Syracuse Sun

The Oswego County Legislature appointed Vera Dunsmoor as the County’s new public health director in January and the New York State Department of Health recently confirmed that choice.

Dunsmoor has more than 15 years of public health experience, joining the county health department in 2007. She has worked in various roles throughout her career with the county, including public health nurse, supervising public health nurse, director of patient services and deputy director of public health. She most recently served as interim director of public health.

“Vera has considerable experience in health care and has done a great job in her role as interim director of public health,” said Oswego County Legislator James Karasek, District 22, chairman of the Legislature’s Health Committee. “She has demonstrated her dedication and strong work ethic throughout her years of service with the health department, making her an ideal candidate for director of public health.”

Dunsmoor’s experience includes working with health care partners to merge health care with traditional public health practices to improve health outcomes for residents as well as managing both professional and para-professional staff to provide quality and compassionate care to residents across the county.

“It is a great honor to be selected as Oswego County’s director of public health,” Dunsmoor said. “Our health department works diligently to promote and protect the health and well-being of our residents. We offer a wide scope of programs and resources related to preventative care, health education, emergency preparedness, environmental health, children with special needs and more.

“I look forward to continuing our efforts in these initiatives, working with staff and community partners to develop new public health strategies and leading our department as we strive to improve the overall wellness of Oswego County’s residents,” she added.

Dunsmoor received an associate degree in nursing from Cayuga Community College before going on to attend Roberts Wesleyan College where she received her bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s in nursing education.

Throughout her career, Dunsmoor has been involved with a variety of professional affiliations. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Weston T. Hyde Oswego County Educational Foundation and is a member of the NYS Association of County Health Officials (NYSACHO) and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO).

She has also received several honors, including being named on New York State’s Public Health Works Honor Roll in 2020. This recognition honors public health workers who have helped make New York one of the healthiest states in the country.

In 2019, Dunsmoor was awarded a mentorship grant from NACCHO in response to the opioid epidemic gripping the country. The “Overdose Prevention and Response Mentorship Program” partnered her with a mentor in a county with similar demographics to navigate effective strategies for responding to the crisis. Among other benefits, the program reinforced partnerships with law enforcement, which led to the development of a Public Health and Safety Team. The group will focus on using data driven strategies to reduce overdoses and deaths due to overdoses to create positive change in the community.

Oswego County Health Department services are available to every resident in the county. For more information, visit www.oswegocounty.com/health/ or call the health department at 315-349-3547. 

Original source can be found here.