Monroe County Health Department director, assistant will leave at the end of the year

By KAREN PARKER

County Line Publisher Emeritus

A long-time county official and familiar face in Monroe County announced her retirement on Nov. 2.

Sharon Nelson, who has served with the Monroe County Health Department for 44 years and is currently the director, will be joined in retirement by the assistant director, Pam Rainwater, who has been with the department for 36 years.

The retirements will leave a hole at the top of the department.

However, Nelson said abuse from the public over the virus was not a factor in her decision, as it has been in many counties through the nation.

“There is never a good time to retire; however, it will be a ‘new team at the start of a new year,’” Nelson told the County Line.

In her resignation letter, Nelson offered a look back at her long career.

“I remember the absolute thrill of driving over the ridges and valleys and winding country roads of beautiful Monroe County as county residents awaited the ‘county nurse’ for a home visit. That home visit may have been a postpartum visit to a new mother and her infant or teaching a senior how to draw up and administer insulin for the first time. Every month we would conduct health screenings or administer childhood and adult immunizations at various sites throughout Monroe County, impacting many individuals and families.

“We offered skilled home healthcare to people in their homes, providing everything from skilled nursing assessment, wound and trach care, setting medications up, personal care and grooming, as well as physical, occupational and speech therapy. In 1979, we started the TriCounty WIC program with Juneau and Vernon Counties, and each county today offers its own WIC program. Over the years, my vocabulary included new reportable communicable diseases such as rotavirus, AIDS/HIV, monkey pox, SARS, MERS, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, Zika virus, H1N1 plus many others, including now COVID-19. All these reportable diseases require disease investigation and surveillance by the health department.”

Although it was difficult to make the decision to retire, Nelson said, “I look forward to spending time with my family and friends, volunteering, gardening, reading and starting on a new journey. I will miss being part of this awesome team and organization.”

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