CAPTION: From left: Reno County Commission District 3 Candidate Garth Strand, Candidate Ron Vincent, District 4 Candidate Lindsey Hatfield, Candidate Richard Winger. CREDIT CASEY SWARTS
By Michael Glenn
Reno County Commission candidates discussed the importance of the Reno County Health Department Tuesday evening at the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Forum.
Candidates for Reno County Commission District 3 Garth Strand and Ron Vincent and candidates for District 4 Lindsey Hatfield and Richard Winger were also in attendance. The county commission candidates debated for the first part of the forum with legislative candidates following after the county.
Candidates for Senate District 34, Democrat Shanna Henry and Republican Rep. Michael Murphy, House District 102 candidates Democrat Rep. Jason Probst and Republican Kyler Sweely and House District 104 candidates Republican Rep. Paul Waggoner and Democrat Lynnette Krieger-Zook all attended the forum.
Debra Teufel moderated the forum and said the commission serves as the county board of public health. In a community health assessment conducted, mental health, access to care, child care and substance misuse were all outlined as concerns in the county.
“We need to invest heavily in our Reno County Health Department,” Strand said. “If you remember not too long ago, it seemed like a kind of a political stunt to me as far as changing the medical director. And I’m not sure, but it does seem like there’s some desire on the part of our current commission to If not get rid of, at least start dismantling our public health department.”
Strand said the county should invest in a healthy community, and having a health department is beneficial to residents, especially in a time of emergency.
Vincent currently serves on the county health board advisory committee and agreed with Strand on the county’s replacement of the county health advisor.
“Public health is somewhat needed,” Vincent said. “It’s going to take the burden off the hospital. I mean, a lot of these people use that for their hospital, their clinic. As far as it goes, it needs some looking into on what can be done in the private sector and what we need our health department to furnish.”
Hatfield said supporting the health department was the first reason she decided to run for the commission seat.
“The health department is the only place in the county where you can access WIC, which is really important,” Hatfield said. “The health department was the first reason I decided to run for county commission because the incumbent Mr. Winger defeated in the primary wanted to essentially dismantle the health department and I thought that that was crazy.”
Hatfield said the health department is a tool to use in helping combat mental health and substance misuse disorders.
Winger said the health department was also the reason he decided to enter the race.
“I’ve been a patient or used their facility since 1973,” Winger said. “I’ve got to take advantage of it being here. It does need to be fully funded. It’s a mandated department, so most people don’t know that, but we don’t need to starve it or hang it on the vine. It does do a lot of great in this city and in this county.”
