the The Vermilion County Health Department has completed its re-certification with the state of Illinois through 2012. As a component of the re-certification process, a community needs assessment was completed in 2007. Along with the assessment, a group of community representatives identified three priority areas to focus on during the next five years in order to improve the lives of Vermilion County residents:(1) Reduce the percentage of births to teens in Vermilion County; (2) Reduce the incidence of premature deaths (under the age of 65) in Vermilion County from disease of the heart; (3) Reduce violent and abusive behaviors in Vermilion County. Over the next five years, the IPLAN community advisory committee will work with the Vermilion County Health Department and the community to reach these goals and build a healthier community. If you are interested in joining the committee, call Linda Bolton at 431-2662, ext 241. If you would like to read the IPLAN, it is available in a WORD document or as a PDF file TSupporting data is available upon request by calling
431-2662.
he IPLAn c

6/19/08...153 Vermilion County women signed up in March to make their lives healthier by increasing the number of steps they take each day. 137 actually started the program, and after 12 weeks, the 108 who finished had walked a total of 69,019,606 steps, or the equivalent of 34,509.8 miles. 

With the theme “Leave the Couch Behind and Walk for Your Life”, participants used pedometers to record the number of steps they took each day for 12 weeks. ‘That’s a long time to stay committed to a program like this, and we applaud the efforts these women made,” says Linda Bolton, who coordinated the program for the Vermilion County Health Department.  Participants ranged in age from 13 to 80. The program was funded by a grant to the health department from the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Office of Women’s Health. 

Health officials say they were amazed by the amount of interest the program generated, and the enthusiasm participants maintained throughout the 12 week program.  Bolton says 79% of the women who began in March completed the program May 31st. “That is a fairly high completion rate for a program like this,” Bolton says. The program’s goal was to encourage women to pay more attention to how much they walk each day and increase the amount of steps they take, “Everyone significantly increased the amount they are walking,” Bolton says. Participants were encouraged at the end of the program to keep walking for their lives.   

Education and information sessions were held at kickoff and again at the mid point, providing participants with ideas about exercising, stretching, heart health and healthy snacking and cooking. Local partners for the program provided information and prizes, including the Danville Family YMCA, Provena United Samaritans Medical Center, and the University of Illinois Extension Office. 

“This was about changing lives, not competition, but we wanted to give them some extra incentive,” Bolton says. Donated prizes included a heart scan from Provena, gift baskets from Berry’s Garden Center and the U of I Extension, 3-month family memberships from the YMCA, and a gift certificate from Escape Spa and Salon. Winners came from teams across Vermilion County and included Connie Bechtold, Jane Comrie, Connie Spicer, Fairet Sanchez, Heather Yerem, Deb Martin, and Judy Wilford, Muriel Black, and Stacey Henson.  

6/10/08....Public health officials in states
across the country continue to work with
the Food and Drug Administration to contain
a Salmonella outbreak that has sickened nearly 200 people in 17 states. Vermilion County officials say they are working at the local level to ensure food businesses are aware of the problem. “We have been calling
restaurants, grocery stores, bars that
serve food, hospitals and nursing homes
to ensure they are aware of the potential
for danger,” says Environmental Health
Director Kolby Riggle.  Riggle says the
Illinois Department of Public Health was
originally notifying local vendors, but
local health officials worry some
establishments may not have gotten the information. “We are finding out that
some local vendors were not aware of
the recall and had not yet pulled tomatoes
from their shelves or food inventory,”
he says. Riggle says consumers who may
have purchased tomatoes recently should
contact the store where they made the
purchase to find out the source of the
tomatoes. “The list of “safe” tomato
sources is changing by the hour, so it is
hard for us to keep up with this right
now,” he says.  But Riggle says he is
advising people to use caution, check
the source of any tomatoes they have
recently purchased, and if in doubt throw
it out. “Right now, we just want to make
sure more people do not get sick,” Riggle
says. So far, health officials say cherry,
grape and on-the-vine tomatoes are safe
to eat.

The investigation into the outbreak
continues at the federal and state levels. According to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, most persons
infected with Salmonelladevelop diarrhea,
fever, and abdominal cramps 12–72 hours
after infection. Infection is usually
diagnosed by culture of a stool sample.
The illness usually lasts 4 – 7 days. Although
most people recover without treatment,
severe infections may occur. Infants, elderly persons, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely than others to
develop severe illness.
IDPH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are recommending people take the following steps:

  • Avoid buying bruised or
    damaged produce and discard
    any that appear spoiled.
    Thoroughly wash all produce under running water. Refrigerate within two hours
    any cut, peeled or cooked
    produce, otherwise discard.
    Keep produce separate from
    raw meats and seafood.
  • Wash cutting boards, dishes,
    utensils and counter tops with
    hot water and soap when
    switching among foods.

For information from the Vermilion County Health Department about food safety,
click here. For information from
the Illinois Department of Public Health,
click here. For information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Salmonella investigation site, click here, or their Office of Food Safety, click here, or about food illnesses, click here.

6/2/08...The state of Illinois says Vermilion is one of 21 counties in the state reportig excessively high rates of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. “We have struggled with this issue for many years now, and we believe it is time to ask the community to assist us with this community health issue,” says public health administrator Steve Laker.  

According to state and local data, young people between the ages of 20 and 29 report the highest incidence of Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Vermilion County; youth ages 10-19 make up the second highest rate .
For more information about STDs, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  

January 1, 2008, the state of Illinois went smoke free.
Smokefree
Smoking is now prohibited in public places, places of employment, and within 15 feet of any entrance to a public place or place of employment unless there is an exemption.
Information about the requirements ofthe law is available from the
Illinois Department of Public Health.Along with information, you can download samples of required signs, which are required to be posted at every entrance used by the public and employees.
Now that the law is in effect, complaints about smoking in areas where you believe smoking is not allowed under the new law can be filed on the Iliinois
Department of Public Health's website (by clicking here)

Or you may file your complaint by calling the state at 1-866-973-4646. The state will forward the complaint information to us, and we will then followup on the information. We are not accepting complaints at the Vermilion County Health Department, unless they have been filed with the Illinois Department of Public Health. If you have questions about the new law, please call 431-2662.
Additional information is also available from the
Illinois Liquor Control Commission site,
For help quitting, call us at 431-2662, or call the
Illinois Quitline at 1-866-784-8937

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health officials in several states are investigating and responding to cases and outbreaks of measles across the U.S; as of May 2nd, 4 cases of measeles had been identified in Wisconsin, and one in Chicago. Measles is a highly contagious disease spread through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms can include rash, high fever, coughing, and runny nose. The disease can also cause more serious complications, such as ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) — even death. For more information, click here to go to the CDC website..

Vermilion County is a certified affiliate of the national
Keep America Beautiful
program. Keep Vermilion County Beautiful volunteers work across the county on projects to make our community a better place to live, including river cleanups, adopt-a-spot (sections of roads and streets, parks, etc are 'adpoted' and cleaned on a regular basis),our famous Trash Walkers (who pick up litter whenever they're out walking), educational activities, and projects to beautify our community. Come get involved. Volunteers really do make a difference!!!! Call 431-2662 for more information.
Remember, our mascot Spot Less says
"Take Pride No Litter Outside"


Want to visit Recycle City? It used to be Dumptown, but the people who live there got smart.......
Let's go visit.....

 
 

Tornadoes can strike at anytime, day or night, but can be especially deadly in the middle of the night when many people are asleep.  The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and the National Weather Service (NWS) are reminding people that weather radios save lives by providing round-the-clock alerts of imminent dangers
The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) has developed a Severe Weather Preparedness document with tips on staying safe during the severe weather months, or go to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency website.


The VCHD will offer a special evening cholesterol screening by appointment only on Thursday night: June 26th from 4pm to 7pm. Blood pressure and blood sugar screenings will also be available. The cost is $7.00. Call 431-2662 for an appointment.
Cholesterol screenings are also available during the day on June 4th, and June 16th from 9 am to 11 am. Call 431-2662 for an appointment.

6/5/08...

The Illinois Department of Public Health is providing you with a way to check the quality of water at beaches in the state this summer. Click here........

Stop the

Take the time to teach your children to wash their hands after they play - before they eat - after they go to the bathroom - anytime is the right time for them to wash their hands!
Teach them to suds it up with warm water and soap while they sing a song.
And remember to wash your own hands.
The best way to stop the spread of germs is to wash your hands!


The state of Illinois has created a new website called, Ready Illinois to help the public prepare for all types of emergencies. Visit the site and get informaiton for you and your family before, during and after any kind of emergency. Find out how to keep your pets safe; emergency communications; what to have in an emergency kit; how to prepare you business. Don't wait till after something happens. Prepare today at www.ready.illinois.gov.

Make today the day...........
Call 431-2662 to sign up for FREE adult smoking cessation classes. Participants are eligible for 4 weeks of FREE nicotine replacement patches.
Classes are scheduled as needed - call 431-2662 ext 241or 302 to signup !!

Or call 1-866-784-8937 and talk to the Illinois Quitline about cessation help. Trained counselors can help you get started on a new smoke-free life, and Vermilion Countty residents can get up to 4 weeks of patches free from us, while getting counseling from the Quitline! Call them today - counselors are available Monday-Friday from 7am to 9 pm.

According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, vaccines are one of the greatest success stories in public health. Vaccines have ended smallpox, nearly ended polio, and reduced outbreaks of measles, pertussis, and other illnesses to an all-time low.Vaccines are our best defense against infectious diseases, but no vaccine is 100% safe or effective. People react differently to vaccines, so some people have side effects or are not protected from the disease. Scientists are trying to develop safer, more effective vaccines.To find out more about this important issue, visit the CDC's website

For more information about STDs,
click here
The Vermilion County Health Department offers vaccinations to protect young girls from Human Papillomavirus Virus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer. Vaccination for HPV can help prevent cervical cancer, cervical pre-cancers, genital warts, and genital lesions that are caused by the HPV virus.
Click here for an HPV Fact Sheet of information.
Tthe health department is providing the 3-dose schedule of vaccine for girls ages 9 to 18 by appointment during regularly scheduled immunization clinics each month...
(for their schedule,
click here).
The vaccine includes second and third doses at two and six month intervals following the first dose.
The cost for HPV vaccine at the health department is $7.00/dose, or $21.00 for all three doses.
For more information, or to make an appointment, call 431-2662
.
For information about cleaning up after flooding, go to :
After the Flood
or
Cleaning Up After Flood and Sewer Overflows .
The Illinois Department of Public Health provides child product recall information on its Web site –  This information can be accessed by going to the A-Z Topics List on the left side of the Department home page, select the letter “C” and click on Children’s Product Safety.  There are several links that can be accessed from this page, including the CPSC, which lists all recalls.
9/27/07.......All children entering licensed day care centers, the Headstart program, or kindergarten in Illinois must first be tested for lead. We are offering special testing for young children to meet the state mandate.
Children's blood lead levels will be tested by appointment from 9:30am to 4pm on the first Tuesday of every other month beginning November 6, 2007 at the Vermilion County Health Department, 200 South College Street in Danville. Appointments can be made by calling 431-2662 and asking for Healthy Moms/Healthy Kids. No walk in testing will be done. For more information, call the health department at 431-2662 or visit the
Illinois Department of Public Health.

5/23/08...Dr. Damon T. Arnold, state public health director, says mosquito samples collected in Tazewell County and DuPage County have been confirmed as the first positive test results in Illinois this year for West Nile virus. for more information, go to IDPH.
Make sure your house does not become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and the West Nile virus they may carry. click here for information on how to keep your house safer......... and for information about West Nile Virus, visit the Illinois Department of Public Health's site... Beginning June 1st, anyone who finds a
dead bird that has not suffered from any apparent animal attack or that is not in a state of decomposition can
call the health department at 431-2662. Only a limited number of the following birds will be accepted for testing: blue jays, crows, grackles, starlings, sparrows, finches, robins, cardinals, flycatchers, swallows, catbirds, mockingbirds, warblers, and wrens. If you find an intact dead bird, please call the health department, whether they accept it for testing or not, to help us monitor potential WNV activity around the county.
The health department will also be setting out gravid traps to collect mosquitoes across the county this summer.

Make sure your child's immunizations are up to date!
The 2007 and 2008 regular immunization schedules are available by clicking

A+Grade
Immunization Clinic Schedule
Protect yourself and the
ones you love
...


Buckle up

each and every time you drive or ride.....

And make sure you have your children in properly installed child restraints anytime they are riding in a vehicle -it's the law inIllinois, and it could save your child's life!
If you have questions about proper child seat installation, contact the Vermilion County Red, White and
Blue Team at 431-2662.
The team holds FREE car seat checks on the 2nd Tuesday of every month in Danville, by appointment.
.Call 431-2662 for information or to make an appointment!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Vermilion County Health Department
200 South College Street, Suite A
Danville Illinois 61832

(map & directions)

217-431-2662

Hours 8am -4:30pm Monday - Friday
(Closed Holidays)

 
 
 

Stephen E. Laker, MS, LEHP
Public Health Administrator

slaker@vchd.org

Shirley Hicks, BS, SPHR
Executive Director of Administrative Services
shicks@vchd.org

Jenny Trimmell RN, B SN, PHN
Director of Community Health Services
jtrimmel@vchd.org

Kolby Riggle, BS, LEHP
Director of Environmental Health

kriggle@vchd.org
Donna Dunham, BS, CPA
Financial Director

ddunham@vchd.org

Food Sanitation

Private Potable Water Supplies

Private Sewage Disposal

Recycling

Solid Waste Enforcement

Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention

All Our Kids

Environmental
Health
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Chronic Disease

Immunization/ Communicable Disease program_list

Family Planning

Healthy Families Illinois

Senior Health

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Public Health Emergency Planning & Preparedness
A Parent's Guide

Employment Opportunities

Links to More Resources

Our 41st Annual Report for the year 2007 is now availableClick here for the 2006 Annual Report

Click here for our 2004 annual Report

HIPAA

Hoopeston programs and services are available at
102 N 1st Avenue
Hoopeston, IL 60942
(217) 283-7163, 283-6996 (WIC)
800-510-6559, ext 300 (Family Planning)
map

Our main facility is
located at
200 South College Street
Suite A
Danville, IL 61832
(217) 431-2662
(217) 431-2662 (TDD)
direction

For news / media assistance, contact
Linda Bolton

The mission of the Vermilion County Health Department is to improve the quality of life for all residents of Vermilion County, Illinois, utilizing disease prevention, health protection, and health promotion programs designed to provide a healthier life and environment through enhanced community collaboration, cooperation and communication.
Want to find out more about public health grant money that comes into Vermilion County? Click here
to link to the Illinois Department of Public Health website for more information.

Regularly scheduled Board of Health meetings in 2007 will be held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, at 7pm at the health department, 200 S. College Street in Danville:

January 15th
February 19th
March 18th
April 15th
May 20th
June 17th
July 15th
August 19th
September 16th
October 21st
November 18th
December - No Meeting

Agendas will be posted at least 48 hours in advance of meetings.
All meetings are open to the public, unless closed in compliance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act
. Board meeting minutes are available, as they are approved by board action,by
clicking here


HIPAA
(Health Insurance Portability and Accountability)
What is HIPAA? How does it affect you and your private medical information? For more details go to our
Health Information Page



Spanish Hotline

The national alliance for Hispanic Health now offers a national, toll-free Spanish-English hotline available 8am to 5pm, Monday-Friday. The Hotline will refer callers to clinics and public health programs, as well as health information. The number to call, toll free is 866- 783-2645.