Denise James Is Responder Of The Week

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For Grant County Health Department Director Denise James her job is more than just a 9-5 proposition.

“You go to work to go to work, because you have to go to work, but this is something, for me and I’m pretty sure for all my staff, we love coming to work,” James said. “We like our job, we like what we do and we love the people we work with. It’s one of those heartfelt things.”

Come December, James will celebrate four years as the Health Department director, and in that time, she has expanded her education so she can better serve the community.

James has spent her entire working life in the health care industry, getting her start with the United Methodist Mexican Ministries at the Ulysses hospital, working in medical records and billing, then to the clinic billing and medical records, then back to the hospital and helped with the pharmacy and implementation of new systems.

“I’ve done everything but nursing, radiology, respiratory therapy – the clinical parts,” James said. “I did everything else, so public health – there’s a passion to public health. It’s a lot more fun than regular healthcare.

“There’s a good feeling to it, you’re doing some good, you’re helping people before something happens.”

Working in billing and the clinic at the hospital is more after care, she added.

“But to be boots on the ground running and helping people before something happens is, it’s just nice,” James said.

Working at the health department was a new opportunity James jumped at, “And I’ve loved it,” she said. “Best thing I ever did, it has been wonderful.”

James has continued her education and implemented new programs, some of which stopped during Covid, but she has since brought back.

“We’ve got the senior food boxes that come,” she said, adding there were 43 food boxes last week.

She started out with three to five and with the food boxes L-HEAT and the Kansas Food Bank have been doing, it has brought more applications for the health department food boxes, which are for 60 and up and have income limitations.

“We’re starting up our diabetic foot care, we’ve got all of our supplies in for that,” James said. “We’ll be doing appointments for toenails and calluses, and then the nurses will do like a mini pedicure.”

There is no age or income limitation for the diabetic foot care, and it’s on a cash basis so insurance won’t be billed.

“Our main focus is for the elderly and those who need a little extra assistance and you can’t get in to get a pedicure,” James said. “You just sometimes need your toenails clipped and we want to make sure we’re trying to do preventative care. So, if you do need to see the physician and we notice that, then we’re going to make sure you get in to see somebody and we’ll make your appointment, that way you’re referred, and you can get in faster.

“We want to try to do our best and whatever we can to continue the education.”

As for the future, James is hoping to get grants that will help them acquire diabetic supplies like testing strips and monitors, as well as educational training.

James implemented the “Community Health Worker” program two years ago.

“You come in and you say what you want to work on, we want to help you find your benefits, resources to help you with your issues, but you be self-sufficient in doing it,” James said. “We’re not there to make all your phone calls and do that stuff. We want to enable you to do better.”