The mission of the DeKalb County Health Department is to prevent disease and injury; protect the environment; and promote health according to Administrator Lisa Gonzalez who was this week’s featured speaker. Gonzalez is in her tenth year leading the department and previously worked for the department before becoming Administrator. She oversees a staff of 44 employees organized into four divisions: Administration; Health Prevention and Emergency Preparation; Community Health (clinical programs including immunizations); and Health Protection (including permits related to food, animals, and solid waste). Gonzalez noted that 50% of the funding for the department comes from grants, 33 percent from fees and other payments, and just 17 percent from taxes.
Gonzalez provided statistics on various programs showing increases in demand for services over the past several years. She reported a 4.2% increase in food inspections since 2023. During that same period there was a 13% increase in water sample requests from well users. As the County Animal Control managers, the health department has seen 8.3% increase in reported animal bites since 2023. She also reported a 10.7% increase in tuberculosis testing since 2023 but a 12.6% decrease in child immunizations during the same period.
Gonzalez said their 2026 priorities aim to address opioid use and overdose; the quality of child birth and care; workforce recruitment, retention, and development; and enhanced community outreach and partnerships. Gonzalez also promoted their Flu and Covid immunization services with instances of these illnesses currently increasing. Full details about the County Health Department programs and services may be found at https://health.dekalbcounty.org.