About Us

Administration and Environmental Services

• Monday through Friday 8:00AM to 4:30PM

Nursing Services

• Monday through Friday 8:30AM to 4:30PM

Call for clinic hours and evening appointments.

To promote and improve the health of all Stark County residents

Striving toward a healthier community with public health excellence.

Jennifer Kungle, MD

• President

Braden Kail, OD

• Vice President

1. David Benner
2. Philip Francis
3. Karen Hiltbrand
4. Terrence Seeberger
5. David Thorley
6. Mohammed Ali

The Stark County Health Department is governed by an eight member Board of Health. The Chief Executive Officer is the Health Commissioner who also serves as Secretary to the Board.

The department is organized into three separate service areas each with a director who is responsible for the management of that service area.

The Administration and Support Service Area is the administrative branch of the department responsible for human resources, grants management, fiscal management, health education programs, data management, vital statistics, academic education, and administrative support.

The Environmental Service Area is the regulatory branch of the department responsible for managing environmental programs to protect the public’s health. Some of these programs include licensing and inspecting food service establishments, solid waste and infectious waste facilities, septic installations, plumbing, water sources, swimming pools, and schools.

The Nursing Service Area is responsible for promoting health and preventing illness in the community. The clinical programs of the service area include: Immunizations, Reproductive Health and Wellness, and WIC. This service area also conducts school nursing services; home visits for the Complex Medical Help program; investigation and control of communicable diseases; and outreach services to high risk pregnant women.

The Stark County Combined General Health District Board of Health meetings are held at 8:00 a.m., on the second Wednesday of every month in the Board Meeting room located at 7235 Whipple Avenue, N.W., North Canton, Ohio 44720. 

2026 Board of Health Meeting Dates:

• January 14, 2026
• February 11, 2026
• March 11, 2026
• April 8, 2026
• May 13, 2026
• June 10, 2026
• July 8, 2026
• August 12, 2026
• September 9, 2026
• October 14, 2026
• November 12, 2026
• December 8, 2026 

The Stark County Health Department celebrated its 100th anniversary in January of 2020. Several months later a global pandemic would call to action the health department and its partners to respond. Nearly two years on, the Stark County Health Department continues to respond to the pandemic. Health Commissioner Kirkland Norris wrote the following message in the 2020 Annual Report:

This year marks the 100th anniversary of two legislative acts that shaped the future of public health in Ohio. The Hughes Act and Griswold Act, both enacted in 1919, established the modern-day organization of local health departments and laid the foundation for Public Health efforts still in effect today.

The Stark County Health Department was founded on January 30, 1920, when the first meeting of the board of health was held. In the first year of existence the board spent countless hours developing a departmental organization and addressing some of the county’s most serious health issues. The most notable measure in 1920 was the ability of the board, in conjunction with the County Commissioners, to provide a place to be used as an isolation hospital for contagious diseases. This was later to become Molly Stark Hospital.

In the 100 years that have followed since the enactment of Hughes-Griswold, public health has had a significant impact on health and quality of life: People are living an average of 25 years longer; Small Pox, once a common, deadly occurrence, has been eradicated; motor vehicle fatalities have been reduced by 90 percent and deaths from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome have decreased 50 percent. Also, among the accomplishments of Public Health are: immunizations for children and adults, the control of infectious diseases, reduction of tobacco use, safer and healthier foods; better maternal and infant healthcare; increased preventative screenings, and public health preparedness and response.

Hughes-Griswold eliminated the village and township units and based local health administration onto cities and counties. A uniform structure for each health district was established, including boards of  health and who should be on the board of health, plus the creation of the district advisory council which appointed people to the board of health. The process of combing districts was also outlined. A minimum of three full- time employees were required for each district: a health officer, a public health nurse, and a clerk.

The legislation also spoke to specific “duties” for each district including basic services still performed today by local health departments. Those services include data collection, control and prevention of communicable disease, food safety, birth and death records, and “all steps necessary to protect the public’s health and to prevent disease.”

While the last 100 years have been filled with much success and progress, the next 100 years promise to show the ever-growing presence and importance of public health in our everyday lives. From the continued emphasis on the importance of immunizations, maternal and child health, food safety and vector surveillance, national accreditation, food deserts and cross-sector partnerships, 

public health is an ever evolving way of life.

Read about our first 75 years here.

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