Community Health Services2022-01-27T12:20:00-06:00

Community Health Services

A Heart-Healthy Plan: Monitoring Your Cardiovascular Health

Your heart is unquestionably one of the hardest-working organs in your body. It continually pumps blood to deliver oxygen and nutrients to every cell. Therefore, keeping your heart healthy is essential for a long and active life. Fortunately, regular medical check-ups, routine labs, and other tests can help monitor your cardiovascular health and detect potential problems early. This article raises the importance of heart health and a plan of care you should consider.

Wintertime Indoor Exercise: Healthy and Cost-Effective

Physical inactivity can lead to weight gain, decreased cardiovascular health, and a potential decline in your mental well-being. To counteract these effects, find ways to include indoor physical activity in your daily routine. Here are some good ideas about how increasing your indoor activity can benefit you and some helpful tips to get moving at home today.

Happy New Year!

Thank you for your continued trust in the Moultrie County Health Department. With gratitude in our hearts, we look forward to continuing our commitment to serving and safeguarding the health of our community in the coming year.

Season’s Greetings

We extend our deepest gratitude to the people of our communities for their continuous support and cooperation throughout the year. Your commitment to health and well-being inspires us every day. Let’s embrace this festive time with compassion and a willingness to spread kindness and goodwill to all.

How Does the WIC Program Impact Families?

The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is considered one of the nation's most successful and cost-effective public health nutrition programs. Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, WIC’s mission is to safeguard the health of women, infants, and children under age 5 who are otherwise at nutrition risk.

Giving Our Seniors a Happy Christmas Season

The holiday season is traditionally a time to gather with family and friends, share meals, and exchange gifts. However, not everyone experiences holidays with the same level of joy and companionship. Seasonal holidays, especially Christmas, can be a lonely and isolated time for seniors. It’s important for all of us to recognize what may cause them to struggle during this time of year and how we can help.

Daylight Savings Time Reminds Us of an Essential Home Safety Tip

Daylight savings time ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 6, 2023. This event reminds us to reset our clocks (fall back 1 hour in the fall of the year). DST also reminds us to replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in our homes. It's an important reminder because these detection devices can help save our property and lives but are useless without working batteries.

Tricks to Make Halloween Treats Safer for Our Kids

Halloween is an exciting time for kids. They eagerly anticipate their costumes and the delicious treats they'll collect during their trick-or-treating activities. However, as parents, it's crucial to ensure that this fun-filled holiday remains safe for our “costumed wonders.” In this article, we'll share some tricks to help your children enjoy their Halloween treats while prioritizing their safety.

The High Cost of Loneliness

Some describe loneliness as a feeling of distress caused by a lack of meaningful, close relationships. In other words, loneliness can be defined as a lack of emotional connectedness. With this definition, it is important to acknowledge that one can be lonely in a crowd.

Announcing COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics for Children and Teens

Currently, the circulating variants of the Covid-19 virus are relatively mild and typically result in symptoms similar to a prolonged summer cold. However, like all viruses, Covid-19 affects all people differently. The Covid-19 virus can make those who are immune-compromised, including the elderly and some children, very ill for prolonged periods. Reducing the risk of infection is most important for these individuals because they are also at greater risk for lingering or long-term health problems.

Schedule Back-to-School Immunizations Today

If your children return to school in August, you don’t want to wait until the last minute to ensure they are ready. You may want to start thinking about their clothes, school supplies, and whatever else they need to begin their school year. The Moultrie County Health Department encourages you also to think ahead and schedule appointments for their vaccinations as you plan for your child’s return to school. If you wait until mid-August, your child may be delayed in getting the vaccines required to start school.

Staying Safe in Sunny Weather

Many of us look forward to bright and sunny weather because of the numerous recreational activities we enjoy. Regardless of the season, too much exposure to the sun can prove hazardous to your health. This sun damage is caused by invisible ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. It is caused by damage to nerve cells (neurons) in the brain and is a progressive disease. The neurons damaged first are those in parts of the brain responsible for memory, language, and thinking. As a result, the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease tend to be mild memory loss, impaired language skills, and difficulty thinking clearly.

Vector-borne Diseases in Central Illinois

Some vector-borne diseases will produce few noticeable symptoms in an infected person, and the illness may go undetected. However, the same diseases can also cause significant discomfort and illness, Including life-long disabilities or even death. The following is basic information on West Nile virus and Lyme disease, both of which are carried by vectors common in Central Illinois.

Summer Food Safety: Facts and Best Practices

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in six Americans (48 million people) become sick from food poisoning each year. These incidents send 128,000 Americans to the hospital, and an estimated 3,000 die annually from foodborne illnesses. Food safety is especially important as we approach Memorial Day weekend. This weekend traditionally marks the beginning of summer activities, many of which will involve preparing and serving food for family and friends.

Adults and the Importance of Immunizations

Immunizations (vaccines) help protect you from diseases caused by bacteria or viruses. What’s more, your immunity to these illnesses also protects others around you. As adults, most of us live busy lives with many responsibilities. The last thing you want to do is risk getting sick with a preventable infection.

Herd Immunity and Vaccinations

Herd immunity occurs when a significant portion of a population becomes immune to an infectious disease, limiting disease spread. When there are limits on the spread of the disease, even those not already immune have a reduced risk of exposure. Reducing the risk of disease spread is especially critical in protecting individuals who can’t be vaccinated. These would include newborns, those with compromised immune systems, and those who cannot tolerate the vaccine.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in the Home: Part 2

Natural and LP gas has a specific odor that alerts you of their presence. This feature is not true of carbon monoxide (CO). CO is a poisonous, flammable gas with no odor and color, making CO especially hazardous. We can breathe in CO with no sense of odor or irritation to our nose or throats. When we inhale CO, our blood cells attach to CO molecules instead of oxygen molecules. This process starves our organs of the oxygen needed for continued survival, resulting in illness and death. Children and the elderly, as well as individuals with heart or respiratory conditions, are especially vulnerable to the effects of CO.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in the Home: Part 1

The Center for Disease Control reports that over 400 Americans die from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning every year, typically in their home or car. Many of these deaths occur during the winter months. These are the months when people heat their homes while minimizing outside ventilation. Although CO levels may not prove high enough to be fatal, they can still result in serious illnesses. CO poisonings account for nearly 50,000 visits to hospital emergency departments each year.

National Poison Prevention Week: March 20-26, 2022

National Poison Prevention Week is observed the third week of March every year. Congress established the observance in 1961 to highlight the risks of being poisoned by household products. Although we’ve made substantial progress since the early 1970s, over 2 million poisonings are reported in the U.S. every year. What may surprise you is that over 90% of these occur in the home, and those affected most often are children under the age of 12.

WIC Farmer’s Market Program

The Moultrie County Health Department is pleased to announce the arrival of WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) in Moultrie County!

The WIC FMNP was established by Congress in 1992, to provide fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables to WIC participants, and to expand the awareness, use of, and sales at farmers’ markets. Pregnant & Breastfeeding women and children one year and older who are certified to receive WIC program benefits or who are on a waiting list for WIC certification are eligible to participate in the WIC FMNP. A variety of fresh, nutritious, unprepared, locally grown fruits, vegetables, and herbs may be purchased with FMNP coupons.

Farmers Market Coupons will be distributed by the MCHD beginning July 1st, 2018, to all eligible WIC participants. Come to the Moultrie County Health Department and get your WIC- FMNP coupons to enjoy the fresh produce of Moultrie County all summer long! No appointment needed.

Food Service Inspections & Permits

The Moultrie County Health Department provides routine inspections of Moultrie County retail food and food service facilities as required by the Illinois Department of Public Health. Consumer complaints, as well as potential foodborne illnesses, are also investigated. Temporary events conducted by non-food service organizations are reviewed to enhance the safety of food served to the public in Moultrie County. The Moultrie County Health Department routinely provides information and updates on food-related issues to all food service facilities, and upon request to residents of Moultrie County.

Download the Permit Application to Operate a Temporary Food Service Facility

Health Education

The Moultrie County Health Department welcomes the opportunity to educate individuals as well as the public at large on pertinent health topics. Topics have been presented at health fairs, schools, community organizations, public events, and at the Moultrie County Health Department. Topics covered range from healthy pregnancy and breastfeeding, tobacco prevention and cessation, adult health, food safety, and environmental health.

The Moultrie County Health Department works routinely with the Illinois Department of Public Health, community members, and organizations to identify and address priority health concerns in Moultrie County.

Tobacco-Free Communities Effort

The Moultrie County Health Department encourages everyone to lead a tobacco-free life and reduce the harmful effects of tobacco, smokeless tobacco, and second-hand smoke. The Illinois Tobacco Quitline provides assistance to all individuals with tobacco use cessation.

Smoke-Free Illinois was initiated in 2008 by the State of Illinois and requires all public places to be free of second-hand smoke inside the building and within 15 feet of all entrances and exits.

Vision and Hearing Testing

Vision And Hearing Screening services provided through the Moultrie County Health Department are available to all pre-school & school-age children in Moultrie County.

Interpretation of results and referrals to medical providers are made for clients as appropriate. Moultrie County Health Department staff are certified by the Illinois Department of Public Health in Vision and Hearing Screening.

Lead Screenings

The Moultrie County Health Department provides lead exposure screening and testing to all Moultrie County residents for whom such services are indicated. Assessment of lead risk exposure and testing are available any time at the Moultrie County Health Department. Interpretation of testing results and professional, confidential follow-up on lead exposure reduction are provided free of charge to Moultrie County residents.

Child Safety Seat Program

The Moultrie County Health Department continues to provide Child Safety Seat Assistance as a service to Moultrie County residents. A Certified Child Safety Seat Technician is available to provide education, evaluation, and assistance with proper child safety seat installation and use.

School Health Services

The Moultrie County Health Department offers a variety of school-based contractual services to public and private schools to ensure compliance with Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois State Board of Education requirements. These include (but are not limited to) immunization review and report completion, vision and hearing screening and report completion, on-site immunization clinics, head lice checks and other services/assistance as requested and appropriate.

Download the School Physical Form

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