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February 2026 Public Health Newsletter

With love, from public health to you

We here at the Public Health Department love our community, and we want the best health possible for everyone that lives, works and plays in Oak Park! Read on for our public health Valentine's Day wishes for you!

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Beating the winter blahs

Feeling S.A.D.? As we enter the winter doldrums, it's time to highlight Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D). S.A.D is a form of depression that lasts for a season, typically during the winter months, due to decreased exposure to sunlight. Shorter days and the stress of the holidays can bring feelings of sadness, loneliness and fatigue. While it’s common to feel down during this time, there are simple steps you can take to protect your health.

If you are experiencing increased feelings of sadness, loneliness, or fatigue, we recommend that your reach out to your health care provider. Some of the treatments your provider may discuss include: 

Light therapy - sitting in front of a very bright light box every day for about 30−45 minutes, usually first thing in the morning, from fall to spring.

Psychotherapy - learning new ways of thinking and behaving and changing habits that contribute to depression

Antidepressant medications - These work by changing how the brain produces or uses certain chemicals involved in mood or stress. They can be effective alone or with psychotherapy.

Vitamin D - If suffering from a vitamin D deficiency, supplements may help improve symptoms

Prioritizing your well-being this time of year can make a big difference in how you feel. Any time you experience changes in your mood or feel overwhelmed, it's okay to reach out to a professional. Oak Park has two organizations that can provide help 24 hours. Contact Thrive Counseling Center or NAMI Metro Suburban

In case you missed it ... 

On Jan. 27, along with several other Village departments and commissions, we celebrated A Night in Our Village and presented the annual public health awards to individuals and businesses that create a healthier Oak Park. The Board of Health approves the nominations for the Fitzsimmons Public Health Award, the Johnson Restaurant Award and the David Haennicke Award, which focuses on substance use and harm reduction. 

Congratulations to all of our 2025 award winners!

• Dr. William Fitzsimmons Public Health Award 
  Frick Kids Art
• Johnson Restaurant Award
  Publican Quality Bread
  Sugar Beet Food Co-op
  Rustico
• David Haennicke Award
  Amaranth Sikandra 

Love yourself, love your heart
this American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month, and we encourage you to get and stay heart healthy! Currently, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and one of the top five causes of mortality here in Oak Park. There are many things you can do to reduce your risk. One way to increase heart health is to maintain regular physical activity, which can be as simple as going for a walk with a friend or while listening to music. If the ice and winter temperatures have kept you inside, consider walking the track at the Community Recreation Center at 229 Madison St. This option is free for all Oak Park residents. Learn more about the indoor track here. 

Check out our webpage for even more ways to keep your heart healthy so you can have more time with the ones you love!

Measles and COVID and Flu, Oh My! 

We're right in the middle of respiratory illness season, and our staff epidemiologist has just put the finishing touches on our quarterly epidemiology report. You can find the entire report, including data visualization, links to articles and more, here. For a preview, read below:  National data indicates that hospital admissions and emergency department visits for influenza-like illnesses have reached their highest level in two decades. Here in Illinois, respiratory illness trends are now declining after peaking the week of December 27.  COVID-19 has remained relatively mild in Illinois this season, accounting for just 1.4% of emergency department visits.  The United States is at risk of losing its status as a country that has eliminated measles, which it has maintained since the year 2000. In 2025, the U.S. had 2,225 measles cases, and there have already been 416 cases in 2026.  New information is being published about the MPOX vaccine. A study from the University of Milan showed vaccinated individuals had low or even undetectable antibodies two years post-vaccination. Health officials recommend those who have been vaccinated for MPOX talk to their health care provider about options.

Black History and Public Health: Freedom House Ambulance Service

This Black History month, we're highlighting the Freedom House Ambulance Service, which was established in 1967 and staffed entirely by black men and women from the Hill District in Pittsburgh. 

Freedom House provided training for unemployed members of the Hill District community, and taught them to become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). The Freedom House Ambulance service delivered paramedic response and care to its community, which lacked access to emergency services. The unique training of this group equipped them with skills like intubation and defibrillation, which no one had performed in the out-of-hospital setting before. The Freedom House training would eventually become the model for the national standard of EMT training.

You can learn more by watching the PBS documentary "The Freedom House Ambulance: The First Responders."