ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — Public health teams from six counties came together Friday for the first-ever Big Sandy Public Health Regional Christmas event. Staff from Floyd, Johnson, Lawrence, Magoffin, Martin and Pike counties participated in a day of team-building activities, games, a Christmas breakfast and a movie to build connections and strengthen partnerships.

“We’re just spending time getting to know each other better so we can collaborate,” said Eric Mills, director of the Martin County Health Department.

The event marked a rare opportunity for regional collaboration. Ida Goble, who has worked at the Martin County Health Department for nearly 48 years, said she had never seen a team-building meeting of this kind. “It’s never happened before.”

Mills noted that public health partnerships in the Big Sandy region have grown significantly over the past year.

“There is lots of energy and excitement around expanding services and improving health outcomes in our communities,” he said. “We have a group of very dynamic leaders in the health departments in these counties.”

Four of the six counties now have directors serving in leadership roles with the state Health Department Association, including the president from Pike County and the vice president from Lawrence County.

“We take public health very seriously and are trying to help people realize that it’s reinvigorating,” Mills said. “There are a lot of good things that health departments do to outreach and educate folks on preventive measures and preparedness strategies for potential health outbreaks. This is a time for those programs to collaborate.”