Press Releases
Year
Medical Reserve Corp Serves Champaign County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 9, 2010
Contact
John Dwyer, Emergency Preparedness Planner
(217) 531-2932
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Medical Reserve Corp Serves Champaign County
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Recognizes Service and Dedication by MRC Members
Champaign, IL – The Champaign County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) is a local volunteer-based medical unit developed by the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) as a way to utilize volunteers who want to donate their time and expertise to prepare for and respond to emergencies and promote healthy living throughout the year.
MRC has donated almost 200 hours of service to the Champaign Community over the past year by participating in health fairs, community exercises, and emergency response training. MRC also assisted CUPHD with flu clinics throughout the community during the H1N1 response.
The next Champaign County MRC meeting will be held on September 16th at 6:00 PM in the main conference room at CUPHD, 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign. Current members and anyone who is interested in the Medical Reserve Corps Program is encouraged to attend. According to John Dwyer, Emergency Preparedness Planner at CUPHD, “We currently have 34 members registered with the program. We continue to look for residents who are interested in volunteering to help protect the health of our community.”
The MRC was founded in 2002 and is a specialized component of Citizen Corps, a national network of volunteers dedicated to ensuring hometown security. Citizen Corps, along with AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Peace Corps, is part of the USA Freedom Corps which promotes volunteerism and service nationwide.
To learn more about the Medical Reserve Corps or to find a unit nearest you, visit http://www.medicalreservecorps.gov. Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Champaign County MRC should contact John Dwyer at (217) 531-2932 or e-mail
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Fall for Smiles Kicks Off with Free Apples
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2010
Contact
Alicia Ekhoff, Program Coordinator
(217) 531-4538
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Fall for Smiles Kicks Off with Free Apples
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Helps Promote Oral Healthcare for Children
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) and its Dental Clinic are showing support for the mission and efforts of Oral Health America by participating in Fall for Smiles, a public messaging campaign conducted in collaboration with Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait®, an initiative of the Dental Trade Alliance.
The Fall for Smiles campaign focuses on four specific messages:
- Brushing and flossing teeth as part of a healthy daily routine
- Maintaining regular visits to the dentist
- Choosing healthy foods for a nutritious diet and healthy mouth
- Avoiding all tobacco products
Through the month of September, CUPHD is offering free apples and healthy smile information on Thursday afternoons from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM at 201 West Kenyon Road in Champaign. “An estimated 51 million school hours per year are lost because of dentalrelated illness," says Kara Ruffatto, DMD, a CUPHD dentist. According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, “Early tooth loss caused by dental decay can result in failure to thrive, impaired speech development, absence from and inability to concentrate in school, and reduced self-esteem.” Parents should support a healthy mouth for their child by seeing the dentist twice each year, helping their child brush at least twice daily, flossing everyday, offering healthy foods like fruit and vegetables, and teaching their children about the dangers of tobacco use.
The CUPHD Children’s Dental Clinic provides treatment for children ages one to 18 who live in Champaign or Urbana and have healthcare coverage through All Kids or Medicaid.
Children enrolled in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, 2nd, or 6th grade in the ChampaignUrbana school district can receive dental care at their school by CUPHD dentists and dental hygienists. Children enrolled in the Urbana school district may also visit CUPHD’s Dental Clinic located in the Urbana School Health Center (USHC) at Urbana High School, 1002 South Race Street.
For more information about dental care and programs, contact CUPHD at (217) 531-4279 or USHC at (217) 239-4220. Visit CUPHD on the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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Mosquitoes Continue to Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Champaign County
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 2, 2010
Contact
Jim Roberts, Director of Environmental Health
(217) 531-2908
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Mosquitoes Continue to Test Positive for West Nile Virus in Champaign County
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Urges Residents to Use Insect Repellent When Outdoors in the Evening
Champaign, IL – In recent weeks, mosquito samples and dead bird samples have continued to detect the presence of West Nile virus (WNV) in Champaign County. A total of 14 WNV positive mosquito samples have been detected in Champaign and Urbana, while WNV positive dead bird samples have been detected from Tolono, west Champaign County, and the City of Champaign.
The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first human West Nile virus case reported in Illinois for 2010. According to IDPH, it was reported that a DuPage County woman in her 50s began with the onset of illness in early August. In 2009, Illinois reported five human cases of West Nile virus with the first case reported on August 31.
In Illinois during hotter summers, such as 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007, more human cases were reported. This year, a very hot July and August with little rain has produced very good conditions for the Culex mosquito and for WNV transmission. Late summer is the time of the year that you are most likely to come in contact with a WNV infected mosquito. As of August 31, 2010, there have been 25 counties in Illinois reporting either a positive West Nile virus bird or mosquito batch.
“Continued hot weather in September could produce an increased risk of WNV cases. Residents should continue to protect themselves from mosquito bites including, at a minimum, the use insect repellent when outdoors in the evening,” said Jim Roberts, Director of Environmental Health at the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD).
CUPHD urges residents to continue to take personal actions to avoid mosquito bites when outdoors:
- Avoid times when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.
- Apply insect repellent that includes DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR3535 according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellants on infants. Continue to use until evening temperatures are consistently below 50° F when mosquito flying is reduced.
- Wear shoes and socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt.
West Nile virus is transmitted through the bite of a mosquito that has picked up the virus by feeding on an infected bird. Most people with the virus have no clinical symptoms of the illness, but some may become ill three to 14 days after the bite of an infected mosquito. Only about two out of 10 who are bitten by an infected mosquito will experience any illness. Symptoms of West Nile virus include fever, headache, body aches, occasionally with a skin rash on the trunk of the body, and swollen lymph glands. Convalescence from West Nile virus fever may take one to three weeks. About one in 150 people infected will develop serious illness; encephalitis, meningitis, and death are possible in these serious cases. Persons older than 50 years of age have the highest risk of severe disease.
For more information about Mosquito Surveillance and West Nile virus programs, call (217) 373-7900 or visit the web at www.c-uphd.org.
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Download 2010-09-01-WNV-Continue-positive-PR