Lana Cherrington may not become the City of Ironton’s most visible employee, but her role as the health department’s director of environmental health may make her one of its most important.

Cherrington was hired last week to fill the vacant position and help refocus the department on its health initiatives.

Bringing a wealth of experience to the table, Cherrington looks like a great addition to the health department team.

City and county health departments are often overlooked in their roles, pushing for public safety and health.

The Ironton Health Department addresses a variety of needs including restaurant and facility inspections, weed control, immunizations and vaccinations and much more.

Adding someone with Cherrington’s experience will greatly benefit health commissioner Laura Brown’s efforts to keep Ironton’s citizens healthy and safe.

Once Cherrington can get her feet beneath her, The Tribune will resume publishing restaurant inspections for Ironton establishments. We hope to expand the focus to the entire county and ultimately the Tri-State.

Keeping our citizens in our community healthy starts with a proactive approach the Ironton city health department has embraced. The citizens will be better for it.