-skilled services in the home following an illness.
Available any time. Call for information.
WIC program: Supplemental food vouchers for pregnant women,
nursing mothers and children through age 5 who qualify under federal
guidelines.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Call the office nearest you for information on permits for septic
systems, food sanitation, building inspections and rabies control.
LOCATIONS
Area health departments are open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday
through Friday. Appointments are required for some services.
Here are the locations and phone numbers:
Suffolk Health Department, 1217 North Main St. 925-2300.
Franklin Health Department, 110 Fairview Drive. 562-6109.
Isle of Wight County Health Department, 402 Grace St.,
Smithfield. 357-4177.
Southampton County Health Department, 26022 Administration Center
Drive, Courtland. 653-3040.
There are two satellite locations for the WIC program:
New Hope Baptist Church, 4260 Pughsville Road, Suffolk, 8:30 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Tuesday.
In Town Hall in Boykins once a month, from 1 to 4 p.m. Dates
vary.
by CNB