What You Need to Know - Increase in Respiratory Illness Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68)

In response to increasing numbers of respiratory illness (Enterovirus D68), the Livingston County Health Center wants you to know the facts so you can protect your family.

Enterovirus is a common virus.  With more than 100 types of enteroviruses, an estimated 10 to 15 million infections occur in the United States each year.  Most people who are infected with enteroviruses have no or mild symptoms.  However some enteroviruses, like Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), can be very serious.

Symptoms of the Enterovirus D68 are similar to the common cold.  Severe symptoms are possible with EV-D68, such as difficulty breathing. Children with cold like symptoms that experience difficulty breathing should consult their family physician. 

Enterovirus D68 appears to be spreading by close contact with infected people.   There is no vaccine or antiviral medication to treat EV-D68. 

The Livingston County Health Center provides the following recommendations to prevent the spread of EV-D68 and to also protect yourself and your family:

•          Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the restroom or changing diapers.  The use of soap and water is very important to combat EV-D68.  Soap and water are the preferred method of hand washing.

•          Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

•          Avoid kissing, hugging, and sharing cups or eating utensils with people who are sick.

•          Disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as toys and doorknobs, especially if someone is sick.

•          If you are sick, stay home.

The Health Center continues to monitor the situation and share information with local health providers.  While there are reports of increased cases across several Midwest states, there is not a surveillance system that can account for exact numbers of infections.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Senior Epidemiology Specialist C. Jon Hinkle says, “Using good hand hygiene, practicing good cough and sneeze etiquette and staying home if you are sick are the most effective tools to fight EV-D68.”

For more information on EV-D68 visit www.cdc.gov/non-polio-enterovirus/about/EV-D68.html or contact the Livingston County Health Center at 646-5506.

Health Center Receives Grant Funding for Community Container Garden Project

CHILLICOTHE, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014:  Livingston County Health Center was recently awarded a Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL) grant through the Department of Health and Senior Services Bureau of Community Health and Wellness. 

Grant funding will provide $35,989.40 to implement a Community Container Gardening Project at the North Missouri Center for Youth and Families, also known as “The Center.”

“We are very excited to work with our local partners to make this project a success,” said Sherry Weldon, Health Center Administrator.  “Everyone involved in the planning has talked and dreamed about the concept of a community garden in Chillicothe for years-this funding makes it a reality for our community.”

“Building community partnerships throughout the development of NMCYF has been vital and this is a great example of what can happen because of it,” said Daniel Savage, Executive Director of NMCYF. “Providing our members access to a hands on learning environment...not just in gardening, but planning, management, and responsibility is a huge step towards fostering their development.”

The funding proposal was the brainstorm of not only the Health Center and NMCYF, but also the University of Missouri Extension office and local Master Gardener Beth Weidner.  The group worked together to create a sustainable project involving students enrolled in The Center’s Power Up! Afterschool program.  Kids will not only learn about planting, tending and harvesting their own produce, but also have their own booth at the Chillicothe Farmer’s Market. This opportunity will not only teach entrepreneurship, but provide skills in meeting and dealing with the public, product display and presentation, and proper care of plants and produce.

Jena Eskew, the University of Missouri Extension’s 4-H LIFE Youth Program Associate, has been working with The Center for the past year to assist in making families stronger through education and opportunities and by identifying mentors inside and outside the family unit.  Plans are to form a 4-H club with the children attending The Center.  “Bringing the 4-H club ‘to’ the children is an excellent opportunity to get these children involved in an activity that not only teaches them specific life skills, but also gives them all the benefits of belonging to a successful organization that instills leadership, citizenship, and generosity as well,” said Eskew. 

An additional physical activity portion of the grant involves providing a positive environment in which physical activity and skill development are an integral part of the afterschool routine.  Providing a large range of physical activities for children increases their skill development.  Playground stencils designed to enhance movement and gross motor development will be purchased for use at The Center as well as other locations in the community.  

Show Me Health - Bag Lunch Safety

Whether it’s off to school or work we go, millions of Americans carry “bag” lunches.  Food brought from home can be kept safe if it is first handled and cooked safely. Then, perishable food must be kept cold until lunchtime.

Why keep food cold? Harmful bacteria multiply rapidly in the “danger zone” -- the temperatures between 40 and 140 °F.  So, perishable food transported without an ice source won’t stay safe long. 

First of all, begin with safe food. Perishable food, such as raw or cooked meat and poultry, must be kept cold or frozen at the store and at home. Eggs should be purchased cold at the store and kept cold at home. In between, transport perishable food as fast as possible when no ice source is available. At the destination, it must be kept cold. Food should not be left out at room temperature more than 2 hours (1 hour if the temperature is above 90 °F). 

Keep your preparation area clean, and foods separate. Wash your hands frequently, especially after coughing, sneezing, going to the bathroom, petting animals and so on.

Prepackaged combos that contain luncheon meats along with crackers, cheese, and condiments must also be kept refrigerated. This includes luncheon meats and smoked ham, which are cured or contain preservatives.

Pack just the amount of perishable food that can be eaten at lunch. That way, there won’t be a problem about the storage or safety of leftovers.

It’s fine to prepare the food the night before and store the packed lunch in the refrigerator. Freezing sandwiches helps them stay cold. However, for best quality, don’t freeze sandwiches containing mayonnaise, lettuce, or tomatoes. Add these later.

Insulated, soft-sided lunch boxes or bags are best for keeping food cold, but metal or plastic lunch boxes and paper bags can also be used. If using paper lunch bags, create layers by double bagging to help insulate the food. An ice source should be packed with perishable food in any type of lunch bag or box.

To keep lunches cold away from home, include a small frozen gel pack or frozen juice box. Of course, if there’s a refrigerator available, store perishable items there upon arrival.

Some food is safe without a cold source. Items that don’t require refrigeration include fruits, vegetables, hard cheese, canned meat and fish, chips, breads, crackers, peanut butter, jelly, mustard, and pickles.

For hot lunches, use an insulated container to keep food like soup, chili, and stew hot. Fill the container with boiling water, let stand for a few minutes, empty, and then put in the piping hot food. Keep the insulated container closed until lunchtime to keep the food hot – 140 °F or above.

When using the microwave oven to reheat lunches, cover food to hold in moisture and promote safe, even heating. Reheat leftovers to at least 165 °F. Food should be steaming hot. Cook frozen convenience meals according to package instructions.

These tips may seem like a hassle, especially since many of us follow the ‘ten second rule’ with food, but one episode of food poisoning can be devastating. Protect yourself and your family by following simple food safety precautions when preparing sack lunches.

For questions or more information about food safety, call the health center at 646-5506 and ask to speak to Richard Smith.

All services of the Livingston County Health Center are provided on a non-discriminatory basis.

Community Safety Fair Saturday, October 4th

The local Community Wellness Committee and Chillicothe Friendship Lodge #89 are teaming up to offer a Family Safety Fair Saturday, October 4^th at the Grand River YMCA from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Everyone is welcomed to attend this family-friendly event.

The fair will feature interactive booths and displays about various safety topics including distracted driving, electric shock, farm safety, internet safety, firearm safety and more.   Also on hand will be the MoCHIP Child Identification program made possible by the Missouri Masons and brought to our community by our local Masonic Lodge the Chillicothe Friendship Lodge #89.

 With more than 190,000 children processed through the MoCHIP Child ID program in 8 years, MoCHIP is clearly a presence in the community and vows to remain so!

No parent wants to believe that the unimaginable could happen to them, though nearly 2,000 children are reported missing or abducted in the United States each day. The peace of mind MoCHIP provides to Missouri families is invaluable. GIRLS and BOYS ages 11-21 are statistically most susceptible to become missing. Once the child is processed through the program, which generally takes only 15 minutes, the parent is armed with a single pre-printed envelope that instructs authorities in the event of an emergency, something a parent in crisis would undoubtedly have trouble with, and a proactive measure to combat the time sensitivity involved in recovery. Within a matter of minutes the MoCHIP CD can be loaded into a computer directly from a police officer’s automobile and entered into the Amber Alert system.

Deemed “one of the most comprehensive child recovery and identification programs in the nation,” by The National Center for Exploited and Missing Children NCEMC—the Missouri Masonic Child Identification & Protection Program, MoCHIP is solely sponsored by the Masonic Children’s Foundation of the Grand Lodge of Missouri Masons. The program consists of five major components—digital photographs, digital fingerprints, vital child information and emergency contacts, a dental bite impression, and two laminated ID cards. The photographs, fingerprints, and child data are burned onto a mini-CD that is compatible with the AMBER ALERT system already in place. The dental impression provides a virtual diagram of the child’s biting surface, which, like fingerprints is unique to each individual, and further supplies enough saliva to provide a DNA sample that can also be used as scent source for trained canine search teams. Combined, this five-part process provides a dramatic, time-sensitive recovery tool for authorities.

On the day of the MoCHIP event, parents are urged to gather pertinent information about such as, doctor, dentist, and emergency contact and phone numbers, allergies, medications, and parent work, cell, and assorted phone numbers. Information Collection Forms and Permission slips can be downloaded from the www.mochip.org website and filled out ahead of time. Height charts and scales are available at the event to facilitate the most current details regarding the child. As would be expected, security and privacy are of utmost importance. All information and specimens are collected on site, processed and provided to the parent or legal guardian in a yellow envelope. At the end of each event, databases are erased using state-of-the-art software. The only item retained by the Masonic Children’s Foundation is the signed permission slip.

Parents should bring photo ID to claim their child’s packet-security of children is taken very seriously by the MoCHIPS program.  Parents who have participated in MoCHIPS in the past can also bring their existing CD to the event and have it updated.

Adults and children alike are welcomed to the Family Safety Fair. MoCHIP is not just for young children, children 21 and under can and should have this important identification kit created for their safety and the peace of mind of their parents.   Booths and activities are being creating for children and adults alike, with the hopes of making an impression to our community members about the importance of safety in our daily lives. 

Chillicothe Friendship Lodge #89 and the Community Wellness Committee urge you to mark your calendar for this free, fun, interactive family event today!  Saturday, October 4^th 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Grand River YMCA. 

If your organization would like to host a booth, or make a donation of giveaways for kids and adults alike, please contact Eric Turner at 646-6688 or Ann Burchett at 646-5506.

Chillicothe named one of Missouri's "Breastfeeding Friendly Cities"

The City of Chillicothe recently learned it has been awarded the Missouri Department of Health's "Breastfeeding Friendly Worksite Award" and named one of Missouri’s “Breastfeeding Friendly Cities.”  Chillicothe is the fourth municipality in the state to receive the honor, joining Springfield, Joplin and Jefferson City.

The Livingston County Health Center used monies from the Missouri Department of Health Maternal Child Health Section to purchase hospital-grade Medela breast pumps and pumping kits for the City of Chillicothe.  The pump and kits will be available to be used throughout the city departments including City Hall, Fire Station, Police Station, Green Hills Golf Course, and the Parks and Street Department.  Seven other local businesses have participated in the program and received the award.

Haleigh Heldenbrand, assistant to City Manager Ike Holland, applied for the Missouri Breastfeeding Friendly Business and was awarded the Silver Award by the State of Missouri.  Livingston County Health Center would like to congratulate the City of Chillicothe on their hard work and dedication to the health of our city and the support of their breastfeeding employees.

"The award is given to employers who are friendly to those who are breast feeding. It's not only employee-friendly, but family-friendly," said Anita Perry, RN, IBCLC and coordinator of the Livingston County Health Center’s Breastfeeding Support Program.

“Receiving this award is not just the result of providing a quiet place to pump or nurse for staff. Creating a culture of support to women who wish to nurse is very important to long term success of breastfeeding, and we truly commend our local businesses who have taken steps to support local families,” said Perry.

“About 77 percent of women initiate breast feeding. The problem is it's very difficult to sustain, especially when rejoining the workforce.  It takes a team, and yes, a village effort to do the things required to have a successful breastfeeding experience.” 

Chillicothe also boasts seven businesses who have taken steps to become a “Breastfeeding Welcomed Here Business.”  To obtain this designation, the business and its employees confirm that they have a welcoming and friendly attitude toward mothers who come into their business or store and need to nurse their baby/child.  They provide a chair or booth in a quiet or private area such as a corner or dressing room where the mother can nurse her child. 

If you are a business that would like to become designated as breastfeeding friendly, you can fill out an application at our website 

www.livcohealthcenter.com under the tab “breastfeeding” or call the health center at 646-5506 for more information.

“Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal-For Life” Kicked off August 1st

Celebrated every year in more than 170 countries, World Breastfeeding Week aims to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.  World Breastfeeding Week will be celebrated this year, August 1-7, 2014.  This year’s theme acknowledges that when mothers and babies succeed in their breastfeeding plans, they can enjoy a lifetime of benefits.

Livingston County Health Center, a Breastfeeding Friendly WIC Clinic, offers a wide range of services for breastfeeding mom’s and families in our community. We have a private nursing nook that mothers can feed their babies in if they are out and about or after shots. We also offer breast pumps to moms that are on WIC, and with the Maternal Healthy Children Grant we are now also able to rent pumps, for a nominal fee, to breastfeeding mom’s in our community that are not on the WIC program.

Anita Perry, RN, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant leads the Breastfeeding Support Program at the health center.  She has steadily added services and improvements to our offerings through various grants.  The health center offers a breastfeeding class at the health center and also at Hedrick Medical Center on a regular monthly basis.

Thanks to mini grants through the state WIC (Women, Infants & Children Program) several local businesses have taken steps to become designated as breastfeeding friendly worksites by setting up a lactation room for their employees and having a supportive atmosphere at the business.

Hospital grade breast pumps are available on loan to both WIC participants and local residents, to encourage mothers to keep breastfeeding after returning to work.

Breastfeeding Peer Counselors, Rachel Snider and Amanda Kline work closely with WIC participants and meets with each mom and family several times during their pregnancy.  In talking with the moms and families, they teach not only about the benefits of breastfeeding, but also many of the helpful hints and techniques of the “how” to breastfeed. 

To celebrate Breastfeeding Awareness, the Health Center is also doing its annual media awareness campaign featuring local breastfeeding moms and their babies. 

A group of local breastfeeding moms organized a “Normalizing Nursing in Public” event at the Chillicothe Farmer’s Market on Saturday, August 2^nd.   Thousands of breastfeeding women and their babies/children across the world gather in their own communities to take part a synchronized breastfeeding each year.  

The health center’s Breastfeeding Support Group is also hosting a movie premiere of “The Milky Way” on Saturday, August 9^th at the health center.  Guests should arrive at 6 and the movie will begin at 6:30. There will be popcorn, snacks, drinks & door prizes for those who attend.

We are excited to be a part of our community’s breastfeeding support services. If you have any questions or concerns please don’t hesitate to call Anita Perry, RN, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and Rachel Snider WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and Certified Breastfeeding Educator or Amanda Kline, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor.

Anyone who would like more information about the health center’s Breastfeeding Support Program should call 646-5506 and ask to speak to Anita Perry. 

July Mom of the Month - Beverly Brown

“I guess I never thought I could breastfeed for so long! And I did it! I'm so glad that the mothers I connected with were very supportive. It helped me through this roller coaster of a journey!”