ABOVE: This billboard, out on highway 15, encourages people to reach out to Faribault and Martin County Health and Human Services if they have questions about Measles. The billboard project is part of over $90,000 they received as a part of the Child and Teen Check Up Grant.

FAIRMONT – Using funds from the Child and Teen Check Up Grant, Faribault and Martin County Health and Human Services (FMCHS) has been getting the word out in both physically and metaphorically large spaces.

The funding is part of Minnesota’s Early and Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment program, which FMCHS Family Health Supervisor Alyssa Johnson said is required in every state.

“It’s a federal program that provides comprehensive health and dental services to children under the age of 21 who are eligible for Medicaid,” she said. “What we do at the county level is promote well child checks. We help connect families to providers. We like to talk about immunizations, dental health and mental health care. It covers everything you need to make sure that you are getting regular checkups, that you’re healthy, happy and growing in your community.”

Using the state’s funding formula, FMCHS received $92,387 in 2025 and will receive $91,001 in 2026. Johnson said they have a team at the county that works together to decide how to best spend the funds.

“We do have things that we have to cover each year,” she said. “We have to provide individual outreach, which we send letters, we talk to people in person, we make phone calls, and so we always have to set aside money for that. We also, as a group, talk about what’s going on in our community. What are some things that we’ve been hearing?”

That is what inspired their billboard along Highway 15, near Les Schwab and UHD Clinic. Johnson said the goal is to let people know public health is there to answer their questions.

“We definitely want to dispel any misinformation that’s out there in the community,” she said. “We really want to direct people to their medical providers, or if they don’t have one, they can come to us and we can answer questions or connect them to a medical provider within our communities.”

Vaccination rates are decreasing in Martin County. The CDC recommends the MMR vaccine’s first dose for children aged 12-15 months, and only 79 percent of children born in Martin County in 2022 have received their first dose. This is compared to 91 percent of Martin County children born in 2020 who have received it.

Before going forward with the billboard, Johnson said they thought it through and looked at examples nearby to inform their decision.

“It’s big,” she said. “You drive past it. I know people are looking at billboards all the time. You see it with different companies. We know other counties within the state have used this as an approach for child and teen checkups. It’s nice you can quick glance, and if you have questions, you know who to reach out to later on.”

In addition to the big ‘screen’, FMCHS is also looking to tackle the small screen with a series of commercials in line with childhood health information. They found a partner in TEN17 Studios through City of Lakes Media, whom they’ve worked with before on radio commercials.

“They’re going to come in and take some video,” Johnson said. “I’m excited. I’m not sure how it’s gonna go. I think it will be good, though.”

In her 10 years with FMCHS, Johnson said she has seen this grant provide several kids with the information and support they need to succeed.

“I’ve seen where we’ve been able to quickly diagnose when a kiddo is having hearing issues and get them connected to other providers,” she said. “That can make such a huge difference just in their schoolwork. There’s always the big one with the mental health screenings that we can do at these appointments and getting kiddos connected to therapists or other mental health providers in our area.”

For now, Johnson said this program is not going away anytime soon, and their allotment for 2026 has already been calculated. She said without this funding, none of the programs currently funded by it would be possible.

“It’s pretty important,” she said. “It funds staff time, it funds the billboards. We can do that boots-on-the-ground work, but we can’t be everywhere all the time. This funding is actually pretty critical for us to be able to do this work.”

For more information, visit fmchs.com or call (507) 238-4757.