COLUMBIA COUNTY
Coumbia County is located in North
Central Florida. The Columbia County Health Department is
in the largest city, Lake City. The population is 55,368.
According to the Office of the Governor, the 1997 median
household income was $26,181. The major employers are the
County School System and the VA Medical Center.
The Columbia County Health
Department (CCHD) has one doctor and one ARNP on
staff at all times. A pediatrician comes to the clinic
every Thursday. The Health Department also holds a clinic
in Fort White every Thursday for primary care. They offer
medical care to individuals who are below 100% of the
Federal Poverty Guidelines or who are on Medicaid. They
do not accept patients who have private insurance. There
is a school health program, with one nurse full-time in
each school (employed by the school board). The Health
Department provides the following services:
- Family planning
- Primary care
- Pediatrics
- Women's health
- Healthy Start
- STDs
- Colposcopy every 3 months
($20 charge)
- Tuberculosis
- Chronic disease program
- In addition the CCHD provides
anonymous or confidential Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV)/ Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
(AIDS) testing and counseling.
- The Ryan White (HIV/AIDS)
clinic
The Columbia County Health
Department maintains an informal arrangement
with local volunteer physicians to secure free or low
cost needed specialty medical care for patients referred
by the Health Department.
The Columbia County Health Department is
interested in professional volunteers. Please contact
Hugh Geibeig at 249 East Franklin Street, Lake City, FL
32055. He can also be reached by telephone at (904)
758-1037 or by SunCom at (904) 839-1037.
The American Cancer Society, in
partnership with the Volunteer Services Program
serves Columbia County with the "Early Diagnostic
Initiative". This initiative provides free
mammograms and/or sonograms, as well as follow-up medical
treatment to indigent, uninsured women identifying a
breast abnormality.
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