South West Illinois News

As public health administrator at Randolph County Health Department, Angela Oathout is focused on maintaining a healthy community in every sense of the word.

“There are so many opportunities to help and make things better in regards to healthiness and wellness,” Oathout told SW Illinois News. “I want our county to be one of the healthiest in the state of Illinois. I promote healthy living and feel that others could benefit from having a mentor or coach to keep them on the right track by providing education in relation to healthy habits and education on how to track their own progress.”

Oathout was hired as the public health administrator in April 2019. Her responsibilities involve overseeing the operations and functionality of the health department of Randolph County. Among the services provided by the health department are nutrition education and counseling for parents, family case management, a tobacco use-prevention program, and a program intended to prevent the transmission of communicable diseases.

Randolph County Health Department Public Health Administrator Angela Oathout

“I have had a wonderful experience so far and I am going to like working with the communities within the county to educate them on wellness and the importance or preventive practices such as immunizations, healthy diets, regular exercise, risks of smoking and the signs and symptoms of heart disease and stroke,” Oathout said. “I am looking forward to working with other health-related organizations to combat the opioid abuse and misuse.”

Oathout is a lifelong resident of Illinois and has been a resident of Randolph County for 33 years. She holds a master’s degree in health care administration from St. Joseph’s College of Maine, and has 20 years of experience in health care and health care management.

Outside of work, Oathout practices what she preaches.

“I run and exercise regularly,” she said. “I love to be outside gardening, camping and horseback riding. I just started cycling with my husband as another way to promote my own personal wellness.”