Health department changing Friday hours

Wahkiakum County Health and Human Services will revise their Friday office hours starting this week.

County commissioners on Tuesday approved a recommendation from Administrator Sue Cameron, who proposed closing the department's office in the Courthouse Annex on Fridays. No services would be lost, and there would be no cost savings, she said, but there would be efficiencies "gained by concentrating staff on one campus and eliminating the need to have staff travel back and forth between offices to work with the public or manage projects."

Two staff members, the public health nurse and the environmental health specialist, only work four days a week and aren't in the office on Fridays. Remaining staff can be deployed at the Elochoman Valley Road campus, Cameron said.

Members of the public needing service can either go to the Elochoman campus or obtain service online.

"We can perform any of our duties we normally do," she said.

When the Cathlamet campus is closed, telephone calls are already routed to the Elochoman.

People needing food handler cards can obtain them online, and food permit and septic applications are also available online. The public can also pick up applications at the Elochoman campus if necessary.

All vital record services will continue as vital records can be accessed online, and staff at the Elochoman campus have experience working with them, Cameron said.

Cameron's recommendation was to make the closure effective this Friday, and the commission's motion to authorize the closure made that the effective date.