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First District Health Unit has restarted the foot care program that had been halted due to a lack of funding and staffing shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The foot care program is designed to help patients who might not otherwise be able to give their feet general care. Cambree Johnson and Heatthyr Haugeberg, two foot care specialists who each studied in Seattle under the American Foot Care Nurses Association, explained the program helps patients "maintain healthy feet, improve comfort and mobility and make foot care accessible for those who have difficulty caring for their feet themselves." The program restarted in August and is operating with services available by appointment only.
The phone number to make appointments or for inquiries is 837-5135.
"We have seen a strong interest in our community members, and it is such a needed service. We are so glad that we were able to bring this service back to our public health unit,” Johnson said.
Johnson and Haugeberg explained First District Health Unit uses state of the art, sterile equipment and expressed the importance of sterilization. They highlighted the need for an autoclave, which the health unit will be able to purchase with a recent Aggie Foundation grant of $5,500. An autoclave is a machine that uses pressurized steam to sterilize medical equipment. Equipment used directly on patients needs to be constantly sanitized between uses to prevent the spread of infections.
“Our board was really excited to see the application,” Terry Peterson, executive director of the Aggie Foundation said. “It’s a great cause and will make impacts for people in need of that service for years to come. We’re proud to be able to help.”