Press Releases
Year
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Honored for Excellence in Public Health
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 26, 2011
Contact
Awais Vaid, Epidemiologist, (217) 531-5360
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Honored for Excellence in Public Health
Local Health Department Program is One of 41 Nationwide to Receive “Model Practice Award” in 2011
Champaign, IL – The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) was honored at the 2011 annual conference of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), a body of peers, for developing and implementing a program that demonstrates exemplary and replicable qualities in response to a local public health need. “Real time advanced digital mapping to plan, identify, and respond to vaccination penetration rates” was one of 41 public health programs developed by a local health department selected from across the nation to receive NACCHO’s Model Practice Award.
CUPHD worked collaboratively with the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine Geographic Information System and Spatial Analysis Lab to better plan, prepare for, and respond to the H1N1 pandemic using real time advanced digital mapping. This response involved development of maps and protocols to facilitate creation of real time visual maps and sharing of information for public health. For planning purposes, CUPHD developed local, accurate maps of schools and day care centers starting in Spring 2009. Following CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) vaccine delivery recommendations, the vaccines were to be delivered first to target populations including kids nine years and under and pregnant women.
“We are proud to receive NACCHO’s Model Practice Award. The award is evidence of our commitment to developing responsive and innovative public health programs that improve the health of local residents,” said Julie Pryde, Administrator, CUPHD.
Each innovative project receiving the award was peer-reviewed (by other local health department professionals) and selected from a group of 130 applications. Since 2003, NACCHO’s Model Practice Awards program has honored initiatives—including programs, resources, and tools—that demonstrate how local health departments and their community partners can effectively collaborate to address local public health concerns. “Real time advanced digital mapping to plan, identify and respond to vaccination penetration rates” is now part of an online, searchable database of successful public health practices in areas ranging from immunization and maternal and child health to infectious diseases and emergency preparedness. The NACCHO Model Practice database allows users to benefit from colleagues' experiences, to learn what works, and to ensure that resources are used wisely on effective programs that have been implemented with good results. It also enables NACCHO to share information with key stakeholders and media about the good work being done by local health departments across the country.
This award puts the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District into special company—a select group of health departments that exemplify a forward thinking, proactive attitude toward protecting and promoting the health of communities across the nation.
For more information, please contact CUPHD at (217) 531-7961 or visit www.c-uphd.org. For more information about the NACCHO Model Practice Awards and to view a list of other award winners, go to www.naccho.org.
About the National Association of County and City Health Officials
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation's 2,800 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and wellbeing for all people in their communities.
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Local Officials Urge Citizens to Check on Others during Heat Wave
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2011
Contact
John Dwyer, Coordinator / CCEMA
(217) 384-3826 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
Local Officials Urge Citizens to Check on Others during Heat Wave
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency Urge the Public to Check on Individuals That May Be in Need
Champaign, IL –Officials from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) and the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) urge religious organizations, apartment and mobile home park managers, clubs and fraternal organizations to reach out and check-up on their vulnerable members or tenants who might need assistance during extreme heat. “These organizations are in a much better position than anyone to reach out during a heat wave or other emergency,” says Julie Pryde,
Administrator of CUPHD. “Religious and fraternal organizations are an immense resource. They often have directories, phone trees, prayer lines, and other resources that make it easy for them to reach out and conduct a welfare check.”
A welfare check can be as simple as asking a few questions:
- Do you have a working air conditioner?
- Do you know where the cooling centers are, and do you need assistance getting to one?
- How do you feel?
And offer a few reminders to avoid heat-related illness:
- Stay hydrated. Drink at least 48-64 ounces of cool non-caffeinated and nonalcoholic beverages (caffeine & alcohol are diuretics and will increase dehydration). Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink.
- Reduce the amount of activity during the hottest parts of the day. If you must be active during those times, strive to take frequent breaks in a shady or cool area.
- Wear light-colored and lightweight clothes.
- Take a cool shower or sponge bath if you begin feeling over heated.
- Retreat to an air-conditioned environment if you begin to feel overly warm. If you do not have air conditioning, consider visiting a mall, grocery store, or other public place to cool off. Offer a ride if needed.
It is also important for neighbors to check on each other during this time.
Anyone can suffer a heat-related illness. CUPHD and CCEMA urge everyone to take precautions in the summer heat and to check on children, the elderly, and pets frequently.
For more information, please contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit www.c-uphd.org.
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High Temperatures and Humidity Can Be Extremely Dangerous
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 18, 2011
Contact
John Dwyer, Coordinator / CCEMA
(217) 384-3826 /
Amy Roberts, Public Relations
(217) 531-4264 /
High Temperatures and Humidity Can Be Extremely Dangerous
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District and the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency Urge the Public to Take Extra Precautions to Stay Safe in the Heat
Champaign, IL –The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) and the Champaign County Emergency Management Agency (CCEMA) urge everyone to watch for the symptoms of heat-related illness, and to take precautions to keep their families and communities safe.
Heat-related illness can take many forms ranging from a mild case of heat exhaustion to a more serious and life-threatening case of heat stroke. Heat-related illnesses occur when the body becomes unable to control its temperature. The body’s temperature rises rapidly and the body looses its ability to perspire and cool down. Rising to temperatures of 106° F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes can result in death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.
Signs and symptoms of heat-related illness include:
- An extremely high body temperature of 103° F or higher
- Red, hot, and dry skin (no signs of perspiration)
- Rapid, strong pulse
- Throbbing headache
- Dizziness or confusion
- Nausea
Never leave children, elderly persons, or pets in a parked car – even for a few minutes with the windows partially open. The metal of the vehicle conducts and concentrates the intense heat and brain damage or even death can occur from the rapid rise of temperature in the vehicle. Children, the elderly, and pets are especially susceptible to heat-related illness due to a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the inability to adjust to sudden changes in temperature, the tendency to retain more body heat, dehydration due to over activity or exertion, and the lack of access to adequate fluids.
Precautions to avoid heat-related illness:
- Stay hydrated. Drink at least 48-64 ounces of cool non-caffeinated and nonalcoholic beverages (caffeine & alcohol are diuretics and will increase dehydration). Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink.
- Reduce the amount of activity during the hottest parts of the day. If you must be active during those times, strive to take frequent breaks in a shady or cool area.
- Wear light-colored and lightweight clothes.
- Take a cool shower or sponge bath if you begin feeling over heated.
- Retreat to an air-conditioned environment if you begin to feel overly warm. If you do not have air conditioning, consider visiting a mall, grocery store, or other public place to cool off.
If you or someone you know shows signs of a heat-related illness, have someone call for medical assistance while you begin the cooling process:
- Take the person to an air-conditioned, cool, or shady area.
- Cool the person rapidly by spraying cold water from a shower or garden hose.
- Monitor the body temperature carefully until the temperature drops below 101°102° F.
- Give plenty of cool (not cold) non-caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages to drink. Get medical assistance as soon as possible.
The following cooling centers are available throughout the local area:
- Champaign-Urbana Public Health District – Champaign
- Marketplace Mall – Champaign
- Public Aid Office, North Country Fair Drive – Champaign
- Lincoln Square Mall – Urbana
- Public Libraries – Champaign, Urbana, Tolono
Anyone can suffer a heat-related illness. CUPHD and CCEMA urge everyone to take precautions in the summer heat and to check on children, the elderly, and pets frequently.
For more information, please contact CUPHD at (217) 352-7961 or visit www.c-uphd.org.
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