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.
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.
Zika Surveillance and
Community Support Program (Posted 6/30/17)
It's mosquito season
and the Health Department is collecting and
identifying mosquitoes as part of the Zika
Surveillance Program. Although Zika carrying
mosquitoes haven't been found in Michigan yet it's
always better to be aware of the risks and control
measures.
Mottville Fire Expected to Burn for Several Days
(Posted 6/29/17)
Three Rivers,
MI, Residents in St. Joseph County are seeing
the effects of a large fire burning that has been
burning in the Mottville area.
The fire started at Michiana Decorative Mulch
Company located on M-103 in Mottville township.
The fire has affected
approximately 15 acres and is being monitored by
local and regional firefighters. The fire is
expected to take several days to fully burn out but
it is not expected to spread.
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.
Skin Cancer Awareness! (Posted 6/5/17)
Nearly 5 million people
are treated for skin cancer each year in the United
States. Spending time outdoors is a terrific way to
improve your overall health and wellness; reduce
stress; promote mental health and stimulate vitamin
D production in the skin. However, your body can
only take in a limited amount of vitamin D at one
time. Too much ultraviolet exposure can increase
your risk for skin cancer, the most common cancer in
the United States.
Shingles – Don’t Suffer – Get the Shot! (Posted
2/27/17)
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!
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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