Dallas County Community Health Newsletter  -  June 2022

Health Department Update

COVID-19 Update

Dallas County currently has a rate of 113 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. The Omicron variant and its sublineages are still the predominant form of COVID-19 in Iowa.

Children as young as 5 years are now eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot! Youth ages 5-11 may receive a booster dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 5 months after completing their primary vaccine series. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to schedule an appointment. Read the full CDC Statement at cdc.gov.

The Iowa Department of Public Health has shifted vaccination data reporting to a monthly schedule. Dallas County COVID-19 zip-code level vaccination data will follow the monthly update schedule and can be found at www.DallasCountyIowa.gov

Community Health Speaker Series

Our quarterly Community Health Speaker Series will feature the Dallas County Hospital & Family Medicine Clinics, Salvation Army, and ChildServe this June! Register to receive the Zoom call-in information and join us on June 2nd from 9:00-10:00am.

New Surgeon General Advisory

The Surgeon General has issued a new public health advisory Addressing Health Worker Burnout. This guide provides action steps for organizations, communities, and individuals to take together to address burnout among nurses, doctors, community health workers, public health staff and other health workers. Read the Advisory at HHS.gov.

Summer Safety

With Memorial Day weekend comes the unofficial start of summer. Reduce the risk of injury or illness. Take a moment to review these safety resources with your family.

• Protect your Skin
• Use Alcohol in Moderation (or not at all)
• Swim Safely
• Practice Food Safety at the Grill
• Review First Aid for Heat Illness

Find Food this Summer

Farmer's Markets are opening and are a great place to access fresh fruits and vegetables! Visit Spend Smart. Eat Smart. to learn about how to store and new ways to prepare your produce finds. 

Farmer's Market Nutrition Programs for WIC participants and older adults provide financial assistance to increase access to fresh produce for folks with lower incomes. Some markets also accept SNAP.

The Summer Food Service Program provides free healthy meals to children and teens throughout the summer. Text "Food" or "Comida" to 304-304 or visit SummerMealsIA.org to find a site near you! 

Have a Healthy & Happy June!

Abigail Chihak, MSW, MPH

Community Health Administrator

Upcoming Events

June 1st 12:00pm
Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Our Communities

June 2nd 9:00am
Community Health Speaker Series

June 3rd 5:00pm
Grand Opening of Triumph Park

Tuesdays in June
Brain Injury Fundamentals

June 8th  2:00pm
Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health

June 8th 12:00pm
Depression & Suicide in Young People: What Communities Need to Know

June 9th  9:00am
Mental Health First Aid

June 9th  1:00pm
Navigating the Intersection of Health and Housing

June 14th & 15th
Iowa Healthcare Collaborative Annual Forum

June 15th  12:00pm
Opportunities for Big "P" Policy Change in Increasing HPV Vaccine Uptake

June 16th  12:00pm
Promoting Full Equity: Creating Inclusive Chronic Disease Prevention & Management Programs

June 29th  1:00pm
Addressing Meth Use in the Midwest: Meth and Pregnancy

June 29th  5:30pm
HPV: Everything You Need to Know

July 5th 12:00pm
Introduction to Children's Mental Health

July 7th 9:00am
The Importance of Social Well-Being for Aging Adults

July 12th 9:00am
Youth Mental Health First Aid

Monthly Community Health Message

Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program

The Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) is returning this June! SFMNP reduces the financial barrier on fresh, local produce, by providing eligible residents with $30 in checks to use at the markets. Residents age 60 years and older with individual incomes of $2096/month or less, or a 2 person-household income of $2823/month or less, are eligible for the program. Health Navigators are assisting with registration. Simply call 515-993-3750 to apply. SFMNP is administered by Aging Resources of Central Iowa. 

Community Announcements

Hazard Mitigation Planning Meeting

Dallas County Emergency Management is beginning the first phase of the Hazard Mitigation Plan. The public is invited to attend to learn about Hazard Mitigation plans in the county and to provide any feedback. Jurisdictions (cities, school districts, rural water districts, etc.) must attend in order to participate in the plan and any connected FEMA funding. 

Round 1 of the Hazard Mitigation public planning meetings will take place on June 7th 1:30pm and can be attended in person at the Dallas County Human Services Campus or via Zoom. If you are interested in participating, please RSVP to Anthony Kohel.

New Mental Health Resources for Farmers

Iowa State University Extension & Outreach has several new resources to help our farming families recognize mental health concerns and locate resources. The Stress on the Farm booklet is geared towards families and the Farm Stress and Mental Health resource includes information targeted at professionals that interact with farmers and farming families regularly.

Free STI/HIV Clinic

Primary Healthcare and Polk County Health Department have partnered to provide FREE STI & HIV testing at the Redfield Medical Clinic on the last Tuesday of the month from 11:30am-2:00pm. Each participant will receive a Hy-Vee gift card. Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Hepatitis C, and HIV testing is available.  The clinic will be located at the Redfield Medical Clinic (1013 1st St). Learn more at PHCTheProject.org

Keep It Moving Summer Challenge

The American Public Health Association is launching its first ever summer Keep it Moving Challenge as part of APHA's 150th Anniversary. The Challenge encourages you to participate in some friendly competition with your peers as you get moving and climb the Challenge Leaderboard. This challenge officially kicks off June 21st and runs through September 5th. Learn more at HekaHealth.com

Funding Opportunities

Telligen Community Initiative 2022 Request for Proposals

Application deadline: June 13, 2022
Learn more and apply at TelligenCI.org/

Community Driven Approaches to Address Factors Contributing to Structural Racism in Public Health

Application deadline: July 15, 2022
Learn more and apply at Grants.gov

DCHD Program Feature

Community Health Program Our Community Health program assesses the health needs in the county, creates a health improvement plan, and then works with partners across the county to help make the healthy choice the easy choice. This program also provides health education and technical support for community-led health initiatives.  Learn more at www.DallasCountyIowa.Gov/PublicHealth

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.