01-03-2025
Mercer Board of Health recognizes nurse for years of service
By Jeff Harvey
for the bluefield daily telegraph
green valley — A Mercer County Health Department nurse with 32 years service received an honor from the West Virginia Council of Local Health Wednesday.
Ethel Yopp R.N., who started with the Mercer County Health Department in 1993, was nominated for the award by Health Department Administrator Lynn Legg.
In her nomination letter, Legg cited Yopp's long service, her patient relations, her service in the clinic's lab and her willingness to learn new things, among other accolades.
'Miss Ethel,' as she is often called by her patients, has spent over three decades serving the people of Mercer County. She has been a 'go-to' person for them when they have questions about health care,' Legg said.
The Mercer County Board of Health asked Yopp to come to their meeting to be honored and had to wait until she finished drawing blood from a patient .
In other developments at Wednesday's board of health meeting:
- Legg reported that SB-460, the bill which calls for vaccination exemptions for religious and other reasons, had passed the State Senate and was in committee in the House of Delegates.
- Legg said that the period for student athlete physicals and vaccinations would be May 13-30. There will be eight stops, covering all county high schools and middle schools and two elementary schools. Packets for parents are already available at each school.
- ''Bonnie's Bus' will be coming to Mercer County on June 26 to administer mammograms and 'Lucas's Bus' will be in the county on April 15 to do testing for lung cancer.
- As for flu cases , Legg said that 170 incidents of flu-like symptoms had been reported to the clinic, with approximately half being flu. West Virginia was in the upper half of flu cases in February.
Contact Jeff Harvey at
delimartman@
