David Purvis-Fenker
david@nmpaper.com
WABASH,IN After a server crash last year, the Wabash County Health Department is building a new database to store critical files and reports.
At the July 25 meeting of the Wabash County Commissioners, staff from the Health Department presented information concerning contracting with a company to build a database, and asking the commissioners to use trust money to fund the purchase.
“We actually had difficulties finding a company that would work with a small department,” Public Health Nurse Stephanie Shepherd said. “Some of them wouldn’t even give us a call back when they found out it was a less than $35,000 project.”
Also representing the Health Department were Wabash County Health Board Chair Keith Walters and Environmental Food Specialist, Richard Mofield.
The Health Department plans to work with the Digital Health Department to build their new database.
The database will cost slightly more than $15,700 for the initial setup. There will also be a yearly maintenance fee associated with the database, which is already in the 2017 budget for the department.
“The database will be used to store information such as onsite sewage records, meth reports, complaints, food records, all of our permits and all of our reports,” Environmental Health Specialist Jennifer Scott said.
The commissioners were concerned with state-level interaction and support for the database.
“Is there interaction with the state Department of Health?” chairman Barry Eppley asked. He further asked whether the new database would be compatible with the state department.
Shepherd said that The Digital Health Department will ensure that their database will be compatible with the state.
According to Scott, the Environmental Health Department currently does not have any method of digitally storing files.
Walters said that the Health Department’s previous system used software that was too outdated to function properly with the new hardware.
“Having the ability for the public to have direct access to public records is a long time coming. I have been lobbying for a database for record storage and public access for over a decade and am thrilled that the public will finally have instant access to our public records,” Scott said.
She said that the contract has been sent to The Digital Health Department and that the Wabash County Health Department is currently awaiting a timeline for the project.
“From prior conversations with the company, I expect to be live by the end of the year,” Scott said.