Community Health Services

Temporary food permits (TFPs) are critical to Moultrie County food service events. Food is often a central component in these festivities, whether it’s a farmers’ market, festival, or charity gathering. Food service providers are required to protect their patrons by adhering to food safety and sanitation standards. That’s where temporary food permits come in. TFPs help ensure the well-being of Moultrie County event-goers and the reputations of event planners and vendors.

Harvest time is underway. It means long hours and hard work for agricultural workers. The hours grow even longer as they try to beat the weather and ensure a successful harvest.

COVID-19 is endemic. The term "endemic" may sound awful, but it isn't. In fact, compared to a pandemic disease, an endemic phase can reflect a significant step of progress.

“Caregiver Stress-Busting” is a program offered to support family and other non-paid caregivers who care for an individual living with dementia. Two trained facilitators lead the program, which focuses on education, support, problem-solving, and stress management.

The cost of Cigarette Smoking has financial impacts that are rarely discussed.

Progressive dementia refers to various conditions characterized by cognitive decline. Ultimately, each of these conditions results from damaged brain cells. Learn more about Dementia.

Dementia’s impact is a significant public health issue in the United States. It affects millions of individuals and their families.

Protecting your skin from the harmful effects of the sun and avoiding skin cancer is an important part of maintaining your overall health.

Potluck events are wonderful opportunities for people to gather and share delicious meals. However, without proper attention to food safety, these events can pose health risks. The Moultrie County Health Department wants your potluck events to be safe and enjoyable.

Bats are a vital part of our ecosystem. They eat disease-carrying mosquitoes and crop-consuming insects. Unfortunately, bats also carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans. Bats are the leading cause of human rabies deaths in the United States. According to the CDC, at least 7 out of 10 Americans who died from rabies in the U.S. were exposed to infected bats.

Dementia isn't a single disease; the term encompasses a range of symptoms affecting memory, thinking, and social abilities. It disrupts daily life and can result from various underlying causes, including Alzheimer's disease, vascular issues, Lewy body dementia, and others.

Completing a Temporary Food Permit (TFP) might seem like a tedious procedure, but it serves an essential purpose. The TFP application process allows public health officials to ensure everyone’s best interests and safety are protected.

A woman's health encompasses many aspects, from reproductive health to disease prevention and healthy aging. In this article, we'll discuss ten crucial aspects of women's healthcare.

Your heart is unquestionably one of the hardest-working organs in your body. It continually pumps blood to deliver oxygen and nutrients to every cell. Therefore, keeping your heart healthy is essential for a long and active life. Fortunately, regular medical check-ups, routine labs, and other tests can help monitor your cardiovascular health and detect potential problems early. This article raises the importance of heart health and a plan of care you should consider.

Physical inactivity can lead to weight gain, decreased cardiovascular health, and a potential decline in your mental well-being. To counteract these effects, find ways to include indoor physical activity in your daily routine. Here are some good ideas about how increasing your indoor activity can benefit you and some helpful tips to get moving at home today.

Lead exposure is a serious health concern for children, with potentially devastating consequences. Unfortunately, lead exposure in children can occur and accumulate almost undetected. Parents and caregivers should be vigilant for potential sources of lead in their children’s environment.

Maintaining good heart health is more crucial than ever. That’s not surprising, considering the constant demands of work, family, and daily life. Neglecting our cardiovascular well-being is tempting until a problem occurs and gets our attention.

The Illinois Department of Public Health has released information about a new law that addresses a public health issue concerning vaping. The new law started January 1, 2024, and will ban the use of e-cigarettes in indoor public spaces.

The Moultrie County Courthouse and the Moultrie County Health Department are closed today, Monday, January 22, 2024, due to weather conditions.

All services originally scheduled for today are canceled and will be rescheduled when our offices reopen.

It’s crucial to take the right precautions during the winter season to protect yourself, your loved ones, and your property as winter’s cold weather arrives. This article offers basic winter weather preparedness to help you navigate the cold months with confidence.

As the seasons change, so does the risk of respiratory infections. Influenza and common cold symptoms can be very similar, leaving many to wonder which illness they are experiencing.

The holiday season is traditionally a time to gather with family and friends, share meals, and exchange gifts. However, not everyone experiences holidays with the same level of joy and companionship. Seasonal holidays, especially Christmas, can be a lonely and isolated time for seniors. It’s important for all of us to recognize what may cause them to struggle during this time of year and how we can help.

The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is currently available in Illinois through October 2023. The Moultrie County Health Department (MCHD) is pleased to share how our county residents benefit from this vital program.

CodeRED is an emergency alerting service available to all Moultrie County residents and businesses. This secure service is provided at no charge and is coordinated through the Moultrie County Emergency Services Disaster Agency (ESDA).

General Mills issued a voluntary nationwide recall of two, five, and 10-pound bags of its Gold Medal Unbleached and Bleached All Purpose Flour with a “Better if Used By” date of March 27, 2024, and March 28, 2024. No other types of Gold Medal Flour are affected by this recall at this time.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are designed to assist all individuals in tailoring their personal food preferences into a nutritious, balanced diet that they can sustain and benefit from for their entire life. Research shows a routine pattern of healthy food choices and eating habits can significantly improve health.

Norovirus is a highly contagious group of viruses currently circulating in the US. Norovirus, sometimes called the “stomach flu,” typically causes gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain. Mild fever and aches are also possible. Some cases of the virus can become severe.

WIC is a special supplemental nutrition program funded and administered by the USDA. The program provides nutritional health information and benefits for Women, Infants, and Children. Certified WIC staff are typically Registered Nurses or Dieticians who assist clients with other resources and services to meet their needs.

Weather officials agree that North America, particularly the United States, has the world's most severe weather extremes. No other place on earth has the same hazardous array of severe thunderstorms, lightning strikes, tornadoes, and floods.

Daylight savings time (DST) begins March 12, 2023, at 2:00 am. This day also reminds us to reset our clocks (spring forward 1 hour in the spring of the year) and replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in our homes.

One of the most important things we can do for our heart health is to become more aware of our own health status. Here are some straightforward guidelines for monitoring basic heart health numbers.

As the new year begins, the American Medical Association (AMA) offers the following recommendations to help Americans make the most impactful, long-lasting improvements to their health in 2023 and beyond.

Over the next several weeks, the Moultrie County Health Department will share safety tips concerning the hazardous conditions created by winter weather.

Over the next several weeks, the Moultrie County Health Department will share safety tips concerning the hazardous conditions created by winter weather.

The Moultrie County Health Department staff wishes you peace in your heart, joy in your home, and the blessing of friendship throughout the holidays and beyond.

The Christmas season is a joyous time when families and friends get together and create new memories. Sadly, millions of seniors will not share this same holiday experience. Instead, too many of our seniors will experience this Christmas holiday isolated and alone.

The Moultrie County Health Department is pleased to once again provide IL WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) services to all eligible families and seniors in and around Moultrie County.

In June, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported multiple fatal and non-fatal overdose events related to heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl in several Northern Illinois counties. On July 12, the Illinois Poison Center (IPC) issued a warning to the public to stay safe and avoid recreational drugs, especially synthetic recreational drugs.

The Moultrie County Health Department joins IDPH in stressing that a bite from a rabid animal can be potentially fatal if not treated. Subsequently, the public should take precautions to keep bats and other unfamiliar animals out of their homes and other enclosures and act quickly if bitten.

Alzheimer’s disease is a type of dementia that affects memory, thinking, and behavior. It is caused by damage to nerve cells (neurons) in the brain and is a progressive disease. The neurons damaged first are those in parts of the brain responsible for memory, language, and thinking. As a result, the first symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease tend to be mild memory loss, impaired language skills, and difficulty thinking clearly.

Immunizations (vaccines) help protect you from diseases caused by bacteria or viruses. What’s more, your immunity to these illnesses also protects others around you. As adults, most of us live busy lives with many responsibilities. The last thing you want to do is risk getting sick with a preventable infection.

STD Awareness Week is April 10-16. Like so many medical concerns, there are myths and inaccurate information concerning sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Regrettably, such misinformation is widespread and can prove harmful to public health. Let's talk about these common myths and learn the truth.

STD Awareness Week is April 10-16. Whether you are sexually active or thinking about becoming sexually active, here’s how you can Talk, Test, and Treat to protect your health.

Natural and LP gas has a specific odor that alerts you of their presence. This feature is not true of carbon monoxide (CO). CO is a poisonous, flammable gas with no odor and color, making CO especially hazardous. We can breathe in CO with no sense of odor or irritation to our nose or throats. When we inhale CO, our blood cells attach to CO molecules instead of oxygen molecules. This process starves our organs of the oxygen needed for continued survival, resulting in illness and death. Children and the elderly, as well as individuals with heart or respiratory conditions, are especially vulnerable to the effects of CO.

The Center for Disease Control reports that over 400 Americans die from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning every year, typically in their home or car. Many of these deaths occur during the winter months. These are the months when people heat their homes while minimizing outside ventilation. Although CO levels may not prove high enough to be fatal, they can still result in serious illnesses. CO poisonings account for nearly 50,000 visits to hospital emergency departments each year.

The Illinois Poison Center logs over 74,000 calls on poisoning exposures each year. Poison centers across the nation manage over 2.1 million cases each year. It may surprise you that 90% of these incidents occur in the home. Furthermore, some of the most common exposures involve toxic substances we all use or come in contact with relatively often.