 |
Donald
(Don) Yousey, MPH
Brunswick County Department of Public Health
|
Don Yousey has been the “Non-Director”,
as he likes to call himself in Brunswick County in Bolivia, North Carolina
since May 1997.
Prior to going to Brunswick County,
Don was the Health Director in Bladen County for almost four years. Before
that, he served as a Public Health Officer for the United States Air Force
and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1993. Don received a RN diploma from
Marcy State Hospital School of Nursing in 1971, a BA in Psychology from Park
College in 1979 and a MPH from the University of Texas, Houston in 1984.
During his tenure in Brunswick
County, Don has put in place the Total Quality Management (TQM) form of leadership
which uses “bottom up” leadership. In it, he solicits the inputs
from all levels of the staff on how better to carry out their duties and improve
the way services are delivered. Hence the title “non-director”
as Don really believes the staff tells him what to do and not the reverse.
Some accomplishments during Don’s
tenure as Health Director include:
- Completely renovating the building
facility without the use of local tax dollars;
- Purchase of a $250,000 vehicle
fleet (again without the use of local tax dollars);
- Reduction of the Minority Infant
Mortality Rate from 16.3 in 1997 to an amazing 0.0 rate in 2000;
- Reversing the financial standing
of the health department from being almost broke in 1997 to where they have
an escrow account of over $900,000 in 2002; and
- Introduction of a medical outreach
unit to provide services within the communities so citizens did have to
travel to Bolivia to be served.
Public Health Vision:
Mr. Yousey believes that public health should be just what the name says.
That is, a facilitator for all the citizens served to enjoy optimal health.
Don feels strongly that unless all citizens have access to services and are
actively recruited to participate that the disparity in health indices between
the different races will never be eliminated. In support of this, Don advocates
for staff diversity that matches that of the citizenry served. Don frequently
says that people are most comfortable with people most like themselves. Thus,
when the staff makeup mirrors that of the people in the area served, then
everyone should be able to find someone on the staff they can relate to. Don
feels this approach was key to success Brunswick County had in reducing minority
infant mortality.
Community Involvement
- Member Area Mental Health Board
1998 – 2002
- Secretary of Brunswick County
Communities in Schools Board 2001 - 2002
- Literacy Council Board Member
1999 – 2002
- Aging Advisory Council 1998
– 2002
- Brunswick Transportation System
Board Member 1997 – 2002
- North Carolina Association
of Local Health Directors (NCALHD), Region 8 Representative 1997 –
2001
- NCALHD Secretary – 2002
Health Department Awards received
under Don’s Leadership
- National Association of City
and County Health Officials (NACCHO) Women and Children’s Health Award
recipient (Bladen County) 1997
- Outstanding Board of Health
of Year Award from the Association of North Carolina Boards of Health (ANCBH)
2002
- Glaxo-Welcome Award for Innovation
in Health Check/Health Choice
Enrollment
- Women, Infant and Children’s
Award for Excellence for Expanding
Enrollment for the year 2000
- Numerous Individual Awards
(EHS Supervisor of Year, Social Worker of the Year, Partnership for Children
Child Health Champion, etc.) were won by his staff
