Public Health Week: Many local public health services available
National Public Health Week observed at VMH ... This is National Public Health Week. Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care, in its role as Allamakee County Public Health, holds the responsibility of preventing epidemics and the spread of disease, protecting against environmental hazards, promoting healthy behaviors and teaching everyone how to prepare for, respond to and recover from public health emergencies. Pictured above, left to right, are the Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care Public Health Supervisors Sheryl Darling-Mooney, RN; Lisa Moose, RN; and Cindy Johnson, RN. Submitted photo.
by Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care and the Iowa Department of Public Health
Public health plays an important role in Iowa’s high standard of living. The goal of public health is helping to create an environment where people can live in good health. Public health helps make good health happen in Iowa’s homes, neighborhoods, schools and workplace.
Public health is more than just state and local government agencies. The public health community works together to fight disease and promote healthy lifestyles through the use of nutrition education, physical activity, immunization clinics, disease surveillance and home nursing and home care aide visits.
Besides the Iowa Department of Public Health, there are local health personnel in every one of Iowa’s counties. Those local workers may be homecare aides who visit the homes of clients and allow them to live in the comfort and familiar surroundings of home. That local health worker may be a public health nurse who also visits people in their homes and helps them remain as independent as possible in their own home.
Veterans Memorial Hospital began managing the Allamakee Public Health Department in 1995. The nurses, home care aides and receptionists at Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care do offer these in-home services listed above, plus many public health services to the communities each month.
Immunization Clinics are held each Wednesday in the Community and Home Care office located on the upper level of Veterans Memorial Hospital. Appointments are required by calling 563-568-5660.
In addition to these local services, public health agencies such as Community and Home Care hold the responsibility of preventing epidemics and the spread of disease, protecting against environmental hazards, preventing injuries, promoting healthy behaviors and teaching everyone how to prepare for, respond to and recover from public health emergencies.
To learn more, contact Allamakee County Public Health at Veterans Memorial Hospital Community and Home Care at 563-568-5660.
