When Geraldine

Adams Stinchcomb became Fayette County's first public health nurse in

1949, she had to roll up her sleeves.

She faced enormous

tasks with few resources.

Mrs. Stinchcomb

recently was given special recognition as local health officials had a

tea in her honor.

Following an

outbreak of diphtheria in 1948, the County Board of Health and the state

health director met to organize a county-wide immunization clinic. There

were approximately 8,000 citizens and they received their shots in country

stores, churches and the American Legion Post House.

This took place

over a three-month period and, after this, the county Health Department

was formed.

"The shot

lady" as she came to be known, had an office of sorts in the building

now known as Jackson Insurance. The office was in the part of the building

facing the south end of the courthouse. It contained a roll top desk,

and she found an orange crate for a chair.

The Fayetteville

Woman's Club scouted around and collected other articles such as a used

refrigerator, a table and a few chairs, an examining table and baby scales,

and the Health Department was in business. They also painted a beer box

with black paint and put a handle on it so she could carry her supplies

around.

Clinics were

offered in the schools and there were 21 schools at that time, scattered

throughout the county. Transportation was very limited, and some of the

schools were in areas inaccessible by car.

In those clinics,

Mrs. Stinchcomb was met at the side of the road and driven to the school

in a one-horse wagon. The driver would wait until the clinic was over

and take her back to her car. On those days that each school was having

its clinic, the students considered it a holiday from lessons.

Later she added

a maternal child health clinic, but the only things she could offer in

the realm of prenatal care were blood pressure checks, urine tests and

nutrition information.

Mrs. Stinchcomb

was married to the late Hugh Stinchcomb, who was sheriff of Fayette County.

Often, along with giving shots, she was also checking in a prisoner.

Her children

include Harriett S. Hazelton, who has been a public health nurse for 21

years, Jerry, an educator who was Fayette County school superintendent

at one time, and Sandra S. Barge, a Fayette County school teacher.

During the

Health Department tea, Mrs. Stinchcomb was given several certificates

of appreciation from Cynthia Grant, R.N., county nurse manager, and the

Fayette County commissioners.

Remarks were

made by Dr. Ferrol Sams Jr.; Dr. Michael Brackett, medical director of

District 4 Public Health; Carole Robinson, R.N., chief nurse, Georgia

Public Health, and Susan Ayers, R.N., director of clinical services, District

4 Public Health.

Among the duties

of the 21 current Fayette County public health workers are seeing an average

of 1,630 clients a month and visiting the 220 eating establishment in

the county.