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1700 Bethany Ave. - P.O. Box 425 - Bethany, MO 64424 Phone: (660) 425-6324 Fax: (660) 425-7642 Mike O'Neal, Administrator E-mail: onealm@lpha.dhss.mo.gov |
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Harrison County Health Department Newsletter IN THIS ISSUE: Can Harrison County Be Smoke Free? What Is WIC and How Does It Help Your Community? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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There are 3 collisions in every crash:
First, your car hits something: for example, another car, a tree or a phone pole. The impact stops your car in about 1/10th of a second.
Just because your car stops doesn’t mean that what’s in the car stops. Anyone who is not belted in keeps going-at the speed of the vehicle right before the crash. Without safety belts, the collisions are awful: head hits windshield, rib cage meets the dashboard, face hits steering wheel, and on and on.
After the human collision, your body’s organs (brain, lungs, kidneys) are still moving. They can smash into each other and into bone, leading to serious injury or death. Safety belts help prevent the human collision and limit the force of the body’s internal collision. Safety belts double your chances of walking away from a crash without serious injury. Car crashes are the #1 threat to our children. Car crashes kill more children between the ages of 1 and 14 than any other cause. Children’s bodies are easily injured because their bones are softer, their ligaments are looser, and young children’s heads are heavy, in proportion to their bodies. Properly installed, safety seats reduce the risk of death for young children by about 55-70%. · The law states: Children who are under age 4 or who weigh less than 40 lbs. Must be secured in an appropriate child safety seat. · Children age 4 through 7 who weigh at least 40 lbs., must be in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat unless they are 80 lbs or 4’9” tall. · Children age 8 and older who weigh at least 80 lbs or are at least 4’9” are required to be secured by a safety belt or booster seat appropriate for that child. The Harrison County Health Department is now a NHTSA car seat check site. We can check your child’s car seat to assure you that it is installed correctly for optimum safety to your child. We have a Certified Passenger Safety Technician on staff, and offer a replacement car seat program. Call for an appointment at 425-6324 to have your child’s car seat inspected today. The right safety seat-installed and used properly-can save your child’s life!
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Can Harrison County Be Smoke Free?
That is a very good question. According to the Center
for Disease Control, 21% of U.S. adults smoke. That rate is down from about
40% in the 1970’s. The decline is good for health, but bad for the
remaining smokers. Twenty-three states now have complete bans on smoking
in indoor public places, including private establishments. Local ordinances
effectively keep other whole states smoke-free. This attack on smoking and
initiating bans is not an American innovation. Paris, France, with its
image of everyone smoking, has snuffed it out in some indoor public places
(not bars or cafes—yet). England passed an even tougher law, which
prohibits smoking in all public places, including pubs, after a three year
battle between anti-smoking forces and the bar and restaurant lobby. Italy
got on board two years ago, outlawing smoking in bars and restaurants along
with offices and other indoor public spaces. But there are still some places for those who want to
light up without being subject to scorn and ridicule, not to mention the
rain and harsh temperatures that come with being forced out onto the street
on bad weather days. Cities like St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Des Moines and
Myrtle Beach, S.C., are havens for the smoking crowd. Well needless to say
I am not very proud to live in a state with a major city (St. Louis) that is
ranked #1 as the Top Best City for Smokers. Why do you think this is?
Could it be that Missouri’s State cigarette tax is 17 cents per pack? The
average state cigarette tax is 35 cents and higher per pack. I think its
probably because the cities that mostly leave indoor smoking policies to
property owners are in states that charge low taxes (Missouri’s 17 cents per
pack is the nation’s lowest) and have high concentrations of smokers. Bethany has stepped up to the plate in the last few
years with a few business’s going smoke-free. They not only did this for
their customer’s benefit but also for their employees benefit, as second
hand smoke is harmful to everyone. If you work in a place where smoking is
allowed you can pretty much classify yourself as a smoker of sorts. This past month, the Harrison County Health Department
Board of Trustees approved a Tobacco-Free Policy (Indoors and Outdoors) as
of December 1, 2007. This policy covers any tobacco product and the use of
smokeless or “spit” tobacco, and applies to both employees and non-employee
visitors of the health department. Hopefully more public and private
entities in Harrison County will “Step Up To The Plate” and make Smoke-Free
policies of their own. |
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What Is WIC and How Does It Help Your Community? WIC is a supplemental food program for women, infants and children. Women that are pregnant, up to six month post-partum or breastfeeding an infant under one year old, children under five years of age could possible qualify for this program. Qualifications for this program are based on income in the household. If a child or women is on Missouri Health Net, previously called Medicaid, or food stamps they are automatically eligible for WIC. This program helps our community by supply nutrition education for women and children. The foods that can be available through this program include milk, cheese, eggs, juice, peanut butter, dried beans or dried peas, cereal, carrots, tuna and approved infant formula if the infant is not fully breastfed. The items provided are not meant to be the full nutrition for the participants; it is provided as a supplemental program. By helping our participants in WIC this helps them learn good eating habits so that they will continue these habits and our community in turn can become healthier. If you are or know an individual who could benefit from these services, call our office at 425-6324 and speak with the WIC department. With information gathered over the phone we should be able to help you know if you or your family might qualify for this program. We schedule appointments one day a week, so please call our office if you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment. Back to Top |
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Get Your Child's Well Check Here!
The Harrison County Health Department has been providing
the Well Child Clinic for many years. It is a free preventative health
service we offer to all children age one month to 5 years. What services are provided?
We check to see how well your child is growing and to see if there are any
signs of illness or any other problems. We answer your questions about your
child’s health and diet and give you advice. At every visit the parents are
given the Anticipatory guidelines for the next few months of their child’s
life. These tell them things to expect and activities they can do with their
child to help them accomplish them. This helps you to help your child develop
to his or her best potential. The sooner you begin your child’s regular well
check-ups the better. We usually see your child at 1or 2 months, 4 , 6 and 9
months, and at one year; then at 15, 18 months, and at age 2 years; then once
a year until they go to school.
If you would like to get your child’s well checks here, please call
425-6324. |
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Services Provided By Harrison County
Health Department
PUBLIC HEALTH Ø
Office Day & Countywide Blood Pressure Clinics Ø
Immunizations Ø
Cholesterol screenings and TB testing Ø
School Health Services Ø
Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Ø
Communicable Disease Surveillance & Reporting Ø
Vita Records (Birth and Death Certificates) Ø
Prenatal Health Ø
Public Health Nursing Visits Ø
Health Education Ø
Car Safety Seat Inspection Site Ø
Environmental services- inspections of restaurants, school kitchens,
motels, grocery stores and child care centers. Water testing, truck wrecks
involving food, food training, and other services such as Lead and Radon
testing. Ø
Well Child Clinics Ø
Emergency Planning HOME
HEALTH Ø
Nurses and Nursing Assistants (a staff member is on call 24 hours/7
days per week) Ø
Physical, Speech and Occupational Therapy HOSPICE v
Person’s certified by a Physician to have a prognosis of less than six
months to live v
Inability to pay does not disqualify a client for services. v
Medicare/Medicaid and State of Missouri Certified Program |
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