Jefferson County Rotary Clubs Donate Golf Tournament Proceeds to JCHD Program Serving Residents Struggling with Access to Healthcare

Jefferson County Health Department- Hillsboro, MO- Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) recently received a monetary donation of $6,750 from the Jefferson County Rotary Clubs, Inc. Benefit Golf Tournament.

Jefferson County Rotary Clubs, Inc. held a benefit golf tournament on September 17 at Oak Valley Golf Course & Resort in Pevely, MO. The event attracted 144 golfers and 52 sponsors, raising a total of $13,830. This was the 3rd annual benefit golf tournament hosted by the Jefferson County Rotary Clubs and the third year they chose JCHD’s Wellness Van Program as one of the recipients of the proceeds from the tournament.

Donated funds go directly into the JCHD Wellness Van program providing healthcare services for Jefferson County residents who need it most. “We are grateful for the continued generosity of the Jefferson County Rotary Clubs,” states Jefferson County Health Department Executive Director, Kelley Vollmar. “It’s rewarding to see such great community participation in support of a program that in turn provides vital health services to their friends and neighbors who may be struggling with access to care.”

“We are thankful to all the players, sponsors, and volunteers for helping to make this tournament a success,” states Hillsboro Rotary Club President, Doug Wright. “The third annual tournament grew by over 20% from our last one two years ago, and with everyone's help, we can grow the tournament and help even more people in Jefferson County.”

Jefferson County Health Department Provides ‘JeffCo Wellness Walks’ to Local Parks & Trails

Jefferson County Health Department- Hillsboro, MO- Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) recently launched a new community health program, JeffCo Wellness Walks, which focuses on encouraging physical and mental health activities while enjoying local parks and walking trails.

JeffCo Wellness Walks program consists of 10 activity signs posted along walking trails/paths in local parks. The signs encourage physical activity prompts such as jumping jacks or lunges as well as mental health prompts such as taking a few deep breaths or giving yourself compliments. Each physical activity sign also includes a QR code which links to videos showing how to complete the exercise as well as how to modify each exercise to be easier or more challenging.

“Part of our goal through our Maternal & Child Health grant funding is to encourage physical activity and healthier lifestyles within families,” states Community Engagement Team Lead, Adam Peters. “We saw great success with some of our previous programs in the park, so we decided to expand on that and provide something for families to engage with when it fits their schedule best.”

JeffCo Wellness Walks launched in early fall of this year and has been implemented in five walking trails so far with more planned in the coming months. Currently, wellness walks are set up at:

  • Peace Pantry- 8100 S Industrial Dr, Cedar Hill, MO 63016

  • Hillsboro City Park- 10975 MO-21, Hillsboro, MO 63050

  • Arnold City Park- 2400 Bradley Beach Rd, Arnold, MO 63010

  • Pomme Park- 1 Golfview Dr, Arnold, MO 63010

  • Northwest Jefferson County Sports Complex- 4900 Byrnesville Rd, House Springs, MO 63051

“We are getting positive feedback from the community about the JeffCo Wellness Walk signs on our walking path, and we have a lot of people that are walking,” states Peace Pantry Board President, Linda Schroeder. “I have been able to engage with some of those using the trail and it’s wonderful to see the impact projects like this have on residents.”

For cities or parks interested in implementing JeffCo Wellness Walks, contact the health department at communications@jeffcohealth.org. To learn more about JeffCo Wellness Walks or find a list of locations, visit the health department website at www.jeffcohealth.org/jeffco-wellness-walk.

Jefferson County Health Department & City of Herculaneum Team Up to Vaccinate the Public

Jefferson County, MO – October 4, 2021: Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD) and the City of Herculaneum recently partnered to provide vaccinations for the public and city employees.

On Tuesday, September 28th, JCHD hosted a vaccination clinic utilizing their COVID vaccine mobile unit at Herculaneum City Hall to provide COVID and flu vaccines. A total of 65 vaccinations were provided to individuals aged from 21 to 104 years old: 22 flu vaccines and 43 COVID vaccines. Most of the COVID vaccines provided were Pfizer booster doses for eligible individuals.

The clinic was organized by the Herculaneum City Administrator, Jim Kasten. “We feel that it’s important our community leads the way in getting to a high percentage of folks vaccinated,” he states. “By having the health department van in our community to provide vaccinations, we are on our way to reaching that goal.”

“It was inspiring to see so many individuals do their part to protect themselves and the community through vaccination,” states Nursing Supervisor, Sarah Warncke. “Partnerships like this with the City of Herculaneum, are what help positively impact public health in the county.”

Many residents within the county do not have easy access to vaccination services because of barriers in transportation, location, or insurance coverage. Jefferson County Health Department aims to reduce these barriers by providing healthcare services, including vaccinations, throughout the community at accessible locations utilizing mobile clinics. With COVID vaccination rates low in the county, community partnerships have become an invaluable asset in increasing vaccine accessibility to Jefferson County residents.

Other businesses or organizations with Jefferson County interested in partnering with JCHD to host on-site COVID and/or flu vaccine clinics can complete the inquiry form found on the health department website: COVID-19 Vaccine — Jefferson County Health Department (jeffcohealth.org)

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Importance of Physical Activity for Kids

School starting: Here are some ways to help kids and students active

School is starting back up and that means kids will be sitting around a lot more. As a parent and a teacher getting kids to sit still and focus can be a challenge! Finding the time to encourage activity can also be a challenge with busy schedules. With the weather cooling down and school starting there are plenty of opportunities to get kids moving, if you know where to look! A solid plan and a little creativity can make it fun and easy to find time to consistently get 60 minutes of activity!

For Parents

Ideally kids need to get 60 minutes of activity every day if not more! For kids and families with busy schedules you may be wondering where to find the time. Activity minutes don’t have to be strictly things that seem like “exercise” such as running, walking, jumping jacks, etc. Activity minutes can be anything that gets kids hearts beating faster. Kids can get activity minutes by doing chores like walking the dog, cleaning their room, and even washing the car. A win for the whole family! It’s also important to model behaviors for your children. If they see you trying something like yoga or working in the yard, encourage them to come join in, help out, and turn it into a moment the whole family can connect together through.

Some other ideas to be active in creative ways:

 

For Teachers

As a teacher getting kids to sit still and focus can be a challenge! Kids want and need to move around during their day. You can help kids reach their 60 minutes of activity by occasionally stopping for a brain break during the school day. Brain breaks have shown to help with attention and gets kids wiggles out so they can focus on their actual work. These breaks can be 3-4 minutes long as part of a transition activity, so it doesn’t interrupt their normal classwork. This can help kids shift gears, get their heart rates up, and focus on their next task!

Some ways to incorporate physical activity into the school day:

 

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About the Author: Megan Winkelmann has been a Community Health Educator with the Jefferson County Health Department for just over two years. She attended Truman State University earning a bachelor’s degree in Health Science with a minor in Biology. While working for JCHD she attended A.T. Still University to earn her master’s degree in Public Health. Megan was born and raised in Jefferson County and enjoys creating programs that encourage healthy habits in the place she was raised. Megan likes to spend her free in time in the presence of family and friends.

Jefferson County Health Department Reports Second Mosquito Tests Positive for West Nile Virus

On September 20th mosquitoes collected by Jefferson County Health Department (JCHD), detected West Nile Virus in a mosquito population within Imperial, MO. This is the second positive West Nile detected this season.

The Vector Division has notified Jefferson County Administration and JCHD began implementing control measures in the affected areas of concern on the evening of September 20.  JCHD’s Mosquito Control and Surveillance program will continue to monitor the area for West Nile Virus in the mosquito population.

The health department encourages residents throughout the county to be diligent in protecting themselves and their loved ones when they are outdoors. Protection from mosquitoes, and the diseases they carry, can be as simple as using insect repellents that contain 20% - 50% DEET or Picaridin, wearing light colored clothes, and covering exposed skin. In addition to personal protection, residents can protect their homes and property by remove standing water sources such as waste tires, cans, buckets, flowerpot sills, or other containers that can hold water for mosquitoes to lay their eggs in. 

For more information about the JCHD Mosquito Control and Surveillance Program, please visit the health department at www.jeffcohealth.org.