The entire four-person staff of a county health department in northwest Montana resigned this week.
According to the , they cited a lack of support and resources from local officials as the department works to protect the public from COVID-19.
The Pondera County Health Department resignations don鈥檛 surprise Nancy Lachapelle, who runs COVID-19 response in neighboring Chouteau County.
鈥淲e definitely feel for the Pondera County Health Department because they were getting, from what we understand, no support from their county officials at all,鈥� Lachapelle said.
Lachapelle said pushback from local leaders is just added stress as they try to reign in a surge in COVID-19 cases and run other programs to address issues like hunger. In Choteau County, she added, some commissioners dismiss the threat of the virus, but at least support her department鈥檚 efforts. She said the local sheriff, though, is actively working against their recommendations, telling community members that he doesn鈥檛 believe in this pandemic.
鈥淭hey will not support any of our directives or anything, they won鈥檛 help us enforce them, they won鈥檛 do anything for us,鈥� Lachapelle said.
Christine Porter, an associate professor of public health at the University Wyoming, said the loss of an entire health department鈥檚 staff is especially challenging for rural areas facing growing COVID-19 numbers right now.
鈥淚n more populated areas, there鈥檚 other forms of public health infrastructure, associated sometimes with hospitals, with not-for-profits,鈥� which doesn鈥檛 always exist in rural areas, she said.
Montana, like much of the Mountain West, is facing due to COVID-19.
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