Vision Statement The Barberton Health District will strive to increase the health and quality of life of the citizens of Barberton by reducing the risk of communicable disease, preventable chronic disease and environmental risk factors. To realize these goals, the Barberton Health District must strengthen the public health system in Barberton and throughout Summit County in the following ways:

Continue to assess health outcomes for those individuals that receive public health services. Provide all citizens with the information, resources, and the necessary links within the   community to make healthier choices and live healthier lives. Protect people from health threats beyond their control, such as bioterrorism, natural disasters, infectious disease outbreaks, and environmental hazards.  Achieving this vision requires the combined efforts of public and private partners in government and business, hospitals, medical providers, schools, churches, community organizations, and our citizens

Looking Forward

• Achieve 100% compliance of Scrap Tire Ordinance established by the Barberton Health District Board of Health to meet local and EPA regulations.  Apply to Summit County Solid Waste Authority to fund large business/residential site solid waste clean-up for those businesses and residents that are financially unable to abate this environmental condition.

• >90% compliance of Ohio’s Indoor Smoking Ban in the cities of Barberton and Norton.  We will continue to lobby the State of Ohio to pay for these inspections to support this unfunded mandate.

• Collaborate with the City of Barberton to submit a proposal to The Barberton Community Foundation to fund the necessary renovations to the Weigand building to improve safety and the integrity of this historic downtown building.

• Collaborate with the South Summit Chamber of Commerce and local grocery stores, Summa Barberton Hospital, local schools and other stakeholders to replicate a proven model of success to reduce childhood and adult obesity and reduce the incidence of chronic disease within the BHD jurisdiction.  This is eight week nutrition, and exercise campaign, entitled, "Eat Well/ Live Well".

• Complete the application for the Medicaid Administrative Claiming (MAC) Program to receive reimbursement for administrative activities that directly support efforts to identify and enroll potential eligible clients into Medicaid, to bring them into services covered by Medicaid, to remove barriers to assessing Medicaid services and to reduce gaps in Medicaid services.  This process requires ongoing time study of personnel in our department who meet these objectives.

• Upgrade BHD website to maximize effectiveness of asset as public health education and social marketing tool.  Identify other appropriate website linkages to enhance site as a credible and necessary community/public health information resource.  Identify new advancements in information technology to improve efficiency and reduce time of mandated inspections conducted by Environmental Health, in smoking enforcement, school inspections, solid waste, septic systems, wells and other public health nuisances.

• Enforce "Jarod’s Law" that went into effect September 27, 2007.  The law, named for Jarrod Bennett, and its associated rules are designed to protect and improve the environmental health and safety of Ohio’s primary and secondary school.