What's New In Our Area
Current Clinic & Program Calendars
Current calendars that show dates and times
of clinic
services and Healthy
Beginnings programs.
No One is
Immune – (Posted 6/30/09)
In these tough times, everyone has had to scale
back and Public Health is not immune to this
situation. Due to more than $150,000 in budget
cuts this fiscal year, we have had to reduce
some key staff and in addition, we will be
closing our Sturgis office as of August 1. We
have been working closely with our clients and
local providers to be sure everyone is informed
of this change and know where they can go for
services. We regret the inconvenience to the
community, but we have to stretch what we have
in the most efficient way to serve as many as we
can. We’re all in this together.
Public Health Views... and News (Posted 6/30/09)
Quarterly newsletter published by the Prevention,
Environmental Health, and Health Promotion Services
of Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health
Agency.
Summer Fun and Summer Responsibility (Posted
6/25/09)
Summer has finally arrived!! With summer comes
outdoor fun, especially here in Michigan. Lakes,
fishing, ballgames and great sports teams; we’ve got
it all. While having summer fun, however, we need
to take a little responsibility and use a little
common sense that will make this season more
enjoyable for everyone. Common sense includes
using sunscreen, not overdoing and becoming over
heated, and taking care not to leave children or
pets in a closed vehicle in the hot sun.
Responsibility is knowing that
skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the
US and we have the power of prevention in
remembering to put on some sunscreen before heading
out into the great outdoor of Michigan. Enjoy the
summer and GO TIGERS!
WHO Declares H1N1 a Pandemic (Level 6) (Posted
6/11/09)
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised the
pandemic threat level for the H1N1 flu to level 6
(out of 6), declaring it a full pandemic — the first
global flu pandemic in 41 years. This shift came
after a sharp rise in cases in Australia, which
reported 1,263 cases on June 11, 2009, as well as
rising numbers in Britain, Japan, Chile and
elsewhere. The current pandemic flu (H1N1), which
has resulted in mostly mild cases, is not more
deadly now that it has been declared a pandemic;
rather, the shift reflects the global spread of the
disease, not an increase in its severity.
Summer is Coming, Let’s Get Ready! (Posted
6/5/09)
With summer coming there’s lots to do. Make
vacation plans, get extra sunscreen, pump up the
bike tires and make an emergency plan! Yes you
heard it right. Summer is a great time to sit
out on the porch and put pen to paper working up
a plan for your family should an unexpected
problem arise. If you plan for it, and practice
your response, when it really happens you will
be ready. Not as exciting as going to the
beach, but you can go later, it’s supposed to be
sunny all day!!
Communicable
Disease Data (Updated 6/4/09) Up to date tracking of the most common
communicable diseases including; chicken pox, flu,
head lice, hepatitis and tuberculosis.
H1N1 Outbreak
Information (Updated May 21, 2009)
The outbreak of disease in people caused by a new
influenza virus of swine origin has continued to
evolve since first being reported in April. The
number of deaths in the U.S. continues to be low.
Testing of probable cases here in the State lab
continues, greatly decreasing the lag time in
reporting results. A
map of all states and the case counts per states
is now included with our updates. The CDC has
issued guidance documents for;
clinicians,
Parents,
epidemiologists,
lab workers,
patients,
pregnant women,
communities,
schools,
employers, and
travelers. All of these documents and more can
be found in the
guidance section of the CDC’s H1N1 site.
Michigan also updates case counts and information
specific to Michigan daily. The Community Health
Agency continues to stress common sense measure that
all citizens can take; washing hands frequently,
staying home when sick, don’t touch your eyes nose
or mouth if you haven’t recently washed your hands
Tough Times Call
for Calm, Resourcefulness and Knowledge
(Posted 3/25/09) Knowing how to navigate the system, whether
it be unemployment, Medicaid or any other
assistance one might need in tough economic
times, is a matter of keeping calm and
knowing what options are available to you.
It might be as simple as getting on Medicaid
for a couple of Months while you are between
jobs, or getting the Kids insured with
MiChild if that is a better fit.
Perhaps you need dental care or just need some help with
food. There are many services in our
local communities who can help and are more
than happy to do so. The key is
knowing where to go for assistance.
Here are some key places to start if you
have been hit by the economic bus that seems
to wheeling out of control. If you
don’t find what you need, call us, or call
someone else you know and trust.
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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