Health department presents report

Services provided by the Southern Seven Health Department during Fiscal Year 2017 were highlighted at the most recent meeting of the Union County Board of Commissioners.

Southern Seven executive director/public health administrator Nancy Holt presented an annual report to the county board at its regular meeting on Friday morning, Jan. 26. The meeting was at the Union County Courthouse in Jonesboro.

The health department serves Union, Alexander, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope and Pulaski counties in Southern Illinois. The department’s administrative office is in Ullin.

The report presented by Holt to county officials covered the fiscal year which began on July 1, 2016, and continued through June 30, 2017. 

The report stated that 2016-2017 was the 38th year for Southern Seven to provide public health services in the region.

A report shared with county officials which summarized the health department’s overall activities noted that  “Fiscal Year 2017 was the second consecutive year that the State of Illinois failed to pass a State Budget.”

The report stated that the “impact of two years of fiscal uncertainty has had a tremendous impact on the operational infrastructure of our Public Health Division.”

While the health department has a budget for Fiscal Year 2018, “cash flow issues continue to impact day to day activities.”

The report stated that the health department has reduced hours of operations at all of its sites, “yet we are still providing services in all seven locations on a weekly basis.”

Southern Seven continues to work to meet the needs of the public through traditional programming and through the prevention and control of disease, providing health education and promotion, providing immunizations, assuring safe food and water and delivering preventive health services.

The health department also serves as the grantee for the federal Head Start program. The program offers traditional Head Start and Early Head Start services.

The health department voiced appreciation to all of those in the region who help to support its programs.

The report presented to the commissioners included a review of services and activities during Fiscal Year 2017 in Union County.

Some of the highlights, by category, included:

Child Health

Well child exams, 98. Adverse Pregnancy Outcome Reporting System at-risk infants home visits, 56. 

Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program/Family case Management (FCM) program clinic visits, 234. WIC/FCM children clinic visits, 512.

Blood lead screenings, 18. Dental sealant applications, 209.

Head Start vision screenings, 60. Head Start hearing screenings, 62.

Maternal/Women’s Health

WIC clinic visits (women), 230. FCM home visits (women), 230.

Pregnancy tests performed, 21. Genetic screenings, 77. Breast and cervical cancer program participants, 19.

Nutrition

WIC food instruments issued, 23,688. WIC clinic visits, 1,974. Nutrition education contacts, 922.

Cardiovascular Health/Chronic Disease

Blood pressure screenings, 114. Diabetes screenings, 25. Cholesterol screenings, 25.

Illinois Tobacco Free Communities Quitline call referrals, 23.

Early/Traditional Head Start

Early Head Start funded enrollment, 10. Head Start funded enrollment, 114. Children served during 2016-17 school year, 131. 

Head Start families served during 2016-2017 school year, 144. Head Start children served in home-based option, 12. Children transitioning to kindergarten, 60.

School Based Programs

Adolescent health services FLE participants, 97. 

Catch Onto Health Consortium (CATCH) student participants, 1,608. CATCH maintaining schools, six.

Reportable Communicable Diseases

Hepatitis B (acute and chronic), five. Hepatitis C (acute and chronic), 26. Rocky Mountain spotted fever, four.

Tuberculosis Program

TB skin tests performed, 339.

Immunizations

Child and adult immunizations, 1,036.

Environmental Health Program

Routine food inspections, 209. Temporary food inspections, 32. 

Mosquito pools tested, 12. Mosquitoes tested, 218.

Private sewage disposal inspections, 21. Private sewage system permits issued, 34.

Private water supply inspections, 25. Water well permits issued, 34.

The Gazette-Democrat

112 Lafayette St.
Anna, Illinois 62906
Office Number: (618) 833-2158
Email: news@annanews.com

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