Joel Tate named assistant Health Officer for the Mobile County Health Department

Mobile County Health Department's Joel Tate

MOBILE, Ala. -- Joel Tate has been named Assistant Health Officer for the 500-employee Mobile CountyHealth Department, Dr. Bernard H. Eichold II, MCHD’s Health Officer, announced this week.

Tate joined the Mobile County Health Department three years ago as Director of Program Services. He has 36 years of experience in health care and 27 as a hospital president and chief executive officer. Tate also is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.

“I’m looking forward to working more with our staff as we focus on the strategic planning process and our organizational effectiveness,” Tate said. “It’s vital that we continue to seek innovative ways to more effectively promote and protect public health in our community.”

Tate serves on the Board of School Commissioners in Satsuma and is a graduate of the 2013 class of Leadership Mobile. He earned a Master of Business Administration from Oklahoma City University and a bachelor’s degree in hospital administration from Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Okla.

“The Board of Health decided to fill the position as we work to move the Health Department’s strategic plan forward,” Eichold said.  In 2013, MCHD updated its logo to reflect a more modern approach to public health. “Tate has made a commitment to serve the agency for at least five years, which offers us additional stability moving forward.”

Born in Selma, Ala., Tate later moved to the Mobile area. He graduated from Satsuma High School. He served as a hospital administrator and CEO in Oklahoma and then in Jasper, Ala., before returning to Mobile in 2011. He and his wife, Lenore, live in Satsuma. They have three adult children.

Since 1816, the Mobile County Health Department and its staff have worked to promote and protect the health of those who live and work in Mobile County.  For more than a decade, MCHD has been continuously accredited by the Joint Commission and was the first public health agency in Alabama with this designation. In 2013, MCHD received its initial designation as a Primary Care Medical Home by the Joint Commission.

Dr. Bernard Eichold: Spice is a serious problem

MOBILE, Ala. -- Mobile County Health Department Health Officer Dr. Bernard Eichold II took part in a news conference with other law enforcement officials Wednesday, April 23, 2014, to talk about the dangers of Spice, a synthetic marijuana-like substance that has been blamed for a number of deaths in recent months.

 “This is a very serious medical problem that negatively impacts the health and well-being of our residents,” said Dr.Eichold, speaking at the Drug Education Council in Mobile. “Something is different in this product and we are very concerned about it. Spice is dangerous. It should be eliminated from our streets.”

More than 480 packets of spice were confiscated by Mobile County law enforcement on Wednesday, April 23, with names on the packaging that included Dr. Klimaxx Potpourri and Kush. The packages were put on display during the news conference.

“Spice will kill you,” said Debra Tillman with the Mobile County District Attorney’s office. “We have seen that and we are very serious about prosecuting those cases. “

Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran said he has been warning the public of the dangers of Spice for some time. “Now is the time to make sure your children know about this drug,” Cochran said. “If you know someone is providing it or selling it to your children we need to know about it.”

Family Health opens new office on Dauphin Island Parkway in Mobile

A variety of community leaders took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony for Family Health's newest clinic opening. From left to right, B.C. Rain principal Marlon Firle; Shayla Beaco, city of Mobile Mayor’s Office; Pillans Middle School Principal Edward Henderson, B.C. Rain administrative intern David Weems; Mobile County Public School Superintendent Martha L. Peek; Family Health Governing Council vice president Mervin Thomas; Family Health’s Dr. Mark Donahue and Family Health’s Dr. Linda Davenport.

 

MOBILE, Ala. -- Family Health, a division of the Mobile County Health Department formerly known as Primary Care, officially opened its newest health center today at 2601 Dauphin Island Parkway (DIP).  MCHD Health Officer Dr. Bernard Eichold II, Family Health CEO Susan Stiegler and other community leaders spoke at the ceremony.

"It starts with an idea and a need in the community," Stiegler said of how opening a new health center begins. "Our grants allow us to provide services on a sliding fee scale so we can open clinics with deidicated staff members who will provide care."

 

 The Mobile County Health Department and Family Health strategically locate health clinics in areas where access to quality primary care is most limited. In late 2012, the organization won a competitive national grant for $500,000 from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to pay for the renovation of the newest health center location on DIP. A local architect and contractors were used to complete the renovation.

 

In 2013, the Health Department and Family Health applied for and won a second competitive national ongoing grant for $650,000 from HRSA to pay for the annual operation of the Dauphin Island Parkway Health Center. This ongoing grant ensures the health center will be able to serve the public for years to come, health officials said.

The Dauphin Island Parkway Health Center will be open on weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., offering pediatric and adult health care services and family planning. A behavioral health coach also will be available to see patients. The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program will offer scheduled appointments as well. An outreach and enrollment specialist is on staff to assist with enrolling in health insurance through the federal marketplace. To make an appointment, call 251-690-8889.

 

The 4,300-square-foot facility features state-of-the-art exam rooms, new equipment and experienced health care providers. Fees are based on a sliding scale chart and no one is turned away because of an inability to pay.

 

About Family Health: In 1979, the Mobile County Health Department launched its primary care division  as a way to provide quality health care in areas where the needs are the greatest in Mobile County. Thirty-five years later, a new name and logo have been launched to reflect Family Care’s continuous commitment to providing healthcare for all generations. In 2013, more than 40,000 patients visited Family Health’s nine primary care sites. The DIP clinic is the tenth site for Family Care in the Mobile area.

About MCHD: Since 1816, the Mobile County Health Department and its staff have worked to promote and protect the health of those who live and work in Mobile County.  For more than a decade, MCHD has been continuously accredited by the Joint Commission and was the first public health agency in Alabama with this designation.