09 Apr 2015

Quad Cities health community teams up to identify, meet local needs

By Lenore Alonso

Survey, focus groups taking place to identify key need areas

The Quad City health community - Community Health Care, Inc., Genesis Health System, Quad City Health Initiative, Rock Island County Health Department, Scott County Health Department and UnityPoint Health - Trinity - have partnered to complete a community health needs assessment of Rock Island and Scott Counties to identify and address health needs. To gain community input about health needs that impact individuals and their families, the partners have developed a community-wide survey that they are asking Rock Island and Scott County residents to complete by Thursday, April 30.

The survey asks about a range of health issues, including promoting healthy living, preventing injuries, and community preparedness, among other issues, and asks members of the community to choose what they believe to be the issues facing Rock Island and Scott County families.

The survey will take around 10 minutes to complete and is available on each of the partners' websites. The survey can also be made available in print by contacting the following individuals:

• Brooke Hendrickx | Rock island County Health Department, 309-793-1955; bhendrickx@co.rock-island.il.us

• Tiffany Tjepkes | Scott County Health Department, 563-326-8618; tiffany.tjepkes@scottcountyiowa.com

In addition to the community survey, the Rock Island and Scott County health departments will host a series of stakeholder events to get direct feedback from community partners and the public involved in serving the residents of Rock Island and Scott Counties. Interested community members have the opportunity to sign-up for these events at the end of the survey. "We are hoping to get as much input as possible from the community to determine what they feel their needs are," said Nita Ludwig, Public Health Administrator, Rock Island County Health Department. "It's an
opportunity for residents to voice their opinion to help impact their community."

The feedback from the community survey and stakeholder events will help the health community partners identify and prioritize the health needs of the Quad City community. This information will then help to create health improvement plans that will address those needs in the community in the upcoming years.

17 Jan 2014

Live Healthy Iowa Wellness Challenge 2014

By Lenore Alonso
Need a little motivation to live healthier and be more active in 2014? Sign up and join the Live Healthy Iowa 10 Week Wellness Challenge that runs from January 27 to April 4. It is a great way to increase physical activity, eat healthier, lose weight, or maintain your current healthy lifestyle.

For a fee of $20, participants will receive a challenge t-shirt, weekly motivational emails, unlimited access to recipes, workouts, health information, free registration for Winter and Summer Iowa Games Fitness Walks, magazine subscription, and chances to win a variety of small and large prizes! Registration is now open!
Get Started Now:

1. Build or join a team of 2 to 10 people and choose a team name.

2. Go to www.livehealthyiowa.org and click 'Join Today'. If there are multiple teams formed from one location or organization, a group ID number will be given to link the teams together.

3. Complete the required registration information and submit payment online.

For more information on the Live Healthy Iowa Wellness Challenge, please visit the Scott County website: www.scottcountyiowa.com/health.

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13 Aug 2013

Live Lead-Free

By Lenore Alonso
The Scott  County Health Department, in partnership with the City of Davenport, announces this week the beginning of an awareness campaign, entitled "Live Lead Free", about lead paint and its effects. The goal is to promote testing of homes built before 1978, and of children six years of age and under.

The program and its services are made possible through a grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development and will commemorate the 35 with a tie to unleaded gasoline. Selected Hy-Vees, Casey's General Stores, and Mother Hubbard's Cupboards in the county will feature gas pump public service ads with the campaign image.

Lead was eliminated from paint in 1978 and from gasoline in 1995. However, homes built before 1978 may still harbor exposed lead paint. The campaign provides information from the Scott County Health Department ) on screenings of at-risk dwellings (563-326-8618) and free health screenings for children up to six years of age (www.scottcountyiowa.com/health/lead.php).

Children six and under are especially prone to exposure and the effects of lead paint, and should be tested every year beginning at one year of age until six years of age. Iowa law requires that all children entering kindergarten show proof of one lead test.

"With the removal of lead from gasoline, one source of lead in the environment was eliminated.  

However, many county residents are living in homes that still contain exposed lead paint," said Edward Rivers, Director of the Scott County Health Department.   "Placing our message at gas pumps is a very direct way of getting it out, and the comparison with unleaded gasoline is thought-provoking.  It will be seen every day by a large number of people, and we hope it will reach those who need it most.  We thank our partners in the community for making this possible."

For more information on living lead free, visit the Scott County Health Department's Web site at www.scottcountyiowa.com/health
17 Apr 2013

New law requires secondary school students receive Tdap booster

By Lenore Alonso
09 Sep 2012

Chickens Positive for West Nile Virus in Scott County

By Lenore Alonso
The Scott County Health Department has been notified by the Medical Entomology Laboratory at Iowa State University that chickens from Scott County's sentinel flock have tested positive for West Nile Virus.  This was not unexpected, despite this summer's hot, dry conditions, and low mosquito population.  Detection of virus exposure in the chickens indicates that there is West Nile Virus transmission activity in the area.  Late summer and early fall are the times when the majority of human cases of West Nile Virus typically are reported.  The risk of contracting West Nile Virus remains high until the first frost when mosquito activity declines.The Scott County Health Department is urging individuals to take steps to reduce the mosquito population and protect themselves when outside.  Some things to do to reduce the mosquito population are:Change the water in birdbaths, pet bowls, and wading pools at least twice a week.Turn over plastic wading pools and buckets.Properly dispose of old tires.  Dispose of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots, and other water-holding containers.  Check for clogged rain gutters and clean them out.Clean and chlorinate swimming pools and drain the water from the pool cover.Some ways to prevent mosquito bites: Wear light colored clothing with long sleeves and long pants.Repair tears in window and door screens.Limit the time spent outdoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most likely to bite.Do not wear perfume or fragrances when outdoors.Apply insect repellents to exposed skin.  Those containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus have been found to be effective. (Carefully read and follow all directions on the label before use).  Do not use DEET on infants under two years of age, pregnant women, or children's bedding or clothing.The Scott County Health Department, along with the State Hygienic Laboratory and Iowa State University, has participated in mosquito surveillance with the Iowa Department of Public Health for more than 30 years.For more information, visit the Health Department's website at www.scottcountyiowa.com/health.
28 Feb 2012

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) on the rise in Scott County

By Lenore Alonso

There has been a noticeable increase in the number of Pertussis (Whooping Cough) cases reported in area schools, and the numbers continues to grow in Scott County.

During a Pertussis Outbreak, anyone who has had the following symptoms is considered to be a case of Pertussis and needs to see their doctor for testing and treatment:

prolonged cough (more than a normal cold) coughing "spells or fits", or a whoop with their cough

vomiting after coughing

Pertussis is easily spread to others when someone who has it coughs germs into the air and other people breathe them in. School age children and healthy adults who have Pertussis may not look very sick, but can still spread the disease to other people when they cough.

It is very important for people who have Pertussis to stay at home until they have completed at least five days of the course of treatment prescribed. That means no school, no work, no grocery shopping, no church, etc. Pertussis can cause babies, people with weak immune systems and older people to get very sick or even die.

For more information call the Scott County Health Department at 563-326-8618 or visit www.scottcountyiowa.com/health.

24 Feb 2012

RE: The 26th Annual Quad City Youth Conference

By Lenore Alonso
The 26th Annual Quad City Youth Conference welcomes Shellie Moore-Guy as its keynote speaker. Ms. Moore­Guy is the current Poet Laureate of the Quad Cities. Ms. Moore­Guy is a lifelong resident of Rock Island, a dedicated community advocate, motivational speaker, and story teller. She is the director of Healing Waters Empowerment Project, a grassroots organization that addresses family and community violence.

Ms. Moore-Guy will headline the keynote presentation on both Thursday and Friday, February 23-24, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. in the Mississippi River Hall at The River Center, located at 136 E. 3rd Street in Davenport. Hundreds of students from 28 Illinois and Iowa high schools and junior high schools are expected to attend this 2012 edition of the Quad Cities Youth Conference  high school students on Thursday and junior high students on Friday.

Following the keynote presentation, the Quad City Youth Conference also offers students a choice of three Workshop Sessions. Nearly 20 different community agencies have come together to offer workshops to enhance decision-making skills necessary for living in a socially complex world. In addition, during the lunch hour students will have an opportunity to attend a career/college fair on senior high day and a community fair on junior high day.

The Quad City Youth Conference is an annual event for area young people to come together and experience workshops and speakers specitically for youth! The Quad City Youth Conference is the only event of its kind in the Quad Cities and one of the few nationally. For 26 years, local schools and human service agencies have joined hands to plan and present the annual Quad Cities Youth Conference, an event that is focused on positively impacting area youth.

QCYC Agenda
February 23 & 24, 2012
8:00-8:30 AM Registration & Interactive Warm-Up
8:45 AM Opening Remarks
9:00 AM Welcome & Keynote Kickoff:  Moore-Guy
9:50 AM Session 1: Workshops from QC Area Presenters
10:45 AM Session 2; Workshops from QC Area Presenters
11:40 AM Lunch

12:45 PM Session 3: Workshops from QC Area Presenters
1:40 PM Keynote Kickback:
10 Aug 2010

CDC Director Thomas Frieden to tour Scott County Health Department

By Lenore Alonso
WHAT:  CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH will meet with Scott County Health Department Director Larry Barker and Iowa Department of Public Health Director Tom Newton to discuss how local health and CDC health priorities align, and to tour the Scott County Health Department facilities.

WHERE:  Scott County Administrative Center, Scott County Health Department, 600 West 4th Street, 4th Floor Conference Room, Davenport, IA

WHEN:  Wednesday, August 11, 2010 - 1:15pm to 1:45pm

For more information call the Scott County Health Department at 563-326-8618 or visit
www.scottcountyiowa.com/health.

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