Our History

Jackson County Health Department was established by referendum at the November 2, 1948 general election, as the 15th health department in Illinois. The County Board appointed the first Board of Health, with their first meeting held March 17, 1949. The offices at 1015½ Chestnut Street in Murphysboro were opened to the public on January 1, 1950. The primary services provided at that time were communicable disease control through immunizations in schools, venereal disease clinic, tuberculosis screening and treatment, program inspections of nursing homes, a dental program, food sanitation, solid waste, private sewage, and nuisance inspections.

Over the years, the programs & services have changed and grown. The department moved to its current location on Health Department Road in June 1986. The facility has expanded twice, in 2000 and 2008. As of January 2024, JCHD has 46 staff across five divisions.

Since 2003, the Jackson County Healthy Communities Coalition has served as an umbrella group for many of the health-related efforts in the county. It has become a hub of community programming in Jackson County and a model for coalitions throughout Southern Illinois. JCHD leads the Coalition and provides staff to assist with various action teams tasked with addressing priority health issues outlined in the Community Health Improvement Plan.