The Elkhart County Health Department began in 1949. The first staff included a part-time Health Commissioner, Public Health Nurses who visited in schools and homes, Sanitarians who inspected restaurants and dairy farms, plus Vital Record Clerks who kept birth and death records. Today the department consists of over 100 people, including 70 full-time employees, working in five divisions. The Health Department offers services to all county residents with a vision of “Healthy Lives, Healthy Communities.”
The Department is lead by a Health Officer who is entrusted with the responsibility of addressing the public health concerns of Elkhart County. This is accomplished through the various divisions and programs of the Health Department. Our mission, and the mission of all health departments throughout the United States, is to promote a healthy life and lifestyle by increasing the quality and years of healthy life and eliminating health disparities. We carry out our mission in association with the Indiana State Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and other governmental and public health agencies.