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Posted October 17, 2023
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Council Bluffs, Iowa – Local and state representatives are celebrating a monumental step towards centralizing public health services in Pottawattamie County, following a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, October 17th.
The public presentation, at the intersection of 5th Avenue and Pearl Street in Council Bluffs, marked the beginning of construction for a new 15,868 square foot structure. The facility will be managed by Pottawattamie County Public Health and is meant to serve several programs and agencies throughout the region.
“Our Public Health Department currently operates out of 1,800 square feet of rented space,” said Maria Sieck, Pottawattamie County Public Health Administrator. “We’re grateful we’ve been able to maximize efforts from our current location, but a new facility will allow us to greatly expand our impact and bring many more services under one roof to help those in need.”
Representatives from the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services were in attendance Tuesday, in a show of support for the regional effort. In addition to Pottawattamie County Public Health, the new building is expected to house staff from the Pottawattamie County Medical Examiner’s Office, Women, Infants, Children (WIC), and Regional Health and Human Services. Additional workspace will also be available to coordinate ease of access for the community.
“To be able to centralize public health services and provide a single location to meet the many needs of our community- it’s a very big win for our region,” said Matt Wyant, Pottawattamie County Planning and Development Director. “That’s been our goal since the onset of this project, to make sure we’re doing everything we can to serve our community and eliminate as many obstacles as possible for people to access services.”
The facility will feature a large community health training room and expanded areas for several services and programs including Population and Health Improvement programs, Health Education programs, Sexual Health, Women, Infants, Children (WIC), Environmental Health, Animal Control, and room for local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) personnel.
“We couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity for Southwest Iowa,” said Wyant. “Our area agencies really share a vision for what providing great healthcare looks like. We are incredibly thankful for our donors and our amazing community partners for turning this dream into a reality.”
Construction of the facility is currently scheduled to be completed by December 2024. The total cost of the project is $6.1 million. Funding for the project includes $3 million from a courthouse campus renovation bond, $2.6 million from ARPA funds, and $299,000 from state funding and residual general funds.
About Pottawattamie County Public Health: The mission for Pottawattamie County Public Health is to work in partnership to protect all of Pottawattamie County residents’ health. Health: that optimal state of physical, mental, and environmental well-being that is a right and responsibility of all residents of Pottawattamie County. For more information, visit PublicHealth.PottCounty-ia.gov.
