Swain County Health Dept

What Swain County Health Dept does

Swain County Health Department is the public health agency of Swain County Government, headquartered at 545 Center Street in Bryson City, North Carolina. Founded as part of the county in 1871, it operates as a non-market, tax- and grant-funded department of county government delivering mandated public health services to a rural mountain jurisdiction of roughly 13,945 residents. The department's service portfolio spans nine programs: Family Planning, Adult Health Clinic, Communicable Disease Services (including free STD testing and treatment), a walk-in General Clinic, Health Education, Tobacco Prevention, the federal Women Infants & Children (WIC) nutrition program, Environmental Health Services, and Substance Abuse Prevention.

The Environmental Health Services line issues the full set of residential and commercial permits administered at the county level — septic, well construction, food service establishments, pools, tattoo facilities, temporary food booths, and water sample testing for bacteriological, chemical, nitrate, pesticide, and volatile organic analytes — at publicly listed unit prices (e.g., $450 for a 1-2 bedroom septic permit; $375 for a new well permit). Clinical services operate on a sliding fee scale indexed to income and accept North Carolina Medicaid. Programs are delivered by a full-time cadre comprising a Health Director (Alison Cochran), Assistant Health Director (Stacy Parris), Operations Director (Beth Floyd), Clinical Director (Megan Bernhisel), Environmental Health Supervisor (Brent Jones), public health nurses, environmental health specialists, nutritionists, a health educator, a social worker, and management support staff.

The business model is a hybrid of government appropriations and transactional fees. County taxes, state appropriations, and federal program grants (Medicaid, WIC, immunization) form the recurring revenue base, supplemented by per-unit permit and inspection fees and sliding-scale clinical co-payments. Distribution is exclusively local — walk-in clinic hours, Wednesday appointments, and online or in-person permit processing — and the unit operates under an Accredited Health Department designation from the NC Department of Health and Human Services that conditions access to state and federal funding streams. The unit is led under the County's Human Services Board policy framework, sits inside the broader County Commissioner-led governance structure, and has no private capital, subsidiaries, or equity holders.

Name

Swain County Health Dept

Legal name

County of Swain, North Carolina

Website

https://swaincountync.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1871

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Swain County Health Department is the public health agency of Swain County, NC, delivering family planning, WIC, immunizations, environmental health permitting, and substance abuse prevention to roughly 13,945 residents of Bryson City and surrounding rural areas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Health Services

NAICS

Administration of Public Health Programs (92312), Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Child & Family Health Departments (HLAJAAAK), Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion Departments (HLAJAAAN), Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

Keywords

• Public health services
• Environmental health permits
• WIC nutrition program
• Family planning clinic
• Communicable disease control

Headquarters

HQ city

Bryson City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Health Services Funding: Government-funded public health department supported by county taxes, state appropriations, and federal health program grants (Medicaid, WIC, etc.)
2. Environmental Health Permits and Fees: Fees collected for septic system permits, well construction permits, food service establishment permits, pool permits, tattoo permits, water sample testing, and related environmental health services
3. Clinical Service Fees: Sliding fee scale payments for family planning services, immunizations, and other clinical services; also accepts NC Medicaid

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Swain County Health Department is a county government public health agency providing clinical services (family planning, immunizations, STD testing, adult health clinic), nutrition programs (WIC with breastfeeding support), environmental health services (septic/well permits, food and pool inspections, water sample testing), and community health education including tobacco cessation and substance abuse prevention for Swain County, North Carolina residents.

Product overview

Swain County Health Department is a county government health agency offering public health services through multiple programs. The department provides healthcare services including Family Planning, Adult Health Clinic, Communicable Disease Services, STD testing, General Clinic walk-in services, Health Education, Tobacco Prevention, Substance Abuse Prevention, Women Infants & Children (WIC) nutrition program, and Environmental Health services (septic/well permits, food safety inspections, water testing). The department operates with a full-time staff including Health Director, Public Health Nurses, Environmental Health Specialists, Nutritionists, Health Educator, Social Worker, and Management Support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Planning Program
• Adult Health Clinic
• Communicable Disease Services
• General Clinic
• Health Education Program
• Tobacco Prevention Program
• Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program
• Environmental Health Services
• Substance Abuse Prevention Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Community Health Assessment conducted every 3 years to identify health factors affecting county residents

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NC DHHS (North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState health agency overseeing public health programs including Medicaid, WIC, and health department accreditation. DHHS provides funding, guidelines, and program requirements for county health departments.
• Region A Partnership for ChildrencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional organization focused on early childhood development and family support services in Region A (which includes Swain County)
• Coalition For A Drug-Free Swain CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity coalition addressing substance abuse prevention in Swain County, partnering with the health department on substance use/misuse prevention programs
• Vaya HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManaged care organization providing behavioral health services in western North Carolina including Swain County
• Appalachian Community ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health and substance abuse services provider serving western North Carolina communities
• NC Division of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState division providing public health guidance, disease surveillance, immunization programs, and health promotion initiatives that county health departments implement locally
• Swain County Community Health Assessment PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partners involved in conducting the Community Health Assessment (CHA) every 3 years, the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), and State of the County Health Report (SOTCH)

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cherokee County Health Department (NC): Neighboring NC mountain county providing the same suite of public health programs (family planning, WIC, environmental health, immunizations) under the same NC DHHS accreditation system. Closely comparable in scale and rural service delivery model.
• Macon County Health Department (NC): Adjacent western NC county health department delivering comparable public health services including environmental health permitting, WIC, family planning, and communicable disease control to a small mountain population. Same NC accreditation and funding framework.
• Jackson County Health Department (NC): Neighboring county health department in western North Carolina offering the same family planning, WIC, environmental health, and clinical service mix to a similarly rural population. Direct peer in scope, funding model, and service portfolio.
• Graham County Health Department (NC): Small rural NC county health department serving a population of similar size to Swain County with the same public health clinic, environmental health, and WIC services. Nearest scale comparable in the region.
• Haywood County Health Department (NC): Western NC county health department offering a comparable mix of clinical, environmental, and preventive public health services under the same NC DHHS oversight. Same regulatory framework and accreditation pathway.
• Appalachian District Health Department: Multi-county district health department serving Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties in western NC. Operates as a district rather than single-county model but delivers the same family planning, WIC, environmental health, and clinical programs to a similar rural Appalachian population.

Others

• Vaya Health: Managed care organization providing behavioral health services in western NC including Swain County. Functions as a complementary service partner and referral destination rather than a direct competitor, with overlapping county footprint.
• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO): National membership and advocacy association representing local health departments including county-level entities like Swain County. Provides accreditation support, funding access, and policy representation for the local public health department sector.

Broad incumbents

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Federal public health agency providing funding, guidance, surveillance systems, and program requirements that flow down to local health departments like Swain. Operates as the broad federal incumbent in the same public health ecosystem.
• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS): State-level public health authority that funds, accredits, and sets programmatic guidelines for all NC county health departments including Swain. Operates as the broader incumbent in the same regulatory and funding ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8tvwHNLvqnsVD39NNoJ37w
• Facebookfacebook.com/search/top?q=swain%20county%20government
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/county-of-swain

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Swain County Health Dept