Health department levy up for 5-year renewal

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“For the health department to continue to offer these programs, we are asking for the public to support our health levy! So as you go to the polls on November 7, please vote ‘yes’ to keep your community healthy and safe!” wrote Jeannie Bihl, health educator at the Fayette County Health Department.

The 2017 renewal levy for the Fayette County Health Department is for five years and .5-mill.

Bihl sent the following information about the Fayette County Health Department to the Record-Herald:

Have you been to the Health Department lately? Are you aware of all that they do there? There is always a nurse on duty so you can just walk in and have your blood pressure checked anytime, you may get immunizations that you need on a walk-in basis, and flu shots are available during the flu season. If you need a tuberculin skin test they are usually done on a Monday or Tuesday because you have to come back in 48 – 72 hours later and have them read. You may get your cholesterol checked free by calling and making an appointment, and you should fast for 12 hours before the test.

Did you know that they provide nurses at the local elementary and junior high schools (Miami Trace and Washington C.H.)? The nurses there see sick students, take care of injuries, pass out daily medications, help with the diabetics, and handle any emergency that may arise. Hearing and vision screens are done by the nurses at the schools as required in certain grades.

We have a nurse practitioner now, so Family Planning which offers STD testing and Birth Control is offered weekly on Wednesdays but you should call and make an appointment. Environmental is very busy making sure that our county has safe, clean restaurants to enjoy, and they also make sure that we have safe water and healthy sewage systems. In addition to that they test the public pools to ensure safe swimming. Hot tubs and wells are also inspected by environmental. When needed they are involved in keeping neighborhoods free of rodents and trash.

Help Me Grow is housed in the health department and offers lots of support and education to our young families by doing home visits. They also help with car seats when needed and if they have them available. There are two nurses who work with BCMH (Bureau of Children with Medical Handicaps) that are available to help families who have children with special health care needs to make sure they get the supplies and care they need.

WIC is an educational, nutritional program that helps pregnant mothers, babies and children up to age 5. WIC offers healthy food such as whole wheat bread, milk, eggs, cereal, fruits and vegetables. Nutritional classes are also taught according to the age of the child. They encourage and support breastfeeding and have pumps available if a mom is not able to get one.

For those trying to lose weight, the Health Department offers a class on Monday evenings called Fat Fighters. Weigh-in is from 5 to 5:30 p.m. and then there is an educational, motivational class from 5:30 to 6 p.m. This class is free and encourages eating healthy whole foods, moving more and drinking lots of water. People have lost anywhere from 10 to 115 pounds. Rolling Rimples is a competitive weight loss program between businesses in the area. People are divided into teams and nurses from the health department come to the place of business once a month with educational materials, fruit from Kroger, a healthy recipe and each participant is weighed. The winners get gift cards.

There is a team for Emergency Preparedness that is ready to help meet the needs of the community in case of an epidemic of any type.

As for many years, you may walk in and get a birth certificate if you are born in the state of Ohio or a death certificate if you pass away in Fayette County. Each cost is $22.

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Fayette County health renewal levy will not increase taxes

Submitted by the Fayette County Health Department

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