The Southern 7 Health Department (S7HD) is celebrating its 45th anniversary on July 1. Since its establishment in 1979, S7HD has been dedicated to promoting a healthy environment and providing essential public health services through preventive care, family support, and child development programs.
The roots of the department can be traced back to the 1930s when local and state personnel worked together to ensure safe drinking water, control communicable diseases, and encourage healthy pregnancies. Despite changes in methods and strategies, S7HD’s mission has always remained the same: safeguarding public health from birth to end of life.
S7HD is formed through the merging of multiple county health departments and serves the residents of Alexander, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, and Union counties. With a Board of Health consisting of 28 members and employing over 190 staff members, the department covers an area slightly larger than Delaware statewide. Although it’s located in rural areas with a population of just over 62,000 people based on the 2020 census, S7HD ensures that all residents have access to essential public health services regardless of their ability to pay through funding from local taxes, state grants, federal grants and service fees.
The department offers a wide range of services at its clinics such as cancer screenings
