MARIES COUNTY — The Phelps-Maries County Health Department is looking at expanding its presence in Maries County, including the possibility of establishing a local facility to provide services without requiring residents to travel to Phelps County.

New Director Alex Jones, who recently joined the health department, introduced himself to the Maries County Commission during its Aug. 31 meeting and said he wants the department to become more visible and involved throughout the county.

Jones said the department currently has approximately 12 employees and is looking for opportunities to expand.

“Definitely want to expand up in Maries,” Jones said. “I see opportunities where we can definitely put another facility in this area.”

Jones said a Maries County location would reduce the distance residents must travel to access health department services.

“No one needs to drive all the way to Phelps to come and address issues that they have,” Jones said. “We want to have a building in this area where people can come and don’t have to drive that distance.”

Eastern District Commissioner Rodney Southard asked how such a facility would be staffed.

“Well, we will work on it,” Jones said. “You know, of course, we want a nurse, maybe even a provider or something like that, and staff around that area and basically duplicate services that we have in Phelps County, if that’s possible.”

Jones said services in Maries County would likely need to be structured differently because of the county’s rural population.

“In Phelps, you know, you have a little bit more concentration within that area,” Jones said. “But up in here, you know, you got people spread out in different areas all over within the Maries area. So that’s how we would address it in more of a different tone up here.”

Jones said he had been in the area for approximately a month at the time of the meeting and told commissioners that reaching rural residents would require more than waiting for people to come to the department.

“I think it’s more important for us to really be present in the community,” Jones said.

He discussed attending community activities, setting up booths at events and becoming involved with organizations and schools. Commissioners suggested the Maries County Fair as one opportunity for the department to increase its local presence.

Jones said his own agricultural background gives him an understanding of some of the concerns facing rural residents.

“I’m a farm boy as well,” Jones said. “You know, my dad, he had a farm and things like that. So I understand farmers.”

He also said he understands some residents may be distrustful of public health agencies following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My thing is to really come in the community, be present in the community and definitely address any questions that may be asked, and definitely let them know that we’re here to assist them with anything, you know, as far as with health,” Jones said.

That led commissioners into a broader discussion with Jones about COVID-19, vaccines and the effect of social media on public health.

Jones said he believes lessons were learned during the pandemic about how public health agencies communicate with residents.

“I think a big lesson has been learned as far as how we address public health,” Jones said. “I think we’ve learned a lot, big lesson as far as how we approach diseases or any infections or any outbreaks or anything like that.”

“And believe me, we’re going to do something totally different from now on,” he added.

Southard also asked Jones about the effect social media has had on public perceptions of health agencies.

Jones said social media can be either positive or negative depending on how it is used and said public health agencies need to provide information without unnecessarily frightening residents.

“We want to address the importance of understanding what the cause and effect of a disease can do within the community, but we don’t want to scare people,” Jones said.

Jones returned several times during the discussion to the importance of building relationships with Maries County residents, particularly those in rural and agricultural areas.

“I understand what farmers think, and I know how it is, and I definitely want to be able to help them as much as possible,” Jones said.

Before leaving the meeting, Jones told commissioners they should expect to see the health department become increasingly visible throughout the county.

“You will see my face a lot around, and I look forward to working within the community and definitely doing what we can do,” Jones said. “We’re going to do some wonderful things with Phelps-Maries Health Department. We’re going to be very active and have our face seen throughout the community.”