Dallas County Community Health Newsletter  -  January 2022

Health Department Update

Happy New Year Dallas County!

COVID-19 Update

Over the holidays, Dallas County has seen an expected uptick in COVID-19 cases. As of 12/30, our seven day average case rate was 376 per 100,000 people. To give context, we had less than 200 cases in the previous 7 day period. We highly encourage people to continue practicing public health prevention strategies so that we can get through this winter with minimal severe illness and alleviate the burden on our hospitals. 

• Get vaccinated and get a booster dose with eligible
• Wear your mask in indoor public settings
• Wash your hands frequently
• Distance from others
• Stay home when you aren't feeling well

In December, Iowa saw the introduction of the Omicron variant. Most of our cases continue to be Delta however, we are expecting to see more and more Omicron. Our prevention strategies remain the same-with a special emphasis on getting a booster vaccine. 

CDC has recently updated the isolation and quarantine guidance to align with our growing knowledge of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The new guidelines can be found at cdc.gov. If anyone has questions about these updates, please give us a call!

Dallas County is currently 64% vaccinated with 1 in 4 residents completing both the vaccine series and booster dose. COVID-19 vaccines are available for anyone 5 years and older and can be found at vaccinate.iowa.gov.

In Other News

The 2022 Community Health Speaker Series is scheduled for March 3rd, June 2nd, September 2nd, and December 1st. Please save the dates and let me know if you would like to be a featured speaker. 

Our Board of Health currently has a vacancy. If you are a Dallas County resident, interested in public health, and comfortable with finance/budgeting please fill out a volunteer application. Female candidates will be preferred for gender balance. 

We look forward to serving you in 2022!

Abigail Chihak, MSW, MPH

Community Health Administrator

Upcoming Events

Wednesdays 5:30pm
Cancer Education Series

Jan. 11th  2:00pm
Advancing Equity in Maternal & Infant Health

Jan. 13th   12:00pm
Stress: Signs, Symptoms, Management & Prevention

Jan. 20th  12:00pm
The Science Behind Mental Health

Feb. 1st   12:00pm
Talking to Children about Mental Illness

Feb. 1, 8, & 15  6:00pm
A Taste of Farm to School

Feb. 23rd   1:00pm
Trauma-Sensitive Programming: Using Mindfulness to Create Safe Space

Feb. 25th 
Community Food Systems Annual Event

SAVE THE DATE!

April 4th-10th
National Public Health Week

April 26th 9:00-4:00
Beyond the Bus: Healthcare on the Move

Aug. 16th-18th
National Conference on Health Communication, Marketing, and Media

Monthly Community Health Message

Radon Action Month January is National Radon Action Month! Radon is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas that can build up in your home. After smoking, it is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Testing your home is easy and inexpensive. Radon test kits can be purchased through the Dallas County Health Department website or by calling the office. They can also be found at your local hardware store.

Community Announcements

New Tools from the Office of the Surgeon General!

The Surgeon General's Community Toolkit for Addressing Health Misinformation provides specific guidance and resources for healthcare providers, educators, librarians, faith leaders, and trusted community members to understand, identify, and stop the spread of health misinformation in their communities.

The Surgeon General has also issued the Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health to highlight the urgent need to address the nation's youth mental health crisis. It provides recommendations that individuals, families, community organizations, technology companies, governments, and others can take to improve the mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults. 

Free Trainings for Community Groups!

Zion Integrated Behavioral Health Services will be offering the following trainings to community groups. These trainings can be held in person or via zoom and are approximately 60-90 minutes. For questions and/or to set up a training please contact amccall@zioniowa.org or 712-201-8455.

• Primary Prevention Strategies to Address Opioid Use at the Community Level
• Stigma Associated with Substance Use Disorder
• Psychostimulants: The Necessary Information for Iowa's Front Line
• General Overdose Education & Naloxone Distribution Training

New Travel Training Program!

HIRTA is excited to announce a new Travel Training Program! Have you ever thought about riding HIRTA or some other public transportation, but didn't because you're worried? maybe you aren't familiar with how to ride or what you're supposed to do. Travel Training might be for you! Learn more at ridehirta.com 

Funding Opportunities

No Kid Hungry Innovation Program

Application deadline: January 4, 2022
Program outline and application questions can be found at NoKidHungry.org

5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count Webinar & Sub-Grants

Webinar Date: January 5, 2022   2:00-3:00pm
School attendees will be invited to apply for a $1000 sub-grant

USDA Farm to School Grant

Application deadline: January 10, 2022  11:59pm ET
The RFA can be found at grants.gov 

DCHD Program Feature

Health Navigation The Health Navigation Program connects Dallas County residents with resources that will benefit their physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, financial, social, and environmental health. This program is available to all Dallas County residents at no cost. To connect with a Health Navigator or to make a referral to the program, call 515-993-3750.

This newsletter gives an overview of services and events in and around Dallas County in the upcoming month that are related to health and social well-being. If you or someone you know need more information about resources or services, please contact Dallas County Health Navigation at (515) 993-3750.

If you have an event, topic, or resource you want showcased in next month's newsletter please email the information to our Community Health Administrator, Abigail Chihak.