WEBVTT 00:00:12.970 --> 00:00:15.289 Hi there everybody and welcome to the Mark Mo 00:00:15.289 --> 00:00:20.769 Show Fireside Chats here on 103 .1 FM WVLP. WVLP 00:00:20.769 --> 00:00:24.390 .org, the TuneIn app and all podcast platforms 00:00:24.390 --> 00:00:28.550 and YouTube. Make sure to check the links to 00:00:28.550 --> 00:00:30.870 this interview on the Mark Mo Show, Mark Maloney 00:00:30.870 --> 00:00:36.340 and WVLP Facebook pages. This week we chat with 00:00:36.340 --> 00:00:39.060 Big D Demetrius Lewis of the Porter County Health 00:00:39.060 --> 00:00:42.600 Department. We'll learn a bit more about Demetrius, 00:00:42.600 --> 00:00:44.979 what's going on at the Health Department, including 00:00:44.979 --> 00:00:48.460 the upcoming kickoff to Summer Health Fair in 00:00:48.460 --> 00:00:52.000 Central Park Plaza on June 13th from 11 a .m. 00:00:52.119 --> 00:00:55.409 to 3 p .m. Demetrius, thanks for joining us today. 00:00:55.670 --> 00:00:57.710 Thank you for having me, Mark. We really appreciate 00:00:57.710 --> 00:01:00.509 the opportunity to come on the show tonight. 00:01:01.090 --> 00:01:04.090 Well, I appreciate it. And it's great to have 00:01:04.090 --> 00:01:06.950 you here. I love the event. This is, what, second 00:01:06.950 --> 00:01:09.730 year now, second year for the event. So we're 00:01:09.730 --> 00:01:11.790 going to eventually get to that. We're going 00:01:11.790 --> 00:01:14.609 to talk a little bit about that. But for those 00:01:14.609 --> 00:01:17.489 folks out there in the community that don't know 00:01:17.489 --> 00:01:19.489 who you are, why don't you tell a little bit 00:01:19.489 --> 00:01:22.329 about yourself? Absolutely. Well, I am Demetrius 00:01:22.329 --> 00:01:24.469 Lewis. I'm the Communications Manager for the 00:01:24.469 --> 00:01:27.430 Porter County Health Department. Along with the 00:01:27.430 --> 00:01:31.390 responsibilities that I have, I am the PIO, Public 00:01:31.390 --> 00:01:33.409 Information Officer for the Health Department 00:01:33.409 --> 00:01:36.569 and Emergency Management Agency. So if there's 00:01:36.569 --> 00:01:40.000 ever some kind of situation, you know heaven 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:43.480 forbid a chemical exposure or some kind of natural 00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:47.640 disaster uh you would see me on the uh see me 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:50.540 on tv uh telling you guys what you need to know 00:01:50.540 --> 00:01:53.680 to stay safe uh i would coordinate everything 00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:56.400 with the media coordinate those press conferences 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:00.280 and whatnot um other responsibilities i'm in 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:03.040 charge of our social media uh That's one of my 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:05.500 biggest responsibilities and probably my most 00:02:05.500 --> 00:02:08.219 fun with that. Oh, absolutely. Get to do a lot 00:02:08.219 --> 00:02:10.900 with that. I'm in charge of making different 00:02:10.900 --> 00:02:14.539 social media videos. I'm in charge of keeping 00:02:14.539 --> 00:02:18.039 our websites up to date. I wear a lot of different 00:02:18.039 --> 00:02:20.340 hats at the health department. No two days look 00:02:20.340 --> 00:02:23.580 alike for me. I'm always doing something different. 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:27.139 I have a background in broadcasting a little 00:02:27.139 --> 00:02:30.599 bit. I was a sports anchor and a news reporter 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:33.560 back in my media days in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:35.919 So some people have said you can kind of tell 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:40.800 with my voice a little bit. You may recognize 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:43.860 my voice a little bit because we recently started 00:02:43.860 --> 00:02:47.280 our own show here on WVLP. We're about eight 00:02:47.280 --> 00:02:49.620 episodes deep. It's called the POCO Wellness 00:02:49.620 --> 00:02:53.870 Hour. Our program airs on Monday nights. 6 p 00:02:53.870 --> 00:02:56.530 .m. Central Standard Time and it's a show that 00:02:56.530 --> 00:03:00.069 runs every other every other week so you get 00:03:00.069 --> 00:03:04.050 a new show every two weeks like I said the original 00:03:04.050 --> 00:03:06.330 playing on that was Monday at 6 p .m. when we 00:03:06.330 --> 00:03:09.969 have a rerun on Saturdays at 9 a .m. it's really 00:03:09.969 --> 00:03:13.030 an opportunity for us to get a chance to talk 00:03:13.030 --> 00:03:16.449 to our local partners everyone in the community 00:03:16.449 --> 00:03:19.310 that we think don't excuse me that we think need 00:03:19.310 --> 00:03:25.270 a a bigger platform, if you will. I enjoy the 00:03:25.270 --> 00:03:27.789 opportunity to kind of sit back and talk to everyone. 00:03:28.129 --> 00:03:31.009 It's educational for me to learn about all the 00:03:31.009 --> 00:03:32.889 different programs and initiatives that we have 00:03:32.889 --> 00:03:36.530 going on. And I think it's a really good benefit 00:03:36.530 --> 00:03:40.409 for the audience also. Our last show, actually, 00:03:40.789 --> 00:03:42.629 I talked to a gentleman from the Crisis Center 00:03:42.629 --> 00:03:45.770 and Gary. We talked a little bit about the 9 00:03:45.770 --> 00:03:49.009 -8 -8 hotline. Believe it or not, there are some 00:03:49.009 --> 00:03:50.889 people that really don't know about resources 00:03:50.889 --> 00:03:53.250 like that and how those things like that can 00:03:53.250 --> 00:03:57.110 really help people. So having a program like 00:03:57.110 --> 00:03:59.210 this, using the skills that I've been able to 00:03:59.210 --> 00:04:03.090 accumulate over the years here with WVLP with 00:04:03.090 --> 00:04:05.250 the POCO Wellness Hour has been a really good 00:04:05.250 --> 00:04:09.250 opportunity, not just for me, but for our organization 00:04:09.250 --> 00:04:11.449 and everyone who comes on the show and of course 00:04:11.449 --> 00:04:15.840 the Porter County community. Along with all that, 00:04:15.840 --> 00:04:18.639 I'm a radio show host also. I love it. I love 00:04:18.639 --> 00:04:21.000 it. And you're a very good one too. It's a great 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:23.860 show. Let everybody know once again the times 00:04:23.860 --> 00:04:26.500 they can catch you. Yes, it is on Monday nights 00:04:26.500 --> 00:04:30.339 on WVLP at 6 p .m. Central Standard Time and 00:04:30.339 --> 00:04:33.060 we have a rerun on Saturday mornings at 9 a .m. 00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:36.920 That's awesome. I appreciate that and definitely 00:04:36.920 --> 00:04:41.459 the plug and it's a great show and I think based 00:04:42.060 --> 00:04:44.399 you know, and the Porter County Health Department 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:49.660 outreach is paramount to what you guys do and 00:04:49.660 --> 00:04:51.500 what you're trying to achieve. So I think this 00:04:51.500 --> 00:04:53.060 radio show really helps you do that and you guys 00:04:53.060 --> 00:04:55.220 do a great job with it. I appreciate it. We really 00:04:55.220 --> 00:04:57.660 do. It's definitely something new for us. We've 00:04:57.660 --> 00:05:01.360 never done anything like this. So to have this 00:05:01.360 --> 00:05:04.139 be placed upon me being the first person to carry 00:05:04.139 --> 00:05:06.019 this out for the health department is truly an 00:05:06.019 --> 00:05:08.000 honor and I'm proud of it. Oh, that's awesome. 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:12.680 So now I'm very interested because you brought 00:05:12.680 --> 00:05:16.199 up a bit of a broadcasting career that you've 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:21.279 had in Fort Wayne, and so communications being 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:24.899 the background, I'm very interested to hear what 00:05:24.899 --> 00:05:27.779 brought you to Porter County Health Department. 00:05:28.100 --> 00:05:31.459 Well, you know, after graduating from Ball State, 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:35.759 I held a few jobs in news media, kind of worked 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:38.980 my way up the ladder, so to speak, from a production 00:05:38.980 --> 00:05:44.120 assistant. to an assignment editor, to a producer, 00:05:44.339 --> 00:05:46.500 and to eventually becoming an on -air talent. 00:05:47.579 --> 00:05:50.300 I've just accumulated a lot of skills over that 00:05:50.300 --> 00:05:52.980 time. Like I said, graduating from Ball State 00:05:52.980 --> 00:05:56.500 and working as a communications manager now. 00:05:56.800 --> 00:05:59.120 It's really an opportunity for me to use those 00:05:59.120 --> 00:06:02.500 same skills that I've been building over all 00:06:02.500 --> 00:06:07.209 these years of me being out of college. I remember 00:06:07.209 --> 00:06:10.310 in second grade, my second grade teacher said, 00:06:10.569 --> 00:06:12.949 Demetrius, you're either gonna be a marine biologist 00:06:12.949 --> 00:06:15.170 or you're gonna work in broadcasting. I have 00:06:15.170 --> 00:06:17.689 a love for whales. Free Willy changed my life. 00:06:18.069 --> 00:06:20.069 Free Willy changed my life. I was a little boy 00:06:20.069 --> 00:06:23.810 when I saw that movie. And I tell you what, teachers 00:06:23.810 --> 00:06:26.509 are very important people and she clearly knew 00:06:26.509 --> 00:06:29.649 me and knew the path that I was on because that's 00:06:29.649 --> 00:06:32.209 eventually where I went to, you know? So working 00:06:32.209 --> 00:06:36.860 in media. I saw this opportunity at the Porter 00:06:36.860 --> 00:06:40.800 County Health Department kind of to go to the 00:06:40.800 --> 00:06:42.920 dark side, if you will, the other side of the 00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:46.600 coin. Being a reporter, you know, I'm out there. 00:06:46.910 --> 00:06:49.949 I'm looking for news, I'm hunting for news, so 00:06:49.949 --> 00:06:52.470 to speak. I'm looking for things to report on. 00:06:53.029 --> 00:06:55.889 In this position, I'm more of a gatekeeper. I'm 00:06:55.889 --> 00:06:57.670 releasing the information, I'm letting people 00:06:57.670 --> 00:07:01.990 know what needs to be known out there. It's a 00:07:01.990 --> 00:07:04.430 natural transition for people who work in media 00:07:04.430 --> 00:07:08.110 to find a job like this and PR, communications 00:07:08.110 --> 00:07:12.759 management, marketing. I really touch on all 00:07:12.759 --> 00:07:16.079 that kind of stuff. I make flyers. I do different 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:18.660 brochures. Like I said, I wear a lot of different 00:07:18.660 --> 00:07:21.779 hats at the health department. It's truly an 00:07:21.779 --> 00:07:24.019 honor to be able to work at a job like this. 00:07:24.339 --> 00:07:27.379 I feel like people who are like me that have 00:07:27.379 --> 00:07:30.079 the degree that I have, we have a unique set 00:07:30.079 --> 00:07:32.660 of skills. We have to do a little bit of writing. 00:07:33.180 --> 00:07:35.500 We have to do a little bit of filming, editing. 00:07:35.980 --> 00:07:37.860 We have to be comfortable talking to people, 00:07:38.100 --> 00:07:41.439 large groups of people. And right there, public 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:44.300 speaking is number one fear for most people. 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:48.139 So having a job like this where I'm able to use 00:07:48.139 --> 00:07:51.480 all these skills that I've built up, it's truly 00:07:51.480 --> 00:07:54.000 a blessing. And to do it in a community like 00:07:54.000 --> 00:07:58.339 this where a big part of this is storytelling. 00:07:58.600 --> 00:08:02.379 where i'm bringing this from journalism and it 00:08:02.379 --> 00:08:04.980 really plays a big part with this also having 00:08:04.980 --> 00:08:07.839 a chance to tell success stories having a chance 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:10.660 to do programs like this to talk about the fun 00:08:10.660 --> 00:08:13.019 initiatives and programs that we have going on 00:08:13.019 --> 00:08:15.379 so that storytelling aspect and our reporting 00:08:15.379 --> 00:08:18.339 on good news i'm bringing that from the broadcasting 00:08:18.339 --> 00:08:22.279 and journalism world into this position now and 00:08:22.279 --> 00:08:24.379 that right there is the biggest thrill for me 00:08:24.379 --> 00:08:27.029 because that's That's why you get into the industry, 00:08:27.170 --> 00:08:29.589 to tell stories and let people know that not 00:08:29.589 --> 00:08:31.910 everything is doom and gloom, you know? That's 00:08:31.910 --> 00:08:35.629 right. And it's nice for a change. It really 00:08:35.629 --> 00:08:39.129 is. And I think people deep down would much rather 00:08:39.129 --> 00:08:41.269 listen to that, things that are informative, 00:08:41.429 --> 00:08:43.830 things where you're learning, learning about 00:08:43.830 --> 00:08:45.730 resources that can help you and your family. 00:08:45.889 --> 00:08:48.860 I think that's great. Absolutely. You know, Porter 00:08:48.860 --> 00:08:51.940 County is a, it's a big place and you know, we're, 00:08:51.940 --> 00:08:54.019 we're all about a good time here. We're really 00:08:54.019 --> 00:08:56.659 big on our festivals and things like that. But 00:08:56.659 --> 00:08:58.940 there are people that need help and it's important 00:08:58.940 --> 00:09:01.620 for us to let people know that there are resources 00:09:01.620 --> 00:09:05.159 out there for those people. Oh, absolutely. And 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:07.200 the Porter County Health Department is a really 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:11.350 great resource. And I'm sure this is a very broad 00:09:11.350 --> 00:09:13.610 question, but maybe you could just point out 00:09:13.610 --> 00:09:17.289 two few things. What services does the Porter 00:09:17.289 --> 00:09:19.669 County Health Department provide? Well, that 00:09:19.669 --> 00:09:22.129 is a pretty broad question. I figured it would 00:09:22.129 --> 00:09:26.070 be. So we could go to our nursing division. They 00:09:26.070 --> 00:09:32.950 do lab work, immunizations. They do STI HIV testing. 00:09:33.870 --> 00:09:37.110 You can go to our environmental safety division. 00:09:37.490 --> 00:09:40.970 They'll do things like septic checks, excuse 00:09:40.970 --> 00:09:44.570 me, septic system checks. They will go out and 00:09:44.570 --> 00:09:47.649 check semi -public and public pools. They'll 00:09:47.649 --> 00:09:49.889 go out to the local beaches to get those water 00:09:49.889 --> 00:09:52.110 samples to make sure that the water is safe. 00:09:52.909 --> 00:09:56.789 We have a school liaison division where we are 00:09:56.789 --> 00:09:58.889 active in the community. We get out into the 00:09:58.889 --> 00:10:01.549 schools and we are putting on programs for the 00:10:01.549 --> 00:10:04.879 kids, teaching them things. We have a care coordination 00:10:04.879 --> 00:10:07.820 division where we have a care coordinator who's 00:10:07.820 --> 00:10:10.179 in touch with a whole bunch of different resources 00:10:10.179 --> 00:10:12.919 here in Porter County In terms of getting people 00:10:12.919 --> 00:10:15.059 insurance getting them in touch with different 00:10:15.059 --> 00:10:20.059 food pantries So really is a broad broad spectrum 00:10:20.059 --> 00:10:23.279 of what we do. I've said this before I feel like 00:10:23.279 --> 00:10:25.340 a lot of our attention with the Porter County 00:10:25.340 --> 00:10:28.639 Health Department is kind of shined on our nursing 00:10:28.639 --> 00:10:31.840 division, you know, and understandably so. They're 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:34.120 very active and out there in the community, but 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:36.240 we do have other divisions that are out there 00:10:36.240 --> 00:10:39.059 putting a dent in the world in a good way. Yeah, 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:44.539 absolutely. Speaking of health, as it pertains 00:10:44.539 --> 00:10:47.700 to Porter County, we'll kind of keep it local, 00:10:47.700 --> 00:10:52.850 so to speak. What do you see as like the top 00:10:52.850 --> 00:10:57.169 health concerns right now in Porter County? Well, 00:10:58.250 --> 00:11:00.950 there's, it's kind of a hard question right now 00:11:00.950 --> 00:11:03.909 because right now we're all about being preventative 00:11:03.909 --> 00:11:07.830 right now. Hard disease is a really big issue 00:11:07.830 --> 00:11:11.970 in Porter County. We did a study a couple of 00:11:11.970 --> 00:11:16.629 years ago to find what the major issues are in 00:11:16.629 --> 00:11:19.080 our and our community, and that was one of the 00:11:19.080 --> 00:11:21.320 big ones. So one of the things that we do at 00:11:21.320 --> 00:11:23.159 the health department, you know, our mission 00:11:23.159 --> 00:11:26.179 is to promote, protect, and provide a vital public 00:11:26.179 --> 00:11:29.360 health services, and a part of that is the being 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:33.139 proactive about things. So we do a lot of education, 00:11:33.299 --> 00:11:36.799 you know, encouraging people to, if they're smokers, 00:11:37.120 --> 00:11:40.220 not smoke. We focus on a lot of preventative 00:11:40.220 --> 00:11:44.330 aspects. Yeah, and I think that's that's really 00:11:44.330 --> 00:11:48.070 important and you know even even with the the 00:11:48.070 --> 00:11:50.769 older population that's still a very important 00:11:50.769 --> 00:11:53.950 thing because that's there's still a lot of life 00:11:53.950 --> 00:11:57.690 left to live with a lot of the older individuals 00:11:57.690 --> 00:12:00.110 those that work at the mill and things of that 00:12:00.110 --> 00:12:04.309 nature. So I think programs like that you know 00:12:04.309 --> 00:12:06.450 through the health department through organizations 00:12:06.450 --> 00:12:08.990 like YMCA and other groups like that being able 00:12:08.990 --> 00:12:12.649 to kind of coordinate and and just talk about 00:12:12.649 --> 00:12:14.370 these preventative measures, I think is really 00:12:14.370 --> 00:12:16.309 important. Absolutely. And of course, we have 00:12:16.309 --> 00:12:19.509 a lot of partnerships in the community. And I 00:12:19.509 --> 00:12:23.450 do just want to say, us being at the health department, 00:12:24.490 --> 00:12:27.789 we present a compelling alternative to private 00:12:27.789 --> 00:12:32.269 doctors when it comes to cost effectiveness, 00:12:34.090 --> 00:12:37.320 accessibility. A focused approach on public health, 00:12:37.399 --> 00:12:40.440 like I said. A lot of times our services are 00:12:40.440 --> 00:12:42.759 offered at a lower cost or even sometimes free 00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:45.559 depending on the initiatives that we have going 00:12:45.559 --> 00:12:47.639 on. Sometimes we'll put on different clinics 00:12:47.639 --> 00:12:50.639 and whatnot. So it's a different alternative 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:54.360 for a lot of people who may be uninsured, underinsured. 00:12:54.980 --> 00:12:56.860 Like I said, we focus on a lot of those public 00:12:56.860 --> 00:12:59.490 health initiatives. Oh, I love that. That's fantastic 00:12:59.490 --> 00:13:03.210 because we do have a lot of folks that are under 00:13:03.210 --> 00:13:05.570 -insured or uninsured right now, so that is really 00:13:05.570 --> 00:13:07.769 a fantastic service. It's important that they 00:13:07.769 --> 00:13:10.549 get the services that they deserve also. Absolutely, 00:13:10.610 --> 00:13:15.190 100%. Now, when you think of health crisis, so 00:13:15.190 --> 00:13:18.190 let's think of like COVID. Gosh, it's what, five 00:13:18.190 --> 00:13:20.309 years ago now. It seems like yesterday, man. 00:13:20.409 --> 00:13:24.450 I'll never forget that. So you think of something 00:13:24.450 --> 00:13:28.240 like COVID. When it comes to health emergencies 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:32.000 and things like that. What does what does Porter 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:34.440 County Health Department do? How can you guys 00:13:34.440 --> 00:13:37.139 keep the public involved when things like this 00:13:37.139 --> 00:13:40.580 happen? Well, I will say that I wasn't around 00:13:40.580 --> 00:13:44.100 during the COVID time. So I was, you know, I've 00:13:44.100 --> 00:13:46.200 heard stories from the team that it was a quite 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:48.659 stressful time. You know, I was in northeast 00:13:48.659 --> 00:13:51.840 Indiana. It's definitely a stressful time for 00:13:51.840 --> 00:13:55.389 everybody. Yeah, but You know, one thing that 00:13:55.389 --> 00:13:58.149 we do and we have done is we've had simulation 00:13:58.149 --> 00:14:02.169 drills. We've done things that have kind of get 00:14:02.169 --> 00:14:05.379 that stress on us, you know, kind of those. practice 00:14:05.379 --> 00:14:08.139 scenarios, if you will. So we've had a couple 00:14:08.139 --> 00:14:12.500 of those. We actually had one on Wednesday, June 00:14:12.500 --> 00:14:15.440 4th for a Project Atom, but this one was a little 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:19.740 bit different. It was for a cardiac arrest designation. 00:14:20.259 --> 00:14:23.440 So we are officially now a heart safe community 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:28.000 site. Oh, that's awesome. Yeah. So talk a little 00:14:28.000 --> 00:14:30.860 bit about this drill that took place. We were 00:14:30.860 --> 00:14:34.039 at the admin building and it was an all hands 00:14:34.039 --> 00:14:38.179 on that kind of deal. We had local EMS, other 00:14:38.179 --> 00:14:41.240 Porter County government entities involved. We 00:14:41.240 --> 00:14:44.240 simulated a cardiac arrest issue. So we had a 00:14:44.240 --> 00:14:46.519 practice dummy. We got some practice with the 00:14:46.519 --> 00:14:50.460 AEDs. We made sure everyone knew where those 00:14:50.460 --> 00:14:54.039 AEDs are located in the building, just in case. 00:14:55.519 --> 00:14:59.389 It's not a matter of... if it's a matter of when 00:14:59.389 --> 00:15:02.830 an emergency happens. So practicing things like 00:15:02.830 --> 00:15:04.529 this and having these kind of drills, putting 00:15:04.529 --> 00:15:07.070 that stress on you when you're not in that actual 00:15:07.070 --> 00:15:10.570 situation. Just like sports, it's practice. So, 00:15:10.570 --> 00:15:13.320 you know, you gotta get those reps in. And that's 00:15:13.320 --> 00:15:15.899 what I think is important. Like I said, I wasn't 00:15:15.899 --> 00:15:19.279 around for the COVID time, but that is one thing 00:15:19.279 --> 00:15:21.759 that I can say that we do, we're pretty active 00:15:21.759 --> 00:15:24.480 about. We've had drills, we've talked about different 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:27.600 scenarios, but right now, you know, knock on 00:15:27.600 --> 00:15:32.240 wood, there's no issues right now going on. Right, 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:37.279 correct. We have a community that's made up of 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:38.620 a lot of renters. They rent homes, they rent 00:15:38.620 --> 00:15:42.379 apartments and everything else. So when there 00:15:42.379 --> 00:15:46.139 is environmental health hazards, so let's say 00:15:46.139 --> 00:15:51.460 potential lead, mold, anything like that, can 00:15:51.460 --> 00:15:53.519 they come to the Porter County Health Department 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:57.080 and seek help? Absolutely. You can call our number. 00:15:58.539 --> 00:16:02.100 I am missing that right now. I'm so sorry. But 00:16:02.100 --> 00:16:04.559 yes, you can reach out to us, our environmental 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:07.539 division. We respond to that kind of stuff. Absolutely. 00:16:07.789 --> 00:16:11.730 Awesome, I'll make sure to post that number on 00:16:11.730 --> 00:16:14.570 the socials for sure. There's no doubt about 00:16:14.570 --> 00:16:20.350 that Do you host regular like town halls or have 00:16:20.350 --> 00:16:23.009 advisory boards or things like that? That are 00:16:23.009 --> 00:16:25.330 open to the public to kind of keep public involved. 00:16:25.330 --> 00:16:28.230 Yeah on the first Tuesday of every month We have 00:16:28.230 --> 00:16:30.269 our Board of Health meeting at the administration 00:16:30.269 --> 00:16:32.629 building It's usually held in the Commissioner's 00:16:32.629 --> 00:16:35.529 chambers and the meetings take take place They 00:16:35.529 --> 00:16:39.149 start at 530 depending on how many items we have 00:16:39.149 --> 00:16:41.570 to go through it can run from an hour a couple 00:16:41.570 --> 00:16:44.210 of hours just depends But yeah, usually the first 00:16:44.210 --> 00:16:46.830 Tuesday of every month you can catch at the Porter 00:16:46.830 --> 00:16:50.049 County Administration building and the Commissioner's 00:16:50.049 --> 00:16:52.529 chambers at 530 for the Board of Health meeting. 00:16:52.809 --> 00:16:56.450 Got it. All right. That's great. Now, we've talked 00:16:56.450 --> 00:17:01.149 a lot in terms of communication, getting people 00:17:01.149 --> 00:17:04.210 involved and engaged in that sort of thing. One 00:17:04.210 --> 00:17:07.450 of the things that you can do as far as involvement 00:17:07.450 --> 00:17:13.440 and engagement is to host events. And so we have 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:16.400 an event coming up, right? And that event is 00:17:16.400 --> 00:17:18.599 the Kickoff to Summer Health Fair right here 00:17:18.599 --> 00:17:21.500 in Valparaiso, Indiana. Why don't you tell our 00:17:21.500 --> 00:17:23.660 audience a little bit about what this fair is 00:17:23.660 --> 00:17:26.819 about? Sure. This is the second running of our 00:17:26.819 --> 00:17:29.619 event taking place at Central Park Plaza. We'll 00:17:29.619 --> 00:17:34.400 be under the pavilion. So I don't know what the 00:17:34.400 --> 00:17:38.579 opposite of a rain dance is. Maybe you can pray 00:17:38.579 --> 00:17:44.240 to the gods that control that. But rain or shine, 00:17:44.339 --> 00:17:46.039 we're going to be under the pavilion at Central 00:17:46.039 --> 00:17:49.059 Park Plaza. We're going to have a DJ set up on 00:17:49.059 --> 00:17:51.700 the stage on the amphitheater. Hopefully it's 00:17:51.700 --> 00:17:54.059 a nice warm day where we can have the splash 00:17:54.059 --> 00:17:57.299 pads going. That was a big hit last year. The 00:17:57.299 --> 00:18:01.180 event is going to be on Friday, June 13th from 00:18:01.180 --> 00:18:05.140 11 a .m. to 3 p .m. You know, the official start 00:18:05.140 --> 00:18:07.980 of summer is June 20th, so we wanted to have 00:18:07.980 --> 00:18:10.640 our event a week earlier just to make sure that 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:13.920 we are indeed kicking off summer with health 00:18:13.920 --> 00:18:16.859 and wellness in mind. We're going to have tons 00:18:16.859 --> 00:18:19.839 of giveaways. We have dozens of vendors who are 00:18:19.839 --> 00:18:22.839 going to be in attendance this year. I think 00:18:22.839 --> 00:18:25.960 we are more than 40. This is a free event to 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:30.079 enter. Like I said, tons of giveaways. be offered 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:33.640 dental screenings, vision screenings, immunizations, 00:18:34.200 --> 00:18:37.279 back to school physicals, free haircuts for the 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:40.059 kids. We're going to have face painting, free 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:43.819 backpacks with school supplies. Food trucks are 00:18:43.819 --> 00:18:45.579 going to be there and we're going to have so 00:18:45.579 --> 00:18:48.099 much more. There is a little bit of a twist on 00:18:48.099 --> 00:18:51.640 this year's events. We are joining forces with 00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:55.079 the Salvation Army to host a canned food drive. 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:58.980 So please bring in three canned food items and 00:18:59.019 --> 00:19:01.900 Come with your child, of course, and your child 00:19:01.900 --> 00:19:04.640 will be entered into a raffle for a chance to 00:19:04.640 --> 00:19:08.019 win a brand new bicycle. And along with that 00:19:08.019 --> 00:19:10.900 bicycle, they'll get a brand new lock and helmet, 00:19:11.079 --> 00:19:13.180 because we're all about safety, right? That's 00:19:13.180 --> 00:19:16.400 right. That's awesome. That is a new little twist 00:19:16.400 --> 00:19:19.279 on this year's event. So please bring out some 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:24.420 canned food items for a food drive, and it will 00:19:24.420 --> 00:19:26.779 be much appreciated. And your little one could 00:19:26.779 --> 00:19:29.869 be riding off in style this summer. I'd like 00:19:29.869 --> 00:19:31.630 to talk a little bit about some of the featured 00:19:31.630 --> 00:19:35.390 vendors who are going to be there. The Indiana 00:19:35.390 --> 00:19:38.289 Department of Health, they will be offering immunizations. 00:19:38.599 --> 00:19:41.920 The Zach Mago Foundation and Northwest Health, 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:44.200 they're gonna be offering preventative heart 00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:47.299 screenings. Denmark College from Merrillville, 00:19:47.440 --> 00:19:49.700 they're gonna be the ones offering free haircuts 00:19:49.700 --> 00:19:52.700 and face painting for the kids. We really appreciate 00:19:52.700 --> 00:19:55.200 that. And they also have a medical assistant 00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:57.640 student program. So those medical students are 00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:00.339 gonna be helping out with the screenings and... 00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:02.900 the uh... intake and things like that maybe the 00:20:02.900 --> 00:20:05.019 immunization so we're gonna find some stuff for 00:20:05.019 --> 00:20:08.660 them to do uh... and those food trucks uh... 00:20:08.660 --> 00:20:11.220 we're gonna have doctor dog we're gonna have 00:20:11.220 --> 00:20:14.079 northwest indiana snowy and we're going to have 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:17.319 the lunchbox on wheels so these are all big hits 00:20:17.319 --> 00:20:19.920 last year and we are happy to have them uh... 00:20:19.960 --> 00:20:22.619 come aboard once again. Absolutely, that's great 00:20:22.619 --> 00:20:27.160 stuff. And it's really a great fair in terms 00:20:27.160 --> 00:20:31.700 of bringing the community out, learning about 00:20:31.700 --> 00:20:34.819 health and just learning about the services that 00:20:34.819 --> 00:20:39.700 you provide as well. But I also love kind of 00:20:39.700 --> 00:20:42.980 a focus of bringing the kids out as well. And 00:20:42.980 --> 00:20:47.869 that's really... and a focus but not maybe exclusively 00:20:47.869 --> 00:20:50.150 the focus because this is open to the whole community 00:20:50.150 --> 00:20:54.079 correct absolutely so The real reason why this 00:20:54.079 --> 00:20:56.779 initiative started, you know, we had a lot of 00:20:56.779 --> 00:20:59.140 positive feedback from a back -to -school clinic 00:20:59.140 --> 00:21:02.539 that we did in 2023. And from there, we were 00:21:02.539 --> 00:21:05.000 like, well, hey, we can host our own little party, 00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:08.039 if you will, our own community health fair. One 00:21:08.039 --> 00:21:10.460 large place where all of our community partners 00:21:10.460 --> 00:21:13.339 and local organizations can gather and share 00:21:13.339 --> 00:21:16.660 information and resources with one another. I 00:21:16.660 --> 00:21:19.160 feel like, you know, with this being such a big 00:21:19.160 --> 00:21:22.890 community, there are times where those valuable 00:21:22.890 --> 00:21:26.029 resources, they're out there, but a lot of people 00:21:26.029 --> 00:21:29.529 don't know about them. So, to have everyone in 00:21:29.529 --> 00:21:32.289 one central location that everyone knows, Central 00:21:32.289 --> 00:21:34.710 Park Plaza, home of the Northwest Health Ample 00:21:34.710 --> 00:21:37.990 Theater, it's a great location and it's going 00:21:37.990 --> 00:21:40.789 to be a great time for everyone to come out and 00:21:40.789 --> 00:21:44.589 have some fun. but also be educated. I think 00:21:44.589 --> 00:21:46.230 you're going to learn some stuff out here. You're 00:21:46.230 --> 00:21:48.349 going to learn about resources that are out there 00:21:48.349 --> 00:21:51.170 that you might not have been aware of. And maybe 00:21:51.170 --> 00:21:53.710 you'll make some new friends. Last year, we had 00:21:53.710 --> 00:21:56.210 close to 1 ,000 people out there. Did you really? 00:21:56.329 --> 00:21:57.950 Yeah, that was going to be my next question, 00:21:58.410 --> 00:22:02.049 because this is year two. So I was going to ask 00:22:02.049 --> 00:22:06.059 you. you know, from year one to year two, like 00:22:06.059 --> 00:22:08.119 any of the differences, but also like what that 00:22:08.119 --> 00:22:10.460 turnout was or what you could expect. We were 00:22:10.460 --> 00:22:13.799 expecting between two to five hundred last year. 00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:16.539 And yeah, we had some head counters and we got 00:22:16.539 --> 00:22:19.279 near that thousand point. We got a little worried 00:22:19.279 --> 00:22:21.599 because I think our max was fifteen hundred. 00:22:21.839 --> 00:22:25.039 Oh, the party is getting too big. Right. But 00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:27.920 like I said, it's a great location. We had such 00:22:27.920 --> 00:22:31.460 a great time last year. We had people in costumes, 00:22:31.500 --> 00:22:35.019 like I said, the A splash pad was going. It's 00:22:35.019 --> 00:22:37.359 a little warm, but hey, it's June. What are you 00:22:37.359 --> 00:22:39.619 going to do? Right, exactly. Better than rain, 00:22:39.619 --> 00:22:42.319 right? But we're hoping that this year we can 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:44.539 get close to that thousand again and maybe even 00:22:44.539 --> 00:22:46.700 a little more. Central Park Plaza, they can hold 00:22:46.700 --> 00:22:48.880 it. They can handle it. They can definitely handle 00:22:48.880 --> 00:22:52.220 it. There's no question. Well, this really this 00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:56.859 has been a fantastic conversation, one that I'm 00:22:56.859 --> 00:22:58.740 very excited to have with you because I've known 00:22:58.740 --> 00:23:01.759 you for a bit and this is a great event. Last 00:23:01.759 --> 00:23:03.940 year was great. I think this year is going to 00:23:03.940 --> 00:23:05.559 be great. We are going to pray to those weather 00:23:05.559 --> 00:23:09.700 gods for sure. You know, we definitely want want 00:23:09.700 --> 00:23:13.640 a nice day, but I'm assuming rain or shine. So, 00:23:13.640 --> 00:23:16.200 you know, if it's maybe not the best day, still 00:23:16.200 --> 00:23:19.750 come on down. Can I actually add a little something 00:23:19.750 --> 00:23:24.019 to that? Please, another couple of twists. I 00:23:24.019 --> 00:23:26.299 mentioned our canned food drive, how we're going 00:23:26.299 --> 00:23:29.400 to be giving away a brand new bicycle or certificate 00:23:29.400 --> 00:23:32.539 for a bike. But we also had another new twist. 00:23:32.940 --> 00:23:36.160 So we actually had a t -shirt design contest. 00:23:36.299 --> 00:23:39.039 We send out submissions to all the kids in Porter 00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:42.660 County, all the elementary schools. We wanted 00:23:42.660 --> 00:23:46.420 to get the kids involved this year. This is their 00:23:46.420 --> 00:23:49.920 fair. This is their event. So you're going to 00:23:49.920 --> 00:23:51.759 see us, our staff, we're going to have these 00:23:51.759 --> 00:23:53.839 bright yellow shirts. And they're going to have 00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:55.819 an awesome design on there. It's going to be 00:23:55.819 --> 00:23:58.579 a little picture that a cool little girl made. 00:23:58.740 --> 00:24:01.880 And we're going to present her with a bike because 00:24:01.880 --> 00:24:04.779 she won that contest. Oh, that's awesome. I love 00:24:04.779 --> 00:24:06.960 that. If you look on our Facebook, I had the 00:24:06.960 --> 00:24:09.619 opportunity to speak with her, talk a little 00:24:09.619 --> 00:24:14.299 bit with her mom. Let her know that she was indeed 00:24:14.299 --> 00:24:17.079 not only one of the top participants that she 00:24:17.079 --> 00:24:20.039 was the actual winner. That was a really fun, 00:24:20.200 --> 00:24:22.940 really fun project to do. So I couldn't leave 00:24:22.940 --> 00:24:25.220 that part out. We're going to be presenting a 00:24:25.220 --> 00:24:28.579 young lady with a brand new bicycle helmet and 00:24:28.579 --> 00:24:31.029 lock. and she's never had a lock before, she 00:24:31.029 --> 00:24:34.750 says. It's a good thing to have. Absolutely. 00:24:34.750 --> 00:24:37.369 We're going to have on these awesome t -shirts 00:24:37.369 --> 00:24:40.210 designed by an awesome Porter County student, 00:24:40.430 --> 00:24:43.509 and we can't wait to rock them. Now, I love that. 00:24:43.849 --> 00:24:47.259 And so, folks, running the event. At the department, 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:48.920 you're going to be wearing these shirts. Are 00:24:48.920 --> 00:24:50.500 these shirts available for purchase as well? 00:24:50.859 --> 00:24:52.480 No, they won't be available for purchase. So 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:56.059 you don't get them? No, no. Just us, you know, 00:24:56.180 --> 00:24:59.200 just because it's our party. It is your party. 00:24:59.380 --> 00:25:02.579 It is your party. Well, I love that. And so just 00:25:02.579 --> 00:25:05.160 keep an eye out for the yellow shirts. If you 00:25:05.160 --> 00:25:06.859 have any questions, that's kind of the idea. 00:25:07.140 --> 00:25:09.279 Find someone with a yellow shirt. There you go. 00:25:09.279 --> 00:25:12.380 I love that. Well, once again, Demetrius, it's 00:25:12.380 --> 00:25:16.440 awesome talking to you about this event. So once 00:25:16.440 --> 00:25:19.000 again, this is the kickoff to Summer Health Fair 00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:24.539 here in Valpo. That is June 13th from 11 a .m. 00:25:24.539 --> 00:25:28.700 to 3 p .m. That is at Central Park Plaza. So 00:25:28.700 --> 00:25:31.220 make sure that you join us for that event. I 00:25:31.220 --> 00:25:34.490 think it's going to be a great event. I once 00:25:34.490 --> 00:25:37.049 again, thank you so much for being here Demetrius. 00:25:37.680 --> 00:25:39.900 Thanks for having us on. We really appreciate 00:25:39.900 --> 00:25:43.839 it, Mark. Absolutely. This interview will air 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:49.720 locally on 103 .1 FM WVLP, Saturday at 2 p .m. 00:25:50.039 --> 00:25:53.099 Central Time, Tuesday at 1 p .m. Central Time, 00:25:53.359 --> 00:25:56.700 and again Tuesday night at 9 p .m. Central Standard 00:25:56.700 --> 00:25:59.640 Time. The interview will also be made available 00:25:59.640 --> 00:26:03.039 on the Mark Mo Show podcast. Monday evening, 00:26:03.079 --> 00:26:05.099 I think, is when we're going to make that live 00:26:05.099 --> 00:26:09.779 on all podcast platforms. YouTube. Thanks again 00:26:09.779 --> 00:26:12.180 for joining us Big D. We will see you on Friday 00:26:12.180 --> 00:26:14.799 the 13th in Central Park Plaza from 11 at 3 for 00:26:14.799 --> 00:26:17.319 the kickoff and I want to thank everybody for 00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:18.640 listening. Take care everyone.