Present: Malecha, Hoisington, Peters, Purfeerst, Underdahl
Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance
Public Health & Nursing: Deb Purfeerst
2025 Rice County Public Health Annual Report
- Annual Report in its entirety is posted on the website.
- Divisional areas of agency: Clinic and community, disease prevention and control/emergency preparedness, family child health, home care, long term care and administrative.
- WIC: Dept of Agriculture, federally funded supplemental program. In 2025, 1,963 participants, 2024 saw 2,948 participants. 25% WIC participants in Rice County were at high nutritional or medical risk and received close monitoring and follow up. This compares to 22% at the state level. Demographics: 34.1% Latino (ethnicity), 64.8% white, 29.4% Black.
- Radon education offered with support of MN Dept of Health
- Well water testing, in conjunction Olmsted county soil and water in private well water testing for residents with infants or pregnant woman/ financial need.
- SHIP awarded $139,842.91 in Community Partner Awards (CPA) to community partners to improve access and reduce barriers to healthy eating, physical activity and commercial tobacco free living for Rice County residents. (List of funding projects in annual report)
- Cannabis and Substance Use Prevention: centered on building out the grant, analyzing county-level data and expanding community education.
- Disease Prevention and Control/Emergency Preparedness Division.
- Lead county for TB, both active and latent (medication management for both). One individual received directly observed medication therapy for active TB in 2025, like one in 2024 and 1 in 2023.
- 10 hepatitis B+ women were followed for perinatal hepatitis B tracking in 2025.
- Vaccination services, primarily for those who are under or not insured. Vaccination slightly behind 2025, as are Flu and Covid vaccination rates. Some due to people getting vaccines at their clinics and pharmacies. The county focus is assisted living facilities, or those who have trouble getting out.
- The county participates in an MDH texting project to remind parents of identified cohorts who were behind on recommended vaccines. This includes texts regarding measles and importance of MMR. Rice County vaccination rates improve to near state levels once the children are in school, but lag in the 24-36 mo age group.
- Emergency Preparedness: Health advisories/alerts from the state to the county, then would be pushed out to local providers, hospitals, clinics. Continues to use Everbridge for distribution of Health Alert Network (HAN).
- 1,459 COVID-19 test kits were distributed by public health to local partners such as libraries and the Community Action Center. This compares to 3,191 in 2024.
- Family Health Division: focus on support, prevention and education to promote optimal wellness. Ex: car seat education, family home visits (postpartum for example), ongoing family health home visiting (bilingual) to support improved health outcomes and address health disparities, use of Community Health Care Workers.
- Community Education and Collaboration for Healthy Families: Rice Cty Ready for K, Growing Up Healthy, Head Start Policy Council, Rice Cty Chemical and Mental Health Collective, Rice Cty Child Protection Team and Northfield Promise.
- Young Family Parenting Newsletter/Newborn welcome letters, crib distribution, diaper distribution (54,000 in 2025).
- Sexual Reproductive Health through grant, targeting those who do not have access to care. STI testing and treatment, family planning medical care
- Home Care Division: Medicare -certified services. 3053 nurse visits to 130 clients in 2025, comparted to 3,394 to 141 clients in 2024 and 3,460 nurse visits to 139 clients in 2023. Circulatory diagnosis primary reason for home care visits.
- Long Term Care Division: Manages waivers for those who are 65 yr+. Three waivers: Alternative Care (AC), Essential Community Supports (ECS) and Elderly Waiver (EW). Assessments help ensure people are informed of available home and community-based options. Assessments are in the home. Statistical data available in the annual report.
- Administrative information in annual report.
Adjourn
