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, and free parenting classes.
Wear Your Red! (Posted 02/01/2012)
It’s time to start
looking in your closets and pulling out your
favorite red outfits! February is National Heart
Month and Friday, February 3rd, is
National Wear Red Day®.!
Don’t be shy ladies, put on that little red
dress! Go Red for Woman
is a campaign through the American Heart
Association that partners with The Heart
Truth® to support
National Wear Red Day®.
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health
Agency wants to encourage all residents to join
the awareness movement by wearing
red on February
3rd. (Even guys can don their favorite red shirt
or tie!) Please help us paint the
three-counties red
to promote heart health! And feel free to share
the attached
Heart Health Commitment form – Remember:
never let your heart’s desire become heart
disease!
January is National Birth Defects Prevention
Month (Posted 01/25/2012)
Birth defects are the leading cause of infant
mortality in the United States and account for
more than one of every five infant deaths. The
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health
Agency would like to remind you that January is
“National Birth Defects Prevention Month.” This
year’s campaign focuses on helping health
professionals and citizens take steps to reduce
risks associated with congenital heart defects.
It is estimated that 8 out of every 1,000 babies
born this year will suffer from a heart
abnormality. Learn ways to increase your
chances of having a healthy baby and how
WIC can
help!
For St. Joseph County Residents – Community
Health Assessment Project (Posted 01/24/2012)
In an effort to plan for future health related
needs, the St Joseph County Health Assessment
Project through the Access to Care Task Force
seeks to survey St. Joseph County residents.
The survey focuses on strengths, household
challenges and issues, as well as public
perception of needs in the area. This survey
monkey is available to complete online during
the dates of January 23 through February 23 at
www.SturgisHospital.com or
www.ThreeRiversHealth.org. Responses are
anonymous and cannot be identified. If you are
a St. Joseph County resident 18 years and older,
please help us help you plan for a healthier
tomorrow!
Bed Bugs are Back! (Posted 1/17/2012)
Yes, those pesky
little night time pests are on the rise yet
again. It is that time of year where a large
number of people are migrating south to warmer
weather, but they may be returning with some
uninvited guests! As the number of travelers
increase, clothing and luggage can become a
means of transportation for
bed bugs and if you’re not careful, they can
infest your homes. To learn more about how to
prevent, treat and when to seek a pest
management professional, visit the Michigan
Department of Community Health’s
Bed Bug Resource website.
Servsafe
Management Certification Course (Updated 1/18/12)
The next available
ServSafe classes will be held in Branch and
St. Joseph Counties in March. Please fill out
the registration form and return to the appropriate
office.
Ten Tips to Help You Prepare for Winter Travel
(Posted 01/06/2012)
While it may not
seem like winter yet, it will soon be upon us.
Getting around in the weather can be downright
difficult when faced with icy roads, snowy views
and a less than prepared vehicle. The
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health
Agency offers the following tips to help you
prepare for winter travel.
Public Health Views and News (Posted 01/04/2012)
In this issue of the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph
Community Health Agency’s Public Health Views
and News learn more about the Current Epidemic
of Oropharyngeal Cancer and steps that can be
taken to reduce the risk. Also included:
Information about the Health Department’s free
flu vaccination program for all county
residents; and Michigan’s efforts to reduce
infant mortality and obesity. Public Health
Views and News is a free publication published
by the health department for tri-county health
professionals to help keep them informed about
new and/or emerging public health issues.
When in Doubt…. Find Out! Don’t be a Health
Statistic this Holiday Season! (Posted
12/22/2011)
According to a
study published by the American Heart
Association, more people will experience
heart attacks during the upcoming holidays
of Christmas, Boxing Day (Dec. 26th) and New
Year’s Day then at any other time during the
year. Heavy foods and alcohol intake can
cause a heart arrhythmia that’s been dubbed
- “Holiday Heart Syndrome”. Combined with
cold weather, over exertion and holiday
stress, the syndrome can quickly result in a
heart attack. For many what seems like
indigestion is the first sign of a serious
health problem – so when in doubt … find
out!
Local Tobacco Reduction Efforts Recognized!
(Posted 12/19/2011)
The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health
Agency, through its Tobacco Reduction Action
Coalition (TRAC), is working hard with area
school districts to establish 24/7 tobacco-free
school health policies. These policies, which
include protection against newly emerging
tobacco products, are part of its efforts to
support healthy and tobacco-free learning
environments for children. Kelley Mapes,
Community Health Educator with the Health Agency
was recently recognized for her efforts at
October’s Tobacco Free Michigan (TFM) meeting
with an award.
Radon Gas as the #1 In-home Hazard (Posted
11/18/11)
A recent study by
Harvard University ranked radon as America's #1
in-home hazard. By taking a few simple
steps to test your home for
radon and fix if necessary, this health
hazard can be avoided. Branch, Hillsdale,
and St. Joseph counties are located in an area
known to have the highest recorded levels of
radon in the state, so testing is critical.
To assist you in testing your home, the
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health
Agency offers free charcoal radon test kits.
One charcoal kit is all you need to test your
home for radon.
Heading Off Head Lice (Posted 11/11/11)
With schools in
session and cold weather quickly upon us, the
Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health
Agency has received an increasing number of
reports of students who have contracted head
lice. Head
lice is a parasite (insect) that can be
found on the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes of
people. Head lice feed on human blood and live
close to the human scalp. While a nuisance, head
lice are not known to spread disease and can be
easily prevented, as well as controlled.
Creating Confident Caregivers (Updated
9/30/11)
Creating Confident
Caregivers utilizes the Savvy Caregiver Program, a
university-tested program for family member caring
for a loved one with memory loss or showing signs of
dementia. Three-hour sessions are held once a week
for four weeks, at no charge to participants. The
program provides participants with information,
skills, and attitudes to help them effectively
manage stress and increase their care giving skills.
You Can Find Out in 30 Minutes or Less if You or
Your Children are Eligible for Health Care Coverage
Find out if you qualify
for MIChild, Healthy Kids, Plan FIRST! or MOMs.
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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