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.
The ABCs of Infant Safe Sleep Practices (Posted
09/28/2016)
September is Infant
Safe Sleep Awareness Month and to recognize this
important observance, the Branch-Hillsdale-St.
Joseph Community Health Agency is reminding parents
and caregivers of techniques that can help to
substantially reduce the infant death rate in
Michigan. The message is as simple as ABC. All
infants need to sleep: Alone,
on their Backs
and in a Crib!
Tailgating Touchdowns for Food Safety! (Posted 09/23/2016)
When
it comes to football, defense matters. When it comes
to planning a tailgate party, a good defense against
foodborne illness matters even more. The
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency
is urging fans to follow the food safety play book
at the tailgate parties they host. Playing by the
rules will help everyone enjoy the game... and
their food.. safely!
Updated Guidance Available for Unsafe Contaminants
in Fish (Posted 09/23/2016)
The MDHHS
Toxicology and Response Section has released the
2016 Eat Safe Fish Guide. These guides are
grouped regionally and break down by county how
often it is safe to eat certain fish species from
various water bodies. The MDHHS Lab tests only
the edible sections of the fish - primarily the
filet - for a large suite of chemical contaminants.
In addition to the Guides, we also have other free
Eat Safe Fish print materials available for you to
distribute. To learn more, get a free copy
of your regional 2016 Eat Safe Fish Guide, or
request a quantity of any of our other free printed
materials, visit
www. michigan.gov/eatsafefish
or call 1-800-648-6942.
2016 Project Connect & Veterans Stand Down (Posted 09/23/2016)
The 2016 Project Connect & Veterans Stand Down
takes place on Friday, October 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. at Glen Oaks Community College, 62249 Shimmel
Road, Centreville, MI. This year's theme
is "Connect with all YOUR Community has to offer
you!"Project Connect offers lots of information
and free onsite services including: free meal
onsite, free coats, free food box, free haircuts and
free medical health screenings, free flu shots and
much more!. Veterans Stand Down helps vets link to
important veterans resources. Free transportation
to the event can be arranged 48 hours prior by
calling 269-273-7808 or 800-964-5700.
Get connected by attending Project Connect!
National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month (Posted 09/20/2016)
More than one in
three high school students living in Branch,
Hillsdale and St. Joseph Counties are overweight or
obese, according to the 2015-16 Michigan Profile for
Healthy Youth Survey (MiPhy) findings.
Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health
problems that were once seen only in adults, like
type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart
disease. The good news is that childhood
obesity can be prevented. In honor of National
Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, the
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency
encourages parents to follow these recommendations
for a healthy lifestyle that will benefit their
children throughout their lives.
Michigan Radon Workshops: Reducing Radon in New
Construction (Posted 09/13/2016)
People building a
new home understand the excitement and challenge
of getting it just right. Hours are spent
picking out cabinets, flooring and fixtures. But
just how much time is spent in making sure the
home is ‘radon’ safe? The Branch-Hillsdale-St.
Joseph Community Health Agency wants to assist
builders, building officials, realtors and
others in knowing how to build homes and
facilities that comply with national standards
for radon resistant new construction and is
promoting the ‘Michigan Radon Workshop: Reducing
Radon in New Construction.’ The
half-day conference, which costs $35 and
includes a continental breakfast along with all
workshop materials, is sponsored by the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality. The
conference is scheduled for October 25, 2016 at
the Fetzer Center, Western Michigan University,
Kalamazoo Michigan. To register, visit
Michigan Radon Workshops: Reducing Radon in New
Construction or call 517-284-6888.
New Public Health Dental Clinic in Coldwater!
(Posted 9/8/2016)
Coldwater will soon be
the new home of a public health dental center
operated by My Community Dental Centers, Inc. (MCDC)
on behalf of the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph
Community Health Agency. The center will serve
children and adults enrolled in Medicaid, including
Delta Dental Healthy Kids, MiChild and the Healthy
Michigan Plan, as well as low income, uninsured
persons. The center will also serve persons with
private insurance. Dr. Jacquelyn Merriman D.D.S.
and her staff joined the network of MCDC offices in
August and is now accepting new patients as a MCDC
provider. Anyone interested in scheduling an
appointment can call 877-313-6232.
Public Health Views and News - Special Edition -
Zika Virus (Posted 08/19/16)
In this Special Edition of the
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health
Agency’s
Public Health Views and News receive the
latest updates and resources from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
concerning Zika. In this edition, learn more
about: Zika Virus Epidemiology-
including modes of transmission and signs and
symptoms; Diagnoses and Testing for Zika
- how to request testing from the State
Laboratory through the local health department;
Types of Testing for Zika Virus
-including the types of specimens needed for
testing; Michigan Flowchart: Authorization
of Specimens for Zika Virus - view the
protocol for determining who should be tested;
and Mosquito Surveillance for Aedes Vectors
- local public health efforts to identify Aedes
mosquitoes.
Warm Weather, Bats and Rabies! (Posted 08/17/2016)
Hot days followed by
warmer nights are here, meaning that windows are
open most of the time. It’s the time of year that
bats can easily find their way into your home… do
you know what to do if you encounter a bat?
Back to School Immunizations! (Posted
08/12/2016)
As students head
back to school, be sure they have everything
they need on the first day -- especially their
back-to-school immunizations. School-age
children, from preschoolers to college students,
need vaccinations. Making sure that a
child receives all his/her vaccinations on time
is one of the most important things that a
parent can do to ensure their child's long-term
health—as well as the health of friends,
classmates, and others in your
community. Because vaccine-preventable
diseases, such as chicken pox, meningitis,
pertussis (whooping cough) and others, are still
being reported in Branch, Hillsdale, St. Joseph
and their neighboring counties, the health
department wants to remind parents that the best
way to protect their children and their families
from diseases is to immunize.
Good Hygiene Practices for Healthy Fair Attendance
(Posted 8/9/16)
It’s fair time and that
means lots of fun. There are funnel cakes, cotton
candy and lemonade made fresh in a cup. There are
also barns full of animals, with lots of people
walking through them. The Branch-Hillsdale-St.
Joseph Community Health Agency encourages fair
attendees to practice good hygiene while visiting
the fair. The Michigan Department of Health and
Human Services reported at least two cases of
variant influenza A/H3N2 (H3N2v), both of whom were
swine exhibitors at a county fair. In addition, the
health department has been notified that a
pig, shown last week at another county fair, has
tested positive for the same Influenza A virus.
While practicing good hygiene anywhere is always
important, practicing it at the fair this year is
even more so.
First Human West Nile Case Reported for 2016 (Posted
08/01/2016)
The Michigan
Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has
confirmed the first human case of West Nile Virus (WNV)
reported in Michigan for 2016. The person is an
older adult and resides in Livingston County. The
health department is encouraging residents to
take simple precautions that can help avoid mosquito
bites. Precautions include practicing the three
“R’s” – Remove standing water; Repel mosquitoes
with insect repellents; Repair or replace
torn screens on windows and doors.
WIC: New Income Guidelines Released (Posted
06/28/2016)
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
has released its
2016 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
$44,955 and qualify for WIC. This equates to an
hourly wage of $21.61.
What to Do About Food When You Have No Power (Posted 06/22/2016)
Power outages from weather emergencies compromise
the safety of stored food, but consumers can take steps to reduce food waste and
the risk of foodborne illness. The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health
Agency suggests you take
appropriate steps to safeguard your cold and frozen foods when faced with a
power outage.
Project Fresh Produce + WIC Foods = Delicious Nutrition! (Posted 06/22/2016)
Delicious apples, juicy peaches, yummy blueberries,
all Michigan grown fruits, that can be purchased at road side stands. Summer
provides parents and children an opportunity to experience the taste of Michigan
in new and exciting ways. Through Project Fresh, mothers and children who
receive WIC benefits, can now pick up their coupons and use them to purchase
fresh produce at participating farmer’s markets. Combine your fresh produce
purchases with other WIC foods to make recipes that pack a nutritious punch! To
receive more healthful recipes, informative tips, regular updates and
announcements about upcoming events, go to
www.Facebook.com/bhsjwic and “Like” our page.
Shingles – Don’t Suffer – Get the Shot! (Posted
11/6/15)
Almost 1 out
of every 3 people in the United States will develop
shingles (also known as zoster
or herpes zoster) in their lifetime. About
half of all cases occur in men and women 60 years
old or older. That’s why the Branch-Hillsdale-St.
Joseph Community Health Agency is recommending those
individuals get vaccinated against shingles. If you
are 60 years and older and lack health insurance
that covers the shingles vaccination, the health
department maybe able to help. Through the Michigan
Adult Vaccine Replacement program, the health
department has received a limited supply of free
vaccine to administer to eligible participants. Call
now to learn if you are eligible and to schedule an
appointment. Get the Shot - Not Shingles!
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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