My Vision for the Barton County Health Department
Julie Gibbs, MPH
Administrative Director
Local Health Officer
Barton County Health Department
In the heart of Barton County, where access to healthcare can be both a privilege and a challenge, I am honored to serve as the Director of the Barton County Health Department. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work in a variety of healthcare settings, including university health services, urgent care, a local health department, an assisted living facility, and a hospital system. Each role has been meaningful and rewarding, but no organization has inspired me quite like the Barton County Health Department. The unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of our community motivates me and reinforces my passion for public health service.
I am only in my third week, but I have already been impressed by both the services we provide and the way we provide them. From the front desk to the clinic, our caring and knowledgeable staff deliver excellent service and genuinely care about the people in our community.
With nearly 20 years of public health experience, I am committed to leading the Barton County Health Department with a focus on strong staff, excellent service, and meaningful connections throughout our community. Public health works best when we have the right people in place, the resources to support them, and strong partnerships that allow us to reach those who need us most.
One of my primary goals is to get our department fully staffed and to continue to create an environment where employees can grow professionally. Investing in our team through professional development, training, and opportunities to expand their skills will strengthen not only our employees, but the services we provide to Barton County.
I also want to maintain the excellent level of service our community has come to expect while continually looking for ways to improve. A key part of that will be strengthening our ability to identify and pursue grant opportunities so that we can bring additional resources into our programs and expand what we are able to accomplish.
Partnerships are another important part of my vision. By maximizing relationships with local organizations, healthcare providers, schools, businesses, and community leaders, we can work together more effectively to address the health needs of Barton County.
Finally, I want to sustain and build upon our outreach efforts. Being visible, accessible, and engaged in the community allows us to better understand local needs and ensure residents know about the resources and services available to them. The health department does a great job with flu and lab outreach. We currently have 28 scheduled outreach events for this fall. Our staff travel to schools, businesses, and surrounding small towns. I am so pleased with their level of commitment to keeping our community healthy and protected.
My goal is simple: to lead a health department with a strong team, excellent services, sustainable resources, and deep community partnerships. The staff here have already started this work, now we will continue to enhance what we have and sustain our programs and services to continue to make a positive difference in the lives of the people we serve.
We begin another round of quarterly “Becoming A Mom” classes in October with the first class on Tuesday, October 6, 2026 from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. For more information follow the link here: Barton County - Health Department | Classes & Meetings
The next “Drug Take Back Day” is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, 2026 – 10:00AM to 2:00PM – East Side of Barton County Courthouse – follow the link here: Drug Takeback - Oct 2026 (Eng)