What's New In Our Area
Current Clinic &
Program Calendars
Current calendars that
show dates and times for some of the services we
offer including: WIC, immunizations, food
manager classes, and free parenting classes.
Fruits and Vegetables Safety (Posted 9/13/17)
Eating a diet with
plenty of fruits and vegetables provides important
health benefits when you select and prepare them
safely. Fruits and vegetables add nutrients to your
diet that help protect you from heart disease,
stroke and some cancers. Selecting produce including
vegetables, fruits and nuts instead of high-calorie
foods can also help manage your weight. It is
important to make sure all fruits and vegetables are
washed properly. Raw fruits and vegetables may
contain harmful germs such as Salmonella, E. Coli
and Listeria which can make you and your family sick
with food poisoning.
Child Passenger Safety Week (Posted 9/13/17)
Buckle
Children the Right Way in the Right Seat
Every year
the Center for Disease Injury Center celebrates
Child Passenger Safety Week to raise awareness about
the importance of always properly buckling up
children to keep them as safe as possible on the
road. This year National Child Passenger Safety week
will take place from September 17 to September 23.
In the United States, motor vehicle crashes are the
leading cause of death among children.
West Nile Virus in St. Joseph County (Posted
9/13/17)
The Michigan Department
of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has notified
the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health
Agency that a horse in St. Joseph County has tested
positive for West Nile virus (WNV).
This is one of 13 horses that have tested
positive for WNV so far in Michigan in 2017.
The other Counties in Michigan with WNV
positive horses include Clinton, Livingston,
Jackson, Mecosta, Midland, Missaukee, Montcalm,
Osceola, Ottawa, Roscommon, and Wexford.
WNV is a mosquito-borne disease and poses a
risk for people and animals in Michigan.
“Horse owners are reminded to vaccinate their
horses to prevent WNV and Eastern Equine
Encephalitis which are both mosquito-borne
diseases,” states Rebecca Burns, Health Officer for
the Community Health Agency.
Asian Tiger Mosquito in Wayne County (Posted
8/29/17)
On August 25, 2017,
officials from the Michigan Department of Health and
Human Services (MDHHS) and the Wayne County Health
Department announced the identification of the Asian
tiger mosquito in Wayne County. This is the
first documentation of this type of mosquito in
Michigan. The Aedes albopicutus
species-commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito-
is capable of spreading the Zika virus; officials
emphasized that there is no evidence of Zika
virus-infected mosquitoes in Michigan or the entire
Midwest this year.
Rocket Blades: THE BRAIN SAFETY GAME (Posted
8/28/17)
Concussion affects
thousands of children each year and a lack of
awareness can put children at risk for serious
injury. With fall sports starting, it is
important coaches and players are educated on
concussion prevention and detection. A
concussion is a type of traumatic injury that
results from a hit to the body that causes the head
and brain to move rapidly back and forth. This
sudden movement causes the brain to bounce or twist
around in the skull thus creating chemical changes
in the brain and sometimes damages brain cells.
Powerful Tools for Caregivers (Posted
8/25/17)
The
Branch-St. Joseph Area Agency on Aging is sponsoring
a
Powerful Tools for Caregivers
class!! This
highly renowned class is being presented by our
partners at MSU Extension at the Three Rivers Senior
Center. It's a 6-week
educational program to help you take care of you
while caring for a relative, friend, or loved one.
The class meets once a week for six weeks from 1:00
p.m.-3:30 p.m. on the following Tuesdays:
Sept. 12, Sept. 19, Sept. 26, Oct. 3, Oct. 10, and
Oct. 17. The class is FREE but we ask that you
please call Pat at the Senior Center at 269-279-8083 to register
- Space is limited!
Powerful Tools for Caregivers (Posted
8/10/17)
The
Branch-St. Joseph Area Agency on Aging is sponsoring
a
Powerful Tools for Caregivers class!! This
highly renowned class is being presented by our
partners at MSU Extension over at the newly
renovated Burnside Center. It's a 6-week
educational program to help you take care of you
while caring for a relative, friend, or loved one.
The class meets once a week for six weeks from 9:30
a.m.-12:00 p.m. on the following Mondays: Aug.
14, Aug. 21, Aug. 28, Sept. 11, Sept. 18, and Sept.
25. The class is FREE but we ask that you
please call Burnside at 517-279-6565 to register, as
space is limited!
Bike Helmet Safety (Posted 8/3/17)
With the weather being
so nice and kids getting ready to go back to school,
riding your bike is a great way for families to take
advantage of the nice weather. Riding your bike is a
great exercise and also great for the environment.
When riding your bike, it’s important to make sure
you are protecting yourself at all times. Here are
some tips to help you be a safe cyclist:
Back to School Immunizations (Posted 7/28/17)
As students get ready
to head back to school, be sure that they have
everything they need on the first day -- especially
their back-to-school immunizations. Dr. H.
Lauren Vogel, D.O., Medical Director for the
tri-county health department states “Preschoolers to
college students need vaccinations. Before vaccines,
many children died from diseases that vaccines now
prevent, such as whooping cough, measles, and polio.
The same germs exist today, but because babies are
protected by vaccines, we don’t see these diseases
nearly as often.”
Shingles - Don't Suffer - Get the Shot! (Posted
7/27/17)
Almost 1 out of every 3
people in the United States will develop shingles in
their lifetime. There are an estimated 1
million cases of shingles each year in this country.
If you are over 60 years old, give yourself a little
piece of mind and let us give you the shot so you
don't end up as one of those people suffering from
shingles.
St. Joseph County Needs Assessment (Posted 7/26/17)
The 2017 Community
Health Needs Assessment is our effort to craft a
plan to meet the identified local health and medical
needs. The plan also suggests areas where other
local organizations and agencies might work with us
to achieve the outcomes contemplated by the report.
As you review this plan, we think you will find that
we have identified the most pressing needs of our
community and that our plans take steps to address
the needed improvements. We view this plan as a
guide, for how we along with other organizations and
agencies can collaborate to address the most
pressing health needs of the area.
Whooping Cough is on the Rise (Posted 7/25/17)
Three Rivers,
MI. Pertussis, also known as
whooping cough, is on the rise in the United States.
Current infant vaccinations may no longer be enough
since immunity against the disease seems to wear off
at adolescence age. According to the Center for
Disease Control, a preliminary count estimated over
11,000 pertussis cases in the past year, an increase
over two thousand from the previous year and the
highest count in 30 years. Pertussis is often fatal
to young babies; while older patients can recover,
they are the major source of infection for
vulnerable infants.
WIC: New Income Guidelines Released (Posted
7/17/17)
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
has released its
2017 WIC Income Guidelines. Effective July 1st,
these new income guidelines increase the income
eligibility threshold so that more women, infants
and children can receive healthy WIC foods. Now a
family of four can make an annual income up to
$45,510 and qualify for WIC. This equates to an
hourly wage of $21.87.
Public Health Views and News-Summer 2017
(Posted 7/11/17)
The Summer
Edition of the Public Health Views and
News is now available. In the Summer
2017-Edition of the Branch-Hillsdale-St.
Joseph Public Health Views and News,
learn more about: Lead
Blood Testing Safety-talks
about what tests to avoid and when to
get tested; Plants that
Bite-provides information on
how you can identify what plants are
dangerous and how you can protect
yourself. Zika
Surveillance. Also included in
this edition is, The New
and Improved MAPS Seminar
hosted by The University of Michigan
discussing how and why to use it when
prescribing opioids.
Annual Report Released (Posted 6/30/17)
Information on our
accomplishments for fiscal year 2015/2016.
Eating Outdoors in the Summer (Posted 6/27/17)
Summer is in full swing
making it a great time for family and friends to
spend more time cooking on the grill and enjoying
outdoor picnics. With the weather warming up, the
risk for foodborne illness increases. According to
the Food and Drug Administration, there are
approximately 48 million cases of foodborne illness
annually.
Perishable foods such as meat, poultry,
seafood, eggs, salad dressing and fresh fruit should
not sit out for more than two hours. Food sitting
out for too long can lead to foodborne illness
outbreaks.
Cook food to safe temperatures and
prepare your fruits and vegetables safely!
Food Manager Certification Class (Updated
6/28/17)
As of June 30, 2009,
all food service establishments are required to
employ a minimum of one certified managerial
employee. There are classes scheduled
throughout the year
Make Summer Safe for Kids! (Posted 6/16/17)
Learn how your
kids can enjoy the summer weather without risking
their health or safety.
Summer is
around the corner! It is a
wonderful time of the year for kids to enjoy an
assortment of both indoor and outdoor activities.
To make summer both safe and enjoyable for
your entire family, especially young children or
teens, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community
Health Agency highlights the importance of learning
ways to keep your kids safe and healthy while they
enjoy the summer fun.
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency Update
On Vapor Intrusion Investigation in Sturgis, MI
(Updated 6/30/17)
Michigan Department of
Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has been doing a vapor
intrusion investigation in Sturgis at the former
Kirsch Company site. This site was placed on the
Superfund Program in 1984 for chemical contamination
that was impacting local drinking water. The vapor
intrusion project is another level of investigation
resulting from the groundwater contamination. The
chemicals that have impacted the groundwater in this
area can give off gases (vapors) that can permeate
through the soil and migrate into the homes above
the plume.
The
investigation site is comprised of a 3 block area
which includes: E. West Street north to E. Hatch St.
and Jean Street west to Maple St. To this point 36
of the 44 homes impacted have had indoor air
testing. Of those homes tested, 4 of them had
levels above the health standard and have
consequently had mitigation systems installed to
remove the contaminated vapors. The MDEQ is
continuing to work with the remaining homes to
obtain access agreements to allow testing of the
indoor air.
Healthy Michigan Plan Is Here! (Posted April 1,
2014)
Looking for health care
coverage that works for your health and your budget?
As of April 1st, there's a new option to help
working people get healthy — at a cost that fits the
budget. It's the Healthy Michigan Plan. Through the
Healthy Michigan Plan, Medicaid is expanded to
adults who have incomes up to 133% of poverty. For
single individuals, this means an annual income up
to $16,000. For a family of four it means an annual
income up to $33,000. People shouldn't have to
choose between taking care of their health and
taking care of their bills. With the Healthy
Michigan Plan, they won’t have to. Contact your
local county health department office to learn if
you qualify.
Communicable
Disease Data (Updated
Monthly)
Up to date tracking of the most common
communicable diseases including; chicken pox, flu,
head lice, hepatitis and tuberculosis.
Archives
Information that was previously highlighted on the
front page of our web site.
What's New in Michigan & Nationally
Michigan
Department of Community Health
U.S.
Centers for Disease Control
International
Health News- World Health Organization
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