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April 2026 Public Health E-Newsletter |
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 National Public Health Week
This month we are shining a spotlight on public health itself, as Oak Park and other municipalities, organizations and public health professionals across the country celebrate National Public Health Week, which runs from April 6 through 12.
Often the work of public health goes unseen, as it focuses on behind-the-scenes work like prevention and planning for emergencies we hope never happen. Public health aims to improve population health and all the systems that go into making a community healthy, something we call the public health ecosystem. What makes up this ecosystem?
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Physical Health. These are things that are likely top of mind when you think of "health," but public health goes beyond the individual to a community-wide scale. Think: Community vaccine clinics, programs for free or low-cost physical checkups, easy to access and understandable information about eating healthy foods, exercising and what it means to get a good night’s rest.
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Mental Health. A robust public health ecosystem includes free mental
health screening, self-help resources and information about navigating the
complexities of mental health care in the community.
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Environmental Health. Our health, both physical and mental, is deeply tied to our surroundings and our environment. Public health professionals in the environmental
space help keep communities clean and the public informed about their air and water quality. They also monitor, regulate and inspect food safety in restaurants and grocery stores.
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Physical Safety. Another element of health is safety. Some public health workers focus on community violence prevention. Others establish and maintain local emergency alert systems, designed to ensure all community members can access critical information about natural disasters and other crises.
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Civic Health. Civic engagement and public health are connected, and public health professionals help increase their community’s civic health by supporting their access to reliable, nonpartisan civic information and health information based on the best available research and promising practices.
Who are public health professionals?
Our Oak Park Public Health Department is staffed with a variety of public health professionals. There are many jobs in the public health field, including:
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Restaurant inspectors
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Health educators
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Scientists and researchers
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Community planners
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Nutritionists
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Epidemiologists
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Public health nurses
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Policymakers
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Sanitarians
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We are grateful for the opportunity each day to strengthen Oak Park's public health ecosystem and bring public health initiatives to life for our community.
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Health and Wellness Fair
at the FFC
For the 10th year, the Oak Park and River Forest Chamber of Commerce will gather health professionals from across the region at its annual Health and Wellness Fair on Sunday, April 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Formula Fitness Club at 1114 Lake St. The Oak Park Public Health Department will be a featured organization with a table and several staff members on hand to share our local public health resources and answer any of your public health questions.
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Harm Reduction Outreach at
Harlem Green Line stop
Our staff will be joining several community partners, including the West Side Opioid Task Force, on Wednesday, April 22 for an afternoon of harm reduction outreach near the CTA Green Line Harlem stop. Along with Live4Lali, the Way Back Inn and other members of the taskforce, we will be sharing resources like Narcan pouches and sharps disposal containers with the community. In addition to the eight Narcan boxes throughout Oak Park maintained by the Public Health Department, there is a free Narcan vending machine at the Harlem Green Line stop.
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Sharps collection program starting strong
Just one month ago, we launched a program for the community to safely dispose of sharps, including items such as needles, syringes, lancets, auto-injectors like Epi pens and infusion sets. These items should not be thrown in the trash like regular garbage but instead must disposed of in a manner that is safe for sanitation workers and reduces the chances of injury or spread of disease for the whole community.
Residents can now bring in properly contained sharps to Village Hall during regular business hours and a trained staff member will assist in proper sharps disposal. You can learn more about the specifics of the program on our website. In the one month since our launch, an average of one resident per day has come to drop of sharps for safe disposal. If you have sharps at home and need a way to dispose of them safely, please come see us at Village Hall, 123 Madison St. between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. any weekday and we will assist you!
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Must be the season of the tick
As warmer temperatures draw us back outdoors into nature, our environmental health team wants you to know that ticks are now active in Illinois, and they are present in many habitats.
If you’re spending time outdoors hiking, gardening or mushroom hunting, a few simple precautions can help prevent tick bites and reduce your risk of illnesses like Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome.
How can you #fightthebite?
- Use insect repellent with DEET or picaridin
- Wear light-colored clothing and tuck pants into socks
- Walk in the center of trails and avoid tall grass
- Check yourself, your kids and pets for ticks after spending time outdoors
- Shower after spending time outdoors
If you find a tick, remove it quickly and watch for symptoms like a rash or fever. Contact your doctor if you develop unexplained illness after a tick bite
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New Village podcast features Public Health Department
The newly-launched Village of Oak Park podcast, Inside Oak Park, features the Public Health Department in its third episode, which was released on Monday in honor of National Public Health Week. The episode is hosted by the Village's Communications Manager Erik Jacobsen and features insight and conversation from our very own Public Health Director Greg Olsen and Health Education Manager Sara Semelka. Tune in to learn more about what public health means in Oak Park, what motivates Greg and Sara to do this work, and what Game of Thrones and public health have in common.
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April is Autism Acceptance Month. The autism spectrum includes a range of conditions that affect social skills, behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined by a certain set of behaviors and affects individuals differently and to varying degrees.
This month is an opportunity to learn a bit more about ASD what life is like for people who live with this condition. One of the biggest issues that people with ASD face is the feeling that they are not included and accepted. This feeling exists in children in school as well as adults at work and in the community. You can be a part of creating a more inclusive environment and community for people living with ASD. How?
- Keep an open mind and an open heart when interacting with autistic people.
- Invite people with ASD into your circles and to gatherings, including playdates, neighborhood get-togethers and block parties.
- Encourage others to treat autistic people with respect and understanding.
- Speak up if someone is bullying, gossiping about, or making fun of someone with ASD. By staking a stand, you can demonstrate that everyone deserves equal respect and kindness. Being a positive influence can encourage others to follow suit, creating a ripple effect of acceptance and support.
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