Lake County Health Update, July 2016

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Health Department

Lake County Health Update                                                       July 2016                                                                                    


Mark Pfister

 Dear Lake County Residents:

For decades, the Lake County Health Department/Community Health Center (LCHD) has been the primary provider of substance abuse services for residents in the county. A recent increase in opioid addiction and saves from naloxone has led to LCHD increasing its response to the crisis and providing more resources for residents. A recent award from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of $325,000 will increase the number of treatment slots by 100 over the next two years. In addition to this, designating our Substance Abuse Program (SAP) at 3004 Grand Avenue as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) allows for the long-term sustainability of the program. The expansion of the program will also include offering Suboxone and Vivitrol as medication options. The funding will be given yearly as a part of the FQHC structure and help increase treatment continuity and reimbursement efforts which is a major focus of the long-term strategy of the agency. 

Continuing to educate providers will be critical in curbing the increase in addiction locally, regionally, and nationally.  Countywide collaborative efforts continue to help address the immediate needs of residents and will continue to help shape the agency’s response.  The expansion of the Medication Assisted Treatment program would not be possible without partnerships, especially the Health Department’s collaboration with the Lake County Opioid Initiative, Nicasa, and countless others. 

Sincerely,

Mark Pfister
Interim Executive Director
Lake County Health Department/
Community Health Center


Low-Cost Pet Vaccination Clinic is Sept. 10 in Grayslake

Low Cost - Pets

The Health Department’s Animal Care and Control program is offering low-cost pet vaccination clinics throughout the summer. The next clinic will be on Saturday, September 10 in Grayslake, from 9 a.m. to noon. It will be located at the Grayslake Police Department, 10 S. Seymour. The clinic offers an affordable way to update pets on their vaccinations and rabies tags. For more information on costs and services provided, click here


Rx For Health Coming August 13 to Lyons Woods in Waukegan

One Saturday per month from April through October the Health Department in collaboration with the Lake County Forest Preserve, NorthShore University Health System and other partners is offering “Rx for Health” walks. Each walk is  from 4-5 p.m. at a designated forest preserve. People who participate in the walk will have the chance to speak with a doctor and a naturalist about their health and nature. The next walk is Saturday, August 13 at Lyons Woods in Waukegan. Click here for a schedule of free walks that are open to the public.    

Birds

Avoid Bats to Prevent the Possible Spread of Rabies

Brown Bat

With summer in full swing, watch out for bats. While bats have mainly beneficial effects, with some species able to eat up to 600 insects in an hour, they are also the only animals that have tested positive for rabies in Lake County in over 15 years.  Because of the potential for the spread of rabies from bats to humans, the Health Department is urging Lake County residents to avoid contact with these animals. For tips on avoiding bats, click here.


Check Your Beach Before You Go

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the Health Department's Lakes Management Unit samples water at inland beaches as well as those along Lake Michigan. If the water samples come back with high levels of E coli, the management body for that beach is notified and will post signs indicating a swim ban is in place. For more information, click here.

Beach

Mosquitoes Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Lake County

mosquito

A mosquito pool, or a batch of mosquitoes, has tested positive for West Nile virus in Highland Park. This mosquito pool is the first confirmed presence of the disease in Lake County in 2016. Five human cases of West Nile virus were reported in Lake County in 2015. Lake County residents are urged to protect themselves against mosquito bites. For more information, click here.


Communities Come Together for Fellowship Day

Zion

Officers with the Zion and Waukegan Police Departments joined members of the Lake County Health Department’s New Life Recovery Center in Zion for an afternoon of games, food and socializing for Fellowship Day in Shiloh Park in late June.  The event brought together law enforcement and the Center’s members, who have been diagnosed with mental illness, for an afternoon of fun activities to build fellowship and understanding. Many of the clients of the Center formerly lived in state-funded facilities, but now live independently with professional support.

Patients and Volunteers Plant Garden During Dig Day

Be Well-Lake County, a diabetes management program and collaboration between NorthShore University HealthSystem and the Health Department, successfully launched its annual Community Garden "Dig Day" at North Chicago Health Center in early June. Volunteers and patients helped promote diabetes awareness within the community, tending to 127 earth boxes planted at Be Well's Community Garden.

The event successfully drew in patients, volunteers and University of Illinois Master Gardeners to assist in the planting process. The garden will provide fresh vegetables to patients, their families and members of the food-scarce community throughout the summer.

Boy with watering can
LCHD logo

Lake County Health Department
3010 Grand Ave.
Waukegan, Illinois 60085
(847) 377-8000