A HEALTH DEPARTMENTING WE WILL GO!! By
Paul R. Fell, R.S., M.S.
In 2002 the Volusia County Health Department is 60 years old,
---at least that's what we are told---starting with a Resolution of
the Volusia County Commission
who probably would've rather been out fishin'!
1942 was a scary time for such a beginning, with WWII in full swing,
and we weren't winning……yet.
But our little Health Department started out with a budget of $37,730 and
2 clerks, 2 sanitarians, 3 nurses and Dr. R.D. Higgins as the Medical Director---
our first public health protector.
Our first address was 136 E. Magnolia Ave. in Daytona Beach, on the second floor;
But don't go looking for the building,… it ain't there anymore!
In 1957 Dr. Higgins retired and Dr. E.V. Galloway became our Director.
Our little Health Department had grown to a staff of 36 and a budget of $220,000.
We needed more room, so down the street we went, to 400 S. Beach St., called
The Rawlings Mansion. We liked it there, it was so big and roomy and nice,
Much better for our clients we could entice!
And we were not just on the second floor, but eventually on the first and third
as well! Now this was really swell!
We were there for a long time. But by 1966 we needed more space. So, out of the
Mansion the sanitarians went, to a building out back, known as the garage, which
they had to rebuild and repaint. It was dark green, so pretty it ain't!
In 1967 Dr. Hubert King became our Director. He told the County Commission
we needed a new, modern Health Department building. He told them over and over
and waited and waited, year after year, not even getting a sympathetic ear…
until 1976 when things began to get in gear!
Dr. King was a real go-getter and things began to get better!
In 1977 we finally got our brand spanking new building, thanks to a 50/50
Grant from the Hill-Burton Act. Now you couldn't do better than that!
But, alas, we had waited for so long for our new building, we were already
grown out of it before we moved in! Our conference rooms were changed to
offices before the doors opened. And our lovely Auditorium lasted only one year,
being converted into more offices and extending the waiting room.
By 1980, we had satellite clinics in Edgewater, New Smyrna Beach and DeLand,
which was really grand! In 1983 Dr. King retired and Dr. William Cox became our Director.
By 1984 we were bursting at the seams. Some sections just had to go-so, again, out the
sanitarians went-now called environmental health specialists-along with health education and
eventually WIC-to 'temporary' economical modular trailers put
together; now you know they were not going to last forever!
Affectionately known as the Trainwreck by staff, or the TajMahal by county workers,
because the county could have built a TajMahal with the amount of money that's
been poured into these 'temporary' buildings;
But what the heck! Aside from patient, excellent staff, it's now filled with termites,
mold, mildew, rotten wood and God knows what else-- that ain't too good!
By 1986 our staff had grown to over 200, with additional clinics in Pierson and Oak Hill.
Dr. Cox retired in 1989 and Dr. June Atkinson took the helm, with a staff of 300 and an
$11 million budget, thanks, in part, to our entry into primary care.
We were the first CHD to do so, and we did it with flare!
CMS got a brand new building, up the hill, called the "509." It was really fine!
Dr. "A" retired in 1996 and Dr. Bonita Sorensen became our 6th Director.
With a $17.9 million budget and a staff of about 400, our focus changed from
primary care back to traditional public health roles. In 1997 we were DOH and
no more HRS! Finally! yes, yes, yes!!
Always needing more room, much our administration and support staff moved out to a building
on Fentress. We opened the Care Center, the Deltona Clinic and dedicated a
trailer to SWAT(Students Working Against Tobacco), about 2-ought-ought-ought.
As Embry Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) grew and grew, they finally surrounded us on 3
sides. They couldn't wait to get our buildings and land. They wanted to expand.
Our public health staff was spread out all over in various buildings of every description;
When will we all be together again was our unanimous encryption?
So negotiations began between ERAU, the County, the Airport Authority and the VCHD.
Many proposals were made, our hopes were up, then deals fell through. We were running out of time!
The state said, 'hurry up, and not one more dime!'
Then the County Council agreed on a plan. Like it or not, here it is. It's in the can!
"We think the Root Building is a little too fancy, but we got a great deal on a huge
plastics plant building in an industrial park-now how could that be chancey?"
Then DOH took our Dr. Sorensen to Tallahassee to be the Deputy State Health
Officer. Things were looking a bit grim. But Ross Dickinson stepped in to be our acting health
director and with his experience and that great grin, we knew we were going to win!
Finally, after exactly 25 years we are moving once more. Oh, God, what a chore!
We work and pack to go to…..Holsonback?? Where's that??
Well, look on the bright side, we'll all be together again, like it was on Beach Street.
And that is hard to beat. Actually, it's really kinda neat!
So, it's a Health Departmenting we will go, from building to building, here we go!
What the future holds we do not know, but regardless of the buildings we are in, our public health
mission we know and we will win!
We, the public health employees, stand shoulder to shoulder to protect public health;
And for us, this mission is our life,
It's our wealth!
This poem is dedicated to all the public health employees, both past and present, who gave of
themselves in the vast mission of public health and to its citizens of Volusia County, whom
they have loyally served over these past 60 years of public health service,
and will continue to do so in the future, with dedicated resolve and professional distinction.
-P.R. Fell 5/17/02
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