Our History

On February 7, 1966, the Jersey County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution forming the Jersey County Health Department. The Board of Health hired Nola Kramer, RN as the first Administrator and the Health Department opened for business on July 1, 1966 in the basement of the Jersey County Courthouse. The first services offered were home health under the Medicare Act, tuberculosis nursing, health referral and counseling for the armed forces, and the premature visit program for premature babies. Jersey County Health Department has been a licensed Home Health Agency since 1966.

By 1969, due to grant funds, home health services increased greatly. Home Health Aide services were added in 1970 and physical therapy services were started in 1973. Speech and occupational therapy services were added in 1980. In 1976, the Immunization Program was started for infants and school-age children.

In 1975, the Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program started at Jersey County Health Department to provide healthy foods and nutrition education to eligible families. Environmental services were added in 1981. By 1982, the Health Department obtained certification as a Local Health Department by providing all required public health programs.

The agency was instrumental in forming the Tri-County AIDS Task Force for Calhoun, Greene, and Jersey Counties in 1990.

In 2002 the Jersey County Health Department added the Emergency Preparedness section to its programs. Funding for this program comes through the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Effective in 2008, JCHD became licensed in Home Nursing & Home Services as Illinois required licensure for these programs as well as the Home Health Agency License.

Nola Kramer was the first Administrator of the Jersey County Health Department from July 1, 1966 to April 30, 1992, when she announced her retirement.

Therese Macias was promoted May 1, 1992 to replace Mrs. Kramer. Mrs. Macias had been hired in 1983 as a staff nurse in Home Health and later promoted to Nursing Supervisor in 1987. She retired effective January 31, 2017. Doug King was promoted from the Environmental Health Director role to the Administrator’s position effective February 1, 2017. Doug King resigned on November 17, 2022. Heidi Carter was promoted from Director of Communicable Disease to the Administrator effective December 19, 2022.