Cargill Meat Solutions, a Fort Morgan, Colo. establishment, is recalling approximately 132,606 pounds of ground beef products made from the chuck portion of the carcass that may be contaminated with Escherichia coli O26, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced. Click the link at the end of the story for the original notice and a list of products.
Jefferson County Health Department Teams Up With Provident to Provide Mental Health Services to Jefferson County Residents
Hillsboro, MO (August 2018) -- Residents of Jefferson County will have a new, convenient option to address their mental health needs starting in September. Jefferson County Health Department has chosen to partner with Provident to offer services at their High Ridge and Hillsboro offices as well as through their Mobile Wellness Van. The partnership is funded by the Jefferson Foundation.
An assessment conducted by the Foundation in 2015 found that 59% of area providers identified mental health and psychiatric services for children as either a “high” or “crisis-level” priority. The 2018 County Health Rankings report that Jefferson has a ratio of 1,310 residents for every one mental health provider, which is over double the state-wide rate and more than triple the rate in neighboring St. Louis County.
“Our 2017 Community Health Assessment found 28% of county respondents self-identify as struggling with depression or anxiety. Individuals struggling with serious mental illness are at higher risk for homicide, suicide, and accidents as well as chronic conditions including cardiovascular and respiratory diseases and substance use disorders. Mental and physical
health are intertwined.” said Kelley Vollmar, Director of Jefferson County Health Department. “Partnering with Provident has allowed us to offer a more holistic care model for our clients by bringing the services they need to the convenient sites they already use.” Most private insurance is accepted and a sliding fee scale based on financial need keeps appointments affordable.
The 2017 Jefferson County Behavioral Health Profile found, “In Eastern (excluding St. Louis) Missouri, 17.3% of those 18 and older had a mental illness in the past year; 6.7% of those ages 18+ had at least one major depressive episode in the past year; and county students in 6th-12th grades reported 13.7% had considered suicide in the last year, 9.1% made a plan, and 1.2% actually attempted, resulting in an injury. In 2014, 48 Jefferson County residents died by suicide.”
“Provident has been serving the St. Louis region for nearly 160 years. We are excited to be working with the Jefferson County Health Department to provide excellent, expanded care to people throughout their area,” said Kevin Drollinger, Executive Director of Provident.
About therapist Lisa Krystosek, JD, MHA, LPC
Lisa Krystosek, JK, MHA, LPC, has been selected as the first therapist for this program. She is currently a counselor with Provident’s Life Crisis Services team, has a private practice in Clayton, MO, and works with an equine-assisted psychotherapy program in Jefferson County. She is a licensed attorney in Missouri and a doctoral candidate in Counselor Education at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has been working with therapy clients in Jefferson County since 2015 and is looking forward to expanding her involvement with the community. Residents can schedule an appointment by calling Provident’s toll-free number at 1-800-782-1008 or Lisa at 314-657-7224.
Vector Program Taking Measures Before Jefferson County Fair
Since two collections of adult mosquitoes who tested positive for West Nile Virus back in June, we are taking several actions to address the issue.
With the Jefferson County Fair this weekend in Hillsboro, we sprayed the fairgrounds on Wednesday evening, in addition to our normal spray schedule, to reduce the mosquito population for the weekend festivities.
Click this link for the story and for more info about our vector program.
Kellogg Honey Smacks Recall
See the attached article for the latest information on the Kellogg Honey Smacks recall. CDC now recommends not eating Honey Smacks of any size or date.
Simple Prevention Saves Lives When It Comes to Ticks
This week, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) released reports of a possible case of Bourbon virus that is believed to be transmitted by a tick. Given this report, as well as the recent discovery of several other new diseases that can be spread by ticks, and predictions that the number of ticks in Missouri this summer will be higher than usual, the Jefferson County Health Department would like to remind everyone of the importance of safe and effective tick and mosquito protection. This can be as simple as taking two minutes to make sure:
1. You are wearing clothing that will protect you from being bitten.
· Choose long sleeves and long pants when spending time outdoors, weather permitting.
· Wear light colored clothing to help you spot ticks faster!
2. Apply insect repellent to any exposed skin.
· Look for products that contain at least 20% DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 to keep ticks away.
· Choose a product that lasts several hours whenever you spend time outdoors. DEET products should not be used on infants under two months of age.
· If you are also using sunscreen, apply it first, let it dry, and then apply repellent. Products that contain both sunscreen and repellent are not recommended
· And always read the label directions carefully!
3. Check your clothing and skin for ticks frequently, even while you are outside.
· After returning inside, shower as soon as possible and check all parts of the body carefully.
· Having a partner or parent check hard to see or private areas is encouraged. However, self-checks can be conducted safely and thoroughly using a mirror in a well-lit area.
· Remove attached ticks as soon as possible!
· This should be done by using tweezers or a tick removal tool to grip the tick as close to the skin as possible and pulling directly up and away from the skin.
· Other methods of tick removal designed to make the tick detach on its own such as covering it in nail polish or burning the back of the tick with a match can increase the risk of disease transmission and should NOT be used.
4. For more information about ticks, visit https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/tickscarrydisease/index.php
However, if you or a loved one is bitten by a tick it is important to report any symptom associated with a tick transmitted disease to a medical professional as early as possible. Often, the symptoms of tick transmitted disease are first noticed two to three weeks after being bitten and including sudden fever, body aches, and headache. If you have any of these symptoms after being bitten by a tick or mosquito, or even being in an area where you could have been, it is important to let your healthcare provider know that you may be at risk for tick transmitted disease. For more information about tick transmitted diseases visit: https://health.mo.gov/living/healthcondiseases/communicable/2minutedrill/
For health related question, call (636) 797-3737 ext-137 to speak with JCHD Communicable Disease Specialist, or ext-215 to speak with a JCHD Epidemiologist.