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Back in the Day April 1, 1921
A county nurse was hired at $125 per month.
January 9, 1981
The W.I.C. Program for Fair-field County was approved.
Acceptance of clients began on February 6, 1981.
FDH Health Matters
Winter/Spring 2015
The Fairfield Department of Health (FDH)
Nursing Division - Protecting Public Health One Person at a
Time
Immunization clinics are held at the Health Department by
appointment. Immunization late clinics are held the first and third
Tuesday of each month by appointment.
Regular events: Board of Health meetings
are held the second Wednes-day of each month at 3:00 p.m. at the
Health Depart-ment facility.
District Advisory Council meets on January 26, 2015, at 7:00
p.m., and again on March 2, 2015, at 7:00 p.m., at the Fairfield
County Courthouse.
Environmental Review Com-mittee (ERC) is a public forum for
discussing issues regarding Environmental Programs - ERC meetings
are held monthly at the Health Department begin-ning at 9:00
a.m.
Nursing Services Fairfield Department of Health public health
nurses serve the commu-nity in many ways. Fol-lowing are the
various programs they provide: Bureau for Children with Medical
Handi-caps (BCMH): The BCMH program is a health care program
through the Ohio De-partment of Health (ODH). It links families of
children with special health care needs to a network of quality
providers and helps families obtain payment for the services their
chil-dren need. The public health nurse assists families in
coordinating and obtaining care for their children on the BCMH
program. Help Me Grow Services: The Fairfield County Help Me Grow
(HMG) program contracts with the health department to provide
developmental evaluation services to children within Fair-field
County. The public health nurse works closely with HMG to ensure
that families receive the evaluation services according to state
mandates. Travel Immunizations: Each year, more Fairfield County
residents travel outside the United States. By providing
immunizations to travelers, your health department helps our
residents to keep healthy while traveling and helps prevent
potential disease outbreaks travelers could bring into the county.
The Fairfield Department of Health is a U.S.-certified Yellow Fever
vaccine provider, and nursing staff have been CDC-trained in
providing the vaccine and in educating travelers.
Issue 2
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FDH Health Matters Page 2
Infectious Disease Investigation and Control Program: The Ohio
Revised Code (O.R.C.) requires that all health care providers and
laboratories report specific infectious diseases to their local
health departments in an effort to protect the com-munity from
disease outbreaks. Public health nurses ensure proper
investigation, education, and follow-up on all mandated reportable
diseases. Perinatal Hepatitis B Program: The Perinatal Hepatitis B
Program is designed to help prevent exposure of newborns to
maternal Hepatitis B virus during delivery. The transmission of
peri-natal Hepatitis B infection can be prevented in about 95% of
cases. Child Fatality Review Board: The purpose of the Child
Fatality Review (CFR) Board is to reduce the incidence of
preventable child deaths within Fairfield County. The O.R.C.
307.621 mandates counties to participate in a CFR process and to
review all deaths of children under 18 years of age, from all
causes. All children’s deaths are investigated and reported by the
public health nurses. Tuberculosis (TB) Case Management: The Health
Department is the appointed TB Unit for the county as required by
law. Public health nurses provide county residents with TB
screenings for work, school, or after contact with a person with
TB. Nurses also provide case management for all active TB cases in
the county. Child and Family Health Service (CFHS): Using CFHS
grant funds provided by ODH, the public health nursing divi-sion
implements a community health assessment and planning process. This
is an ongoing process of identifying and analyzing a community’s
health problems, needs and assets, as well as its resources and
capacity to address priority needs. Children’s Immunization
Clinics: Available to all Fairfield County children from birth
through age 18, the goal of this clinic is to protect children from
preventable childhood illness. The clinic obtains the majority of
the vaccines for children from ODH at a reduced cost. This enables
the clinic to offer vaccines to all children, regardless of their
family’s ability to pay. This clinic is by ap-pointment only. Flu
Clinics: Each year, the Health Department provides seasonal flu
immunizations at various sites and for shut-ins throughout the
county, helping to ensure that those who might have difficulty
obtaining a flu shot can receive one. Immunization Action Plan
Program: This ODH grant is designed to raise and maintain infant
immunization rates in Fairfield County, primarily through
immunization assessment and education activities and secondarily
through reminder and recall efforts. Through grant funds, a public
health nurse is able to provide local health care providers with
vaccine and immuniza-tion education and to assist them in assessing
their immunization rates within their office.
The Public Health Nursing staff is here to serve residents in
Fairfield County. Please feel free to call them with any questions
or concerns, at (740) 652-2800. Gwen Shafer, RN, BSN - Nursing
Director
Nursing (cont. from page 1)
“Hand washing is like a ‘do-it-yourself’ vaccine—it involves
five simple steps (think Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, Dry). Clean
hands save lives.” -CDC
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We’re on the Web!
www.myfdh.org
Prevent • Protect • Promote
1550 Sheridan Drive, Suite 100 Lancaster, Ohio 43130
Phone: 740-652-2800 Fax: 740-653-6626 Coming Soon: Facebook
F a i r f i e ld D e p a r tm en t o f H ea l th
Dr. Mark Abei, Health Commissioner Larry Hanna,
Administrator
March is National Nutrition Month The theme for National
Nutrition Month is “Bite Into a Healthy Life-style.” The theme
encourages every-one to adopt eating and physical activity plans
that are focused on
consuming fewer calories, making healthy food choices and
getting daily exercise in order to achieve and maintain a healthy
weight and promote overall health. The WIC division would like to
challenge all employees to slow down and know when you’ve had
enough to eat. Quit eating before you feel full or “stuffed.” It
takes your brain 20 minutes to recognize the food you have eaten…
Once your brain recognizes the food you won’t feel hungry
anymore.
EBT Coming The Ohio WIC Nutrition Card is coming to Fairfield
Coun-ty. The Ohio WIC program is implementing the use of EBT
(electronic benefits transfer). This will replace the paper coupons
that participants currently use. With EBT, WIC participants use a
“smartcard” containing a microchip, on-to which WIC benefits have
been loaded for making pur-chases. We will be making this
transition in March. 2015.
A hearty, nutritious meal for the winter months! INGREDIENTS: 4
potatoes, baked, cooled & cubed (leave the skin on) 4 TBS
margarine 4 TBS flour 6 cups skim milk ¼ cup finely chopped onion ½
cup shredded carrots ½ cup finely chopped ham 1 chicken bouillon
cube ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese DIRECTIONS: Melt margarine in
large soup pan. Stir in flour, stir until smooth. Add onions,
carrots, ham, potatoes, & bouillon cube. Simmer over low heat
for 15 minutes. Add cheese & cook for 5 more minutes. Then,
enjoy!
Baked Potato Soup
Women, Infants and Children Women, Infants and Children program
is a nutrition and breastfeeding education program. WIC provides
nutritious foods that promote good health for pregnant women, women
who had a baby, breastfeeding moms, infants and children up to age
5. WIC provides nutrition and breastfeeding educa-tion and support,
referral for health care, and immun-ization screening and referral.
Eligibility Requirements Women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or
have a baby under six months old, and infants and children up to
five years old are eligible to apply for WIC. Qualifications
Participants must live in Ohio, meet WIC income guidelines and have
certain nutritional or health risks determined by a WIC Health
Professional. Gwen Shafer, RN, BSN - Nursing Director Mary Smith,
DTR, CLC - WIC Coordinator
WIC Program Offers Ed-ucation and Core Nutrition Care
The Pickerington WIC Satellite Clinic is held on Wednesdays and
Fridays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at 11050 Tussing Rd., Pickerington
(Fairfield County Government Services Building).
FDH Health Matters Page 3