HILLSBORO 鈥 The Jefferson County Health Department has opened a new clinic and headquarters here in a major expansion that began even as the office and its leaders were the target of vocal public mistrust, threats and protests during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jefferson County, the third-most populous county in the 51黑料 metro area and majority politically conservative, was one of the most contentious spots in the region during the pandemic. People objected to mask mandates and more.
Amanda Miller, an office support assistant the new Jefferson County Health Department clinic, works behind the service desk on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in Hillsboro. The $9.7 million facility, which also houses all the county's health programs, replaces their old building that was built in the mid 1950s.
鈥淚 think this location is something that I鈥檓 hoping takes our mind off of some of the past and helps us look to the future, get our focus back together and do those things that we do the best,鈥 said Steve Sikes, the Jefferson County Health Department鈥檚 executive director.
The 19,957-square-foot facility is more than twice the size of its 70-year-old location on Main Street. It boasts five exam rooms, two laboratories, consultation rooms for talks with specialists and a drive-thru area where residents can get tested for infectious diseases or have their children鈥檚 car seats checked without having to get out of their vehicle.
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Health department staff working in programs such as restaurant inspections, vector control and childhood lead exposure prevention have their own wing rather than having to walk by exam rooms. They now have space for large meetings and trainings as well as plenty of spots in the parking lot for visitors.
The intake area of the new Jefferson County Health Department clinic is photographed on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, in Hillsboro. The $9.7 million facility, which also houses all the county's health programs, replaces their old building that was built in the mid 1950s.
The health department on Wednesday will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon and offer tours until 5 p.m. of its new $9.7 million clinic and headquarters at 1515 Peach Tree Plaza Court in Hillsboro.
Sikes said throughout the challenges they faced during the pandemic, the staff and the board remained committed to purchasing land and building a new health facility, a process that began in 2021, because it was so clearly needed to better care for residents.
鈥淲e went through a rough time, not just in public health, everybody went through a rough time,鈥 he said. 鈥淏ut I think our message is strong ... that we鈥檙e doing the best that we can do for the citizens of this county.鈥
Regaining trust
Jefferson County, home to about 230,000 people, was not alone in its divisiveness and threats against public health officials during the pandemic but it was a local hotspot, said , who helped lead the 51黑料 County Department of Public Health through the start of the pandemic.
In the summer of 2020, dozens of protestors gathered at Jefferson County health board of trustees meetings to oppose requiring masks in public places.
Debbie Glass, who works at the new Jefferson County Health Department clinic, clears debris from the parking lot on Monday, Sept. 15, 2025, outside the facility's new drive-up communicable disease testing lab in Hillsboro. The $9.7 million facility, which also houses all the county's health programs, replaces their old building that was built in the mid 1950s.
Board member Suzy Davis was twice censured by the rest of the board 鈥 once in July 2021 for routinely undermining the department鈥檚 efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus; and again after a third-party firm found she had bullied then-director Kelley Vollmar and another employee.
Vollmar also faced harassment from the community. In October 2020, she shared details of the harassment with the Post-Dispatch, saying people searched her tax records, divorce proceedings and other information online to find where she lived, threatening to come to her home and protest.
A gun shop owner used his Facebook page to warn her that gun owners will 鈥渄ecide they鈥檝e had enough of the lies.鈥 Someone called her husband saying she was out with another man. People posted pictures of her on social media, altered to make her look like Adolf Hitler.
It took its toll. In 2024, Davis did not run for reelection and that February, Vollmar resigned after serving as director for nearly 10 years.
Attitudes might be changing. Local health departments have emerged as among the most trusted public services, according to a , a nonprofit working to improve the state鈥檚 public health system.
The poll found that 60% of Missourians trust their local public health department 鈥 making it the second-most trusted local institution after fire departments, ranking ahead of police and public schools. Local health departments rank ahead of state and federal public health agencies, too.
Among residents who use their local health department鈥檚 services, the trust percentage is even higher, at 71%.
In addition, the study found: 86% rate information received from their local health department as unbiased and accurate, 89% believe their department is transparent when sharing information about health issues and 83% support increasing public health funding in the state.
Schmidt, now president of the , said the poll shows that the services offered by local health departments 鈥 which are used by about 3.6 million Missourians 鈥 remain popular.
鈥淧eople want to eat in restaurants that are clean. People want to be in hotels that are clean. People want to know that if someone they were exposed to had tuberculosis, that someone would call and let them know and help them get tested,鈥 Schmidt said. 鈥淭hat if you don鈥檛 have insurance, someone can help you get screened for diabetes or heart disease and help you find access to other resources.鈥
More importantly, Schmidt said, the poll shows how to create more support. The more health departments interact with the community, the more trusted they become, she said.
She praised the Jefferson County Health Department for reaching out to parts of its county where residents hadn鈥檛 used its health services or participated in events, especially with use of its mobile dental and health clinics.
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 some real opportunities for this old-school community engagement, being really responsive to your community, and being really visible and present,鈥 Schmidt said.
The new Jefferson County Health Department clinic could add to that connection. It has been open a couple of months, and when people walk in, they remark how nice it is, said Sikes, the department director.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something I think the community can take pride in,鈥 he said. 鈥淲e did invest in a building that should be around for a while and serve the public the way they deserve to be served.鈥
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