Monroe County Health Department has been serving the community since 1921.
We have many strengths including a knowledgeable, motivated, and dedicated staff; strong partnerships, teamwork, and a variety of programs.
On July 1st, 1921 Ann Eichenberger of Lindsey was hired as the first Monroe “county nurse”. The county board, according to documented proceedings of November 20, 1920, provided her with a new Ford coupe (with an extra tire and license plates), set of scales, card index cabinet, and supplies. Her assignments included checking the sick and quarantining people in their homes if a communicable disease was detected or suspected. Most antibiotics and immunizations had not yet been discovered. The “county nurse” was also charged with identifying children with debilitating conditions and arranging for state-supported treatment. The Shepherd-Tower Act of 1921 provided grants to develop Maternal Child Health programs, creating a demand for public health.
