BEAUMONT, Texas — A new health department is on the way for Orange County. The county has been approved for a $1 million grant to set up shop.
For the last 30 years, Orange County residents used Hardin County as their health department.
Orange County Judge John Gothia told 12News COVID-19 made it difficult to share. He said they're parting ways for a good cause.
After three decades, residents will no longer have to drive to places like the Hardin County Health Department for medical needs.
“We have to go all the way to Port Arthur or Beaumont to get any kind of health service,” Patrica Alex said.
Alex said she's used to driving nearly a county over. Soon she'll be able to stay right within her community.
“We had an opportunity to be able to pursue getting a local health department back into Orange County again. We wanted to pursue that,” Orange County Judge John Gothia said.
Gothia said the county was approved for the $1 million grant to create a health department, which will be housed in a building off of Strickland Drive.
“Over 30 years, we have shared a health department with Hardin County,” Gothia said.
COVID-19 made county leaders realize it was time to part ways.
“Trying to share a health department between two, you know, reasonably large counties in east Texas has brought to the attention that we needed to be able to do more locally,” Gothia said.
With a recent spike in viruses, Gothia said he's looking forward to housing vaccines in his own county.
“Vaccinations, you know, a vaccine clinic a full vaccine clinic and not just COVID related, but all vaccines that our schools and our children have to have,” Gothia said.
Alex said she's looking forward to the convenience of having a health department in her neighborhood.
“That'll be good. We need that. I'm sure a lot of Orange County residents will love that also,” Alex said.
Gothia said he plans to have the health department fully staffed by October.
Once that's completed, they'll work on opening the doors to the public.