This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
09/28/2016 08:30 AMLeslie Balch didn’t know what she wanted to be when she grew up until she was nearly 30 years old. She spent her time after high school earning a nursing degree and traveling, including spending time in Latin America working in public health through the Peace Corps in the early 1970s.
“I did some traveling, I did some soul searching, I worked as a nurse in Australia, and when I came back, I knew I wanted to be involved in a community that I cared about,” says Leslie. “Working in public health is not unlike a disease—it gets under your skin and you can’t get rid of it.”
When Leslie returned to America from her travels, she earned her first master’s degree in health education from Southern Connecticut State University and later earned a master’s from Yale University’s School of Public Health.
Leslie was a municipal health director for four years before being hired as director of the Quinnipiack Valley Health District (QVHD) about 25 years ago. The QVHD serves North Haven, Hamden, Bethany, and Woodbridge—about 100,000 people.
“I can say that after about 30 years in public health, I’m still excited about it, I still have energy about it, and I can’t imagine myself devoting my professional time to anything else,” says Leslie. “I like the dynamics of it even as we are changing. I like the people, I like the energy and commitment that goes into caring about our community. These are four great towns to work with.”
According to its website, qvhd.org, the QVHD’s mission is to “protect the residents of Bethany, Hamden, North Haven, and Woodbridge, Connecticut from disease, injury, and environmental health hazards through prevention, education, enforcement, and collaboration.”
As director, Leslie oversees the QVHD’s programs, investigation of complaints, and dissemination of information about how residents can lead a healthier lifestyle. The organization also works to enforce public health codes that can cause a risk to residents, inspecting issues such as lead paint, fire hazards, or hoarding.
Leslie is also involved in the licensing of food service establishments, public pools, and hotels and motels. The QVHD also inspects schools, daycares, student housing, and tattoo establishments. The QVHD also awards permits for and inspects septic systems and wells.
“Health is not just about a lack of illness or illness—it is determined by many factors: socioeconomic, behavioral, and the proximity of health care, good food, safe physical activity, and good education,” says Leslie. “Equity is really important as far as access to healthcare. The Affordable Care Act has been excellent and we have a high rate of insured people in our district, but I’m not sure the transportation and appointment systems have kept up with the coverage that is out there.”
Leslie notes that while socioeconomic factors make a big impact on public health, there are other challenges facing society as well, including violence and the rise of the use of heroin. In order to examine if the QVHD is meeting the needs of the communities it serves, the organization is in the midst of a community-wide health assessment.
“If we look globally, we also have violence and the opioid issue where heroin is on the street in Middle America,” says Leslie. “We are looking at what the community feels is needed so that they do have access to good food, good housing, good education—those things they need so they do have a healthier community. It has shown us there’s a lot of interest and people are connecting with us.”
Leslie grew up in West Haven and now lives in Cheshire with her husband, Anthony Cipriano. The couple has a daughter, who also pursued a master’s degree in public health.
“My advice to her was, ‘You’re going to school to get an education, not a job, so do something you love and you’ll come out with skills that are applicable,’” says Leslie, who has also been involved with the health district that serves Cheshire. “She took that to heart and now she is on the policy end of public health and making a difference and having an impact.”
Leslie has been teaching public health at Southern Connecticut State University for more than 20 years. In her downtime she enjoys time on the water, at the beach or visiting the islands, and handicrafts, including knitting, crocheting, and sewing.
She had an interest in engineering when she was young and still enjoys creating things and home improvement projects like laying tile, pouring cement, or wallpapering. Leslie also enjoys “building” meals for a crowd and the atmosphere that goes with dinner parties.
“I like to figure things out and put things together, to think outside of the box to find an innovative way to make things happen. That comes in handy when you’re running an agency,” says Leslie. QVDH “is about advocacy, health promotion, and making information easier for individuals to understand. We try to humanize it and localize it. We tell them where they can get more information and ways they can protect themselves.”
For information, visit qvhd.org.