About Us
Welcome to the Henry County Combined General Health District, or as most people know us, the Henry County Health Department. We are committed to improving the quality of life for residents of Henry County and northwest Ohio through health promotion, health education, and disease prevention. We are proud of our long history of public service and continue to strive to better serve our community. We work with many local, regional, and state partners to prevent disease and injury, promote wellness, and protect the health of all residents.
The health department has been serving and supporting the health of the community since 1919. Before 1952, Henry County and the city of Napoleon had separate health departments. In March 1952, voters decided to combine the two into a single health district.
Henry County Health Department has a staff of approximately 34 full and part-time employees. A seven-member Board of Health oversees the operations and sets the policies of the Health Department. The Board appoints a Health Commissioner as its executive officer to direct the daily operations of the department and carry out all orders of the Board and the Ohio Department of Health. The Health Commissioner is assisted by a team of section directors.
Your Henry County Health Department Leadership Team:
- Health Commissioner: Joy Ermie, MPH
- Director of Community Health Services: Sharon Meece
- Director of Nursing: Allyson Smith, BSN, RN
- Director of Environmental Health: Jon Lindsay, RS
- Director of Finance: Julie McHugh
- Director of Help Me Grow: Cathy Zwyer, LISW-S, MSW
- Human Resources Manager: Tiffany Day, MPH
The Health Department is organized into five community support teams:
- Public Health Nursing: Programs and services in this section focus primarily on the health care needs of individuals, including immunizations, Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH), and Henry County Cares. Communicable disease control is also included in this section.
- Community Health Services: This section focuses primarily on population health. Programs and services include health education and promotion, emergency preparedness and response, community health assessment and health improvement planning, and health communication.
- Environmental Health Services: Environmental health section addresses food, water, air, and overall environmental safety in the community. Programs and services include food operations inspections and licensing, school environment inspections, smoking violation complaints and water system permits.
- Administrative Services: This section supports operations of the entire Health Department (clerical, fiscal, quality improvement, accreditation) and maintains vital records (births and deaths) occurring in the county.
- Help Me Grow: This section supports parents and young families with our Help Me Grow Program which encourages early prental and well-baby care, as well as parenting education to promote the comprehensive health and development of children. Our program is one of the most successful in the State of Ohio. Additionally, this section of the department provides breastfeeding support and car seat education and safety seats to eligible individuals.
