What to Know About the Measles Outbreak

Posted: 05/03/2019

Measles outbreaks are occurring in the United States. Between January 1 and July 3, 2019, 1,109 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 28 states, an increase of 14 cases from the previous week. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the U.S. since 1992 and since measles was declared eliminated in 2000. These current outbreaks are related to international travel by unvaccinated individuals. Two cases have been confirmed in Northeastern Iowa, both individuals were unvaccinated.

Symptoms of measles often include:

  • Cough
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Red, watery eyes
  • Fever (higher than 101o F)
  • Rash – flat, red areas all over the body, with raised bumps (usually starts at the head and spreads down the body)
  • Small spots with white or bluish-white centers on the inside of the cheek

Measles is highly contagious, and can have serious complications.  The MMR vaccine is proven to be safe and very effective.

  • Children need two doses of MMR vaccine. One dose at 12-15 months of age and a second dose at 4-6 years of age.
  • Adults born before 1957 probably had measles as children and are considered to be immune.
  • Adults born between 1957 and 1989 likely had one dose of MMR vaccine. Adults who will be traveling internationally where measles outbreaks are ongoing should contact their provider to get a second dose of MMR vaccine for added protection.

For more information on measles, go to:

Prevent Diabetes NW Iowa Coming to Rock Valley

Posted: 02/01/2019

PREVENT DIABETES NW IOWA:
A regional effort to prevent diabetes

If you:

  • Are overweight, or
  • Have Pre-Diabetes, or
  • Had gestational diabetes or
  • Have a family history of diabetes

You are at risk for Type 2 Diabetes

 

If you are at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, there is something you can do:

Join our lifestyle change program proven to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
It includes 22 sessions over 12 months led by trained lifestyle coaches who will help you lose weight, eat healthier, be more physically active, and manage stress, all while receiving group support from other participants.

 

Informational Session Thursday, February 5, 5-6 pm

When: Thursday starting Feb. 12
Time: 5-6 pm
Where: Hegg Health Center Wellness Center Conference Room
Cost: $175 (You can earn $75 back by attending regularly

 

 

 

TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Click Here or call 712.737.2971

 

Sponsored by:

New Openings for Prevent Diabetes NW Iowa

Posted: 01/03/2019

PREVENT DIABETES NW IOWA:
A regional effort to prevent diabetes

If you:

  • Are overweight, or
  • Have Pre-Diabetes, or
  • Had gestational diabetes or
  • Have a family history of diabetes

You are at risk for Type 2 Diabetes

 

If you are at risk for Type 2 Diabetes, there is something you can do:

Join our lifestyle change program proven to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
It includes 22 sessions over 12 months led by trained lifestyle coaches who will help you lose weight, eat healthier, be more physically active, and manage stress, all while receiving group support from other participants.

 

Informational Session Thursday, January 17, 5-6 pm

When: Thursday starting Jan. 24
Time: 5-6 pm
Where: Hawarden Regional Health Center
Cost: $175 (You can earn $75 back by attending regularly

 

 

 

TO REGISTER OR FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Click Here or call 712.737.2971

 

Sponsored by:

 

Community Health Needs Assessment

Posted: 12/03/2018

Your input is needed!

Every few years, public health agencies and hospitals reach out to community members to help shape decisions about improving our community’s health. In Sioux County, this is the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). Community Health Partners, Hawarden Regional Healthcare, Hegg Health Center, Orange City Area Health System, Sioux Center Health, and Promise Community Health Center are working together to complete both community and county-wide community health needs assessments. In the coming months, you may be asked to provide input through participating in a focus group or attending a stakeholder meeting. Please consider saying “yes!” to any or all of these opportunities to share your experiences and opinions about health related issues in your community and in Sioux County.

The first step in our CHNA process is a community survey. Households in Sioux County have been randomly chosen to receive a survey in the mail. If you do not receive a mailed CHNA survey, please participate online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2018SiouxCHNA. The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete and your responses are completely anonymous.

For more information on the Sioux County CHNA, please contact us at [email protected] or (712) 737-2971.

Prevent Diabetes Northwest Iowa is Coming to Hawarden

Posted: 11/20/2018

Prevent Diabetes Northwest Iowa / Prevent T2 will meet early next year beginning with an Informational Session on Thursday, January 17 from 5-6 p.m. 

Guided by trained lifestyle coaches, participants will learn the skills they need to make lifelong changes.

Participants learn

• to eat healthy

• to add physical activity to their routine

• to manage stress

• to stay motivated

• to solve problems that can get in the way of healthy changes

PreventT2 groups meet for a year — weekly for the first 6 months, then once a month for the second 6 months to maintain healthy lifestyle changes.

The local program will meet at Hawarden Regional Health Center – Conference Room 3 (use west entrance on Avenue L) from 5-6 pm, on Thursday nights beginning January 17, and costs $175.00 with the potential to earn back $75.00 based on group attendance. 

The program is offered by Community Health Partners, Hawarden Regional Healthcare, Hegg Health Center, Orange City Area Health System and Sioux Center Health.

PreventT2 is part of the National Diabetes Prevention Program, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To participate in the PreventT2 program, call 712.737.2971 or email [email protected]. Click here for our registration form. Registration deadline is Thursday, January 24.

People are more likely to have prediabetes and type 2 diabetes if they: 

• Are 45 years of age or older

• Are overweight

• Have a family history of type 2 diabetes 

• Are physically active fewer than three times per week OR

• Have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy or gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds 

To be eligible for referral, patients must meet the following requirements:
  • Be at least 18 years old and
  • Be overweight (body mass index ≥25; ≥23 if Asian) and
  • Have no previous diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes and
    • Have a blood test result in the prediabetes range within the past year:Hemoglobin A1C: 5.7%–6.4% or
    • Fasting plasma glucose: 100–125 mg/dL or
    • Two-hour plasma glucose (after a 75 gm glucose load): 140–199 mg/dL or
  • Be previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes
Prediabetes can be diagnosed via oral glucose tolerance tests, fasting blood glucose tests, or an A1C test. Blood-based testing is the most accurate way to determine if a patient has prediabetes.
If you’re interested in this program, please click here to register by January 24.

 

Protect Yourself from West Nile Virus

Posted: 10/02/2018

West Nile Virus (WNV) cases in Iowa have hit the second highest number since 2003. There have been three deaths in Iowa in 2018 associated with WNV. West Nile Virus is transmitted by mosquitos. Mosquitos will remain active until the first hard frost of the season.

Most people infected with WNV do not develop symptoms. About one in five infected people develop a fever and symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea and a rash.
The best way to prevent West Nile Virus is to protect yourself from mosquito bites. Remember “COVER and DRAIN:”

COVER yourself and your home
• wear shoes, socks, long pants and long sleeves when outdoors
• apply mosquito repellent with DEET, picaridin, IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus, to bare skin and clothing; read label directions
• cover doors and windows with screens to keep mosquitoes out of your house; repair holes in screens

DRAIN standing water around your home because that’s where mosquitoes lay eggs
• empty standing water from flowerpots, garbage cans, house gutters, buckets, plastic swimming pools, birdbaths, pet water dishes, or any other container where water has collected

Avoid outdoor activities at dawn and dusk when mosquitos are most active.

For more information about West Nile virus, visit: idph.iowa.gov/cade/disease-information/west-nile-virus.

Flu Shots Available Now

Posted: 09/17/2018

Who will you protect by getting your flu shot?

Protect your family from influenza by getting a flu shot for everyone in your home. Community Health Partners is offering two flu clinics on October 2 from 10:30am to 12:30pm and October 4 from 3:00 to 5:00pm.

Community Health Partners also has flu shots available at our monthly immunization clinics for children ages 6 months to 18 years who are on Medicaid and those who are uninsured or underinsured.

Please print and fill out this form if you are able and bring it with you to clinic, as it will save time during the check-in process. For more info on immunizations and the clinic schedule, click here.

Most area medical clinics also offer flu shots. If you have any questions about where you can get a flu shot, call Community Health Partners at 712-737-2971 or your medical provider. Click here for a list of local medical clinics and centers offering immunizations.

 

 

 

 

Take a Step: Prevent Diabetes Northwest Iowa

Posted: 08/01/2018

Prevent Diabetes Northwest Iowa / Prevent T2 will meet this summer beginning Thursday, August 30 from 5-6 p.m. 

Guided by trained lifestyle coaches, participants will learn the skills they need to make lifelong changes.

Participants learn

• to eat healthy

• to add physical activity to their routine

• to manage stress

• to stay motivated

• to solve problems that can get in the way of healthy changes

PreventT2 groups meet for a year — weekly for the first 6 months, then once a month for the second 6 months to maintain healthy lifestyle changes.

The local program will meet at the Orange City Area Health System Downtown Campus from 5-6 pm, on Thursday nights beginning August 30, and costs $175.00 with the potential to earn back $75.00 based on group attendance. 

The program is offered by Community Health Partners, Hawarden Regional Healthcare, Hegg Health Center, Orange City Area Health System and Sioux Center Health.

PreventT2 is part of the National Diabetes Prevention Program, led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To participate in the PreventT2 program, call 712.737.2971 or email [email protected]. Click here for our registration form.

People are more likely to have prediabetes and type 2 diabetes if they: 

• Are 45 years of age or older

• Are overweight

• Have a family history of type 2 diabetes 

• Are physically active fewer than three times per week OR

• Have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy or gave birth to a baby weighing more than 9 pounds 

To be eligible for referral, patients must meet the following requirements:
  • Be at least 18 years old and
  • Be overweight (body mass index ≥25; ≥23 if Asian) and
  • Have no previous diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes and
    • Have a blood test result in the prediabetes range within the past year:Hemoglobin A1C: 5.7%–6.4% or
    • Fasting plasma glucose: 100–125 mg/dL or
    • Two-hour plasma glucose (after a 75 gm glucose load): 140–199 mg/dL or
  • Be previously diagnosed with gestational diabetes
Prediabetes can be diagnosed via oral glucose tolerance tests, fasting blood glucose tests, or an A1C test. Blood-based testing is the most accurate way to determine if a patient has prediabetes.
If you’re interested in this program, please click here to register.

 

Radon: You can’t see it. Or smell it. Or taste it. But it’s deadly.

Posted: 01/25/2018

You can’t see radon. Or smell it.  Or taste it.  You can’t tell if there is radon in your home unless you test for it.  Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can build up in your home.  It is one of the leading causes of lung cancer, second only to smoking.

Fortunately, testing your home for radon is a very simple, inexpensive way to protect your family’s health.  If elevated radon levels are found, it is recommended to hire a certified radon mitigation specialist to reduce the level of radon in your home.

It is important to test your home during winter months, when doors and windows have been kept closed.

Older and newer homes should be tested for radon every 3-4 years.

Radon test kits are available through Community Health Partners and at city offices throughout Sioux County.  The cost of the test is $10.  Directions are included in the kit.

For more information, click here, call the American Lung Association of Iowa at 515.309.9507, or email [email protected].