Public Health promotes prevention and early detection of disease for individuals, their families and the community. There is no charge for many Public Health services. Included are: Immunizations, follow-up of communicable diseases, health counseling, screening and safety programs, school and jail health, and environmental services.
Services & Programs Offered by the Lafayette County Health Department:
Communicable
Diseases
Lafayette County Health Department is responsible for communicable disease
surveillance within the county. Communicable diseases are reported to
the Health Department for investigation and control. Health care professionals
are required to report specific communicable diseases to the Lafayette
County Health Department.
Direct your questions regarding communicable disease to a Public Health Nurse at (608)776-4895. Visit the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov
Frequently reported
diseases are:
- Food and water borne diseases
- Hepatitis
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Tuberculosis
- Vaccine preventable diseases
- HIV/AIDS Confidential counseling and test site information is available
upon request. Partner Notification Program is provided through Lafayette
County Health Department. Visit the AIDS Network site at www.aidsnetwork.org
Community
Education
Public Health Nurses are available to present educational programs, related
to health and various topics, to community groups. Schedule your programs
well in advance with the Health Department office.
Community
Health Clinics
Held at various locations around the county monthly. See
Clinic Schedule.
Clinics include:
- Health screening, education, and counseling for all ages on a walk-in
basis
- Blood pressure checks
- Blood tests for sugar and cholesterol
- Colorectal cancer test kits
- Immunizations for all ages
- Hearing tests upon request
- Foot Care is available for routine nail care for persons unable to do
it themselves, for a small fee. Appointments required.
HealthCheck
Health assessment and counseling for children under age 21 on Medical
Assistance is provided. This simple check up can catch problems early
and prevent serious problems. Referrals are made for dental care, eye
care and other health care specialists. HealthCheck teaches you and your
child how to prevent illness, and can also find any health problems early,
before they become serious. (Remember, a healthy child is a happy child!)
HealthCheck meets the physical exam requirements for programs such as
Head Start, Child Care or WIC (Women, Infants and Children Supplemental
Food Program) and school physicals. A HealthCheck referral may also make
you eligible for some services not normally paid for by Medicaid. HealthCheck
will help you make an appointment for any follow-up care or treatment.
Health Check can also help you find a doctor or dentist if you need one.
Call toll free (800)722-2295 to find out your nearest HealthCheck provider.
A HealthCheck does:
- Head to Toe Physical Exam
- Immunizations
- Lab Tests
- Eye Exam
- Growth and Development Check
- Hearing Check
- Mouth Exam www.ada.org
- Nutrition Check
- Health Information
- Other Checks You Need
- Special Teen-age Health Education
- Teen Pregnancy Services
School Nursing
Immunization, Hearing and Vision screening, health and safety
education, fluoride mouth rinse, blood pressure, lice screening, communicable
disease, emergency nursing, and blood borne pathogens are among the programs
available through contract with the Lafayette County Health Department.
Jail Nursing
Public Health Nurses provide health care services to the inmates of the
Lafayette County jail for a fee. Health services include health education,
physical assessments, monitoring of medications and treatments.
Women, Infant
and Children
(WIC) Women, Infants, and Children nutrition program which provides
counseling, health screening, and supplemental foods for pregnant and
breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to 5 years old. Lead screening
and immunizations are also available at WIC. Eligibility is determined
by income and health risk at the WIC clinic.
Call SWCAP WIC office at (800)704-8555 for more information.
Maternal/Child
Health
Prenatal Care Coordination ~ A Medical Assistance Funded Program benefit
that: Promotes prenatal care and provides education and counseling on:
-Nutrition
-Life style
-Labor and delivery
-Breastfeeding
Provides resources
and support for things such as:
-Locating child care
-Dealing with family or emotional problems
-Coping with alcohol or other drug abuse
-Dealing with other problems that are bothering you
-Promotes increased birth weight
-Promotes healthy pregnancy and healthy infant
Answers questions
such as:
- When should
I go to the doctor?
- How will I get to the doctor?
- What will labor and delivery be like?
- Should I breast-feed my baby?
- How does this work if I am on Medicaid HMO?
- What other community services are available to me?
Post-Partum ~ A phone
call or letter to each new mom includes the following:
- Information of services available
- WIC
- Immunizations
- Resources
- Infant care and feeding
- Care of new mom
Children with Special
Health Care Needs ~ Public health nurses offer:
- Education
- Support
- Referrals
- Advocacy for services needed
Families
First New Beginnings
This
home program focuses on developing relations early to promote family strength
and stability. Family First New Beginnings offers education and support
to families planning to give birth at Memorial Hospital of Lafayette County.
This program features a friendly home visitor, and begins before birth
and continues until the baby's first birthday. All families are given
the opportunity to meet the Family Home Visitor, a nurse from the Health
Department, and a nurse from the hospital during pregnancy. The Home Visitor
will visit the new mom while recovering from the birthing process, present
gifts and provide supportive information. Once settled home, the Home
Visitor will present additional educational materials, offer support,
and answer any questions that may arise during those first few days at
home. After this point, the Home Visitor will be in contact to regularly
discuss milestones, normal growth and development and give informative
newsletters appropriate for the age of the infant.
Environmental
Health
The Environmental Health Specialist provides community outreach and education
on environmental health problems. The following are also provided by this
department:
- Human Health Hazard
Assessments
- Lead poisoning information www.aeclp.org
- Lead screening
- Air quality testing (Radon, Carbon Monoxide)
- Asbestos investigations
- Rabies control
- Rodent control
- Unsafe and unsanitary housing
- Water Testing. Water test kits available to test private well water.
The following are the tests that can be performed by the State Lab of Hygiene in Madison for a fee. If you have a child in your home 11 months of age or less the tests are free of charge.
Bacteriology Tests: The test of drinking water is done to determine if the water contains disease-producing organisms. Water samples are tested for the presence of coliform bacteria. If coliform are found, it means the well is possibly contaminated and that disease-producing organisms may also be present. Uncontaminated water supplies are always free of coliform bacteria. This test is recommended for all wells on an annual basis, or at any time the well water changes in taste,odor, color, or appearance.
Nitrate Test: High levels of nitrates in water present a potential health problem for infants less than 6 months of age. Nitrates are converted to nitrites in the stomach of small infants. The nitrites then interfere with the blood's ability to carry oxygen. If the concentration of nitrates is sufficiently high, symptoms of suffocations, or 'baby blue syndrome, occur. This effect is not seen in persons over 6 months old. This test is recommended for all wells used for drinking water by children less than six months of age.
Fluoride Test: Knowledge of level of naturally occurring fluoride will be useful to your dentist in prescribing a fluoride treatment program for children. This test is recommended only if your dentist has requested it.
Tobacco Coalition
www tobwis.org - Wisconsin Tobacco Control is a statewide program
that is dedicated to eliminating tobacco use and addressing the adverse
health affects associated with tobacco use. www.tobaccofreekids.org -
Tobacco-Free Kids is fighting to free America's youth from tobacco and
to create a healthier environment. The Campaign is one of the nation's
largest non-governmental initiatives ever launched to protect children
from tobacco addiction and exposure to secondhand smoke.
First Breath
First Breath is a program to help pregnant woman stop smoking. The
First Breath program provides women with the support they need to quit
smoking. Pregnant woman receive: personal smoking cessation
support, intensive smoking cessation counseling, self-help materials,
Wisconsin Quitline access, postpartum telephone support, motivation through
learning about First Breath success stories, smoking education materials
for their families, free incentives and a gift at delivery. For
more information, contact Lynn Howery, RN, BSN at the Health Department.
Wisconsin
Well Woman Program (WWWP)
The Wisconsin Well Woman Program provides health screening services to
low income, uninsured, or underinsured woman ages 35-64. Screenings
include: clinical breast exams, mammograms, pap and pelvic exams, depression,
diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol levels, domestic abuse, and
osteoporosis. All screenings are at no cost to the woman.
For more information, contact the Health Department and ask for Lynn Howery,
RN, BSN.