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April 18-22, 2022, officially recognized as The Casper-Natrona County Health Department
Week by Cities of Casper, Mills and Natrona County

CASPER, WYOMING (April 18, 2022) – The Cities of Casper, Mills and Natrona County are recognizing the Casper-Natrona County Health Department’s contributions, importance and hard work by officially declaring April 18-22, 2022, the Casper-Natrona County Health Department Week. Since 1954, the CNCHD has played an integral role in the health and wellness of Natrona County, often behind the scenes. They’ve quietly ensured the community’s safety with environmental health promotion and inspections, shaped and maintained sanitation standards and evolved into an organization committed to providing preventative healthcare to all members of Natrona County, regardless of ability to pay for services. “This recognition is so meaningful, because those are the people we serve,” Hailey Bloom, CNCHD Public Information Officer, said. “Casper, Mills and Natrona County are our communities that we live in, so caring for our neighbors makes our hard work worth it,” she said. For decades, the CNCHD has been a leader in distributing vaccines for influenza, hepatitis, pertussis, norovirus and others. Clinic nurses have supported mothers and babies through pregnancy, nursing and the stresses of parenthood. As a partner to local daycares, restaurants, schools, medical facilities, pools, spas, health clubs, tattoo studios, hotels and many more industries, the CNCHD has provided education and guidance on operating safely.
Emergency preparedness has always been one of the CNCHD’s primary functions, even if hundreds of hours in education and training were rarely used. Of course, that changed in March 2020 as the first global pandemic in more than 100 years. Since then, the staff has worked tirelessly to test, educate and eventually vaccinate the public over the past two years. CNCHD officials worked closely with local leadership to keep our community open and safe through what has perhaps been the most world’s most challenging period since World War II. It was Casper versus COVID, and together, Casper came out on top. From March 20, 2020, when Casper’s first COVID case appeared through June 2021, the CNCHD administered 18,425 COVID tests at more than 15 different locations. It purchased 300,000 gloves, 50,000 masks, 20,000 gowns and 20,000 bottles of hand sanitizer. Beginning Dec. 16, 2020, it administered 28,907 COVID vaccines, including 7,462 in March 2021. As CNCHD battled the pandemic, staff members still had typical non-COVID responsibilities that are critical to Natrona County. In total, from July 2020 to June 2021, it administered 32,677 vaccines, including 1,827 flu shots and 1,361 different shots to uninsured children. It conducted 636 HIV tests, placed 55 Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives, and saw 914 family planning clinic visits. More than 50 cancer patients benefited from patient navigation services, and 70 children with provided with special health services for conditions like cleft palates and heart
conditions. The CNCHD performed more than 1,100 environmental health inspections, attended
108 emergency preparedness meetings and trained 454 individuals on topics like suicide CasperPublicHealth.org prevention, binge drinking and drug abuse. Incredibly, these numbers are all substantially lower than an ordinary, non-pandemic year. According to the proclamation signed by Casper Mayor Ray Pacheco, the CNCHD “has made many outstanding contributions during the last 68 years that have helped our community and continue to prevent disease, promote health and protect our citizens.” Bloom says that the organization is prepared and excited to continue for the next 68 years.