475 Western Ave., Suite A
Chillicothe, OH. 45601
Phone: 740-779-9652
Fax: 740-779-0744
HEAD LICE: Head lice are a traditional nuisance in ross County, especially for younger school-age children. This Checklist will help you safely and effectively treat and eliminate head lice in your home and on your children. Questions can be referred to our public health nurses by calling 775-1146.
THE WEIGHT OF THE NATION: The Ross County Health District would like to encourage area residents to go online and view HBO's recent documentary The Weight of the Nation . This four part series focuses on our nation's epidemic of obesity and contains interesting public health inforamtion for adults and also for parents.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: The Ross County Health District has openings for an Environmental Health Sanitarian, and a Sanitarian-In-Training . We also have two openings for Home Health RNs .
DISTRACTED DRIVING SURVEY: The Ross County Health District's Safe Communities Program recently completed an informal Distracted Driving Survey . This was a visual survey of 600 vehicles, at five locations, at different times on roadways in both Chillicothe and out in Ross County. Although 23 percent of drivers were observed driving distracted, the number is lower than was feared. Safe Communities will continue to work with local law enforcement in an effort to get the "Drive Safe, Not Distracted" message out.
TICKS & MOSQUITOES: Warm weather is here and with it will come disease carrying vectors such as ticks and mosquitoes. This year the blacklegged tick, or deer tick, is expected to be more common in Ohio than ever before. The deer tick can be a carrier of Lyme disease. For more information on ticks check out this Factsheet , and for more on lyme disease, visit this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Lyme Disease Page . Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website has lots of information about mosquitoes and the diseases they can carry.
ANNUAL REPORT: The Ross County Health District's 2011 Annual Report can now be viewed or printed. Also, copies can be obtained by visiting our Vital Statistics Office, 475 Western Ave., Suite 5A. This is the Ross County Service Center.
COMMUNITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT: Funded by a grant from the Ohio Department of Health, the Ross County Health District in the summer of 2011, performed a Community Health Assessment . Results were compiled by Miami University Middletown's Applied Research Center. We plan to use the results to help us direct our programs and services, and to strengthen any grant proposals we make.
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING: Land owners in Ross County are being approached by oil and gas companies or others, who are seeking to lease land for use in natural gas exploration and/or hydraulic fracturing (also referred to as fracking). Landowners should carefully consider a variety of possibilities before signing a lease, to include acquiring legel represntation. the Ross County Health District encourages landowners to carefully consider possible environmental impacts, including potential impacts on groundwater and drinking water supplies. The Ohio Departments of Natural Resources and Health have produced recommendations concerning well water testing prior to the onset of drilling or exploration. Additionally, the ODNR Website offers a variety of other information and resources.
2012 FITTING STATIONS: Our Help Me Grow car seat technicians have released a schedule of their fitting stations for 2012. All fitting stations will be held at Chillicothe's Fire Station No. 1, 54 E. Water St. Fitting Stations 2012
FLOODING: Floods cause $4.6 billion in damage in the United States every year. Flooding can occur at any time, but it is most common in the spring and early summer. Below are some links to information that can help you prepare and recover from a flood or from damage caused by flood waters.
Ohio Department of Health Preparation Tips
Ohio Department of Health Cleanup Tips
Red Cross
CDC
FEMA
EPA Information on Air Quality
EPA Booklet on Flood Cleanup
RCHD SOCIAL MEDIA: The Ross County Health District is now on Facebook. Users can simply type "Ross County Health Distict" in the search bar, and when reaching our page, click "Like." Periodically we post news, events and health tips. We're also on Twitter, @rosscohealth, or you can follow us online by clicking here and signing up as a follower.
HANDWASHING: Regular handwashing can keep you safe from germs and the sickness they can cause, including colds and influenza. For information click on any of the links below.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Handwashing guide from the CDC
Handwashing guide for children
BREAST CANCER AWARENESS: If you are an uninsured woman over age 40, our Southern Ohio Women's Cancer Project and our Together We Can Program may be able to help you gain access to clinical breast exams or to mammograms. Find out more about the SOWCP and the Together We Can Program , and more about breast cancer from the American Cancer Society and from the CDC .
LEAD POISONING: High levels of lead in the blood can be dangerous to anyone, especially children and pregnant women. For more information on lead poisoning, visit the links below.
Ohio Department of Health
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
NEW CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY LAWS: Parents can click here for information concerning updated child passenger safety laws in Ohio.
CHLAMYDIA: April is National STD Awareness Month. Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted disease in Ross County and in the United States. It is most common in men and women aged 15-24. Although symptoms can be very mild and even non-existent, it can still have serious long term health consequences for women. For more information click here or here or visit:
CHILD VACCINATION SCHEDULE: Below you will find links to the 2012 child immunization schedule for children ages birth to 18 years, as well as a schedule for adults. A note for parents with children who will be starting kindergarten in the fall: State law now requires children entering school have the Polio, Hepatitis B, Chicken Pox and DTaP vaccines. Additionally, children entering the 7th grade are now required to have the Tdap booster shot. All of those vaccines are available at the health district's Nurse of the Day Clinic, which is open Monday-Friday, 8-11:30 am, and 1-4 pm. This is a walk-in clinic for which no appointment is necessary. For a schedule of all childhood vaccines, click below for the schedule for the appropriate ages.
RADON: Radon is a naturally occurring gas that is the result of uranium breaking down in the soil, rock and water. It is invisible and cannot be detected by sight or smell. It is the leading causes of lung cancer in non-smokers. January is National Radon Action Month. Click on the links below for more information.
EPA Radon Site
PERTUSSIS (WHOOPING COUGH): The number of pertussis cases in Ross County rose in 2009 to 26. The Tdap booster is now required for all children entering seventh grade. The Ross County Health District offers the Tdap booster for $6. The vaccine is offered in our Nurse-of-the-Day Clinic. No appointment is necessary. Adults who have or who work with children may also want to consider receiving the Tdap booster. Pertussis is a contagious respiratory disease that is caused by a bacteria. While pertussis can be treated with antibiotics, it can be very serious in younger children. For more information about pertussis or the vaccine, click on one of the selections below.
Questions and Answers from the CDC
HEART DISEASE: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Ross County, accounting for one-third of all deaths in 2009. There are a number of things you can do to improve your "heart health" and lower your risk of developing heart disease. This includes 30 minutes of physical activity daily; a balanced diet featuring more fruits and vegetables and less fatty foods and junk foods; and not smoking tobacco products. Below are a few sites that contain much more information on improving heart health.
Go Red for Women Website
The Mayo Clinic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American Heart Association
MRSA: Community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or ca-MRSA, is a bacterial infection of the skin. It first became an issue in healthcare settings, but has begun to become more and more common in people outside of the hospital setting. It has been most often reported in schools and in youth who take part in organized athletics. For more information try the links below.
ODH Fact Sheet (for schools)
ROSS COUNTY MEDICAL RESERVE CORPS: In the event of a disaster we need your help. If you are an active or retired doctor or nurse, a paramedic or an EMT, dentist, mental health professional, chiropractor, midwife, pharmacist, or just someone interested in helping our community, please consider volunteering for Ross County's Medical Reserve Corp Unit. If you want to join click here for a form you can print, fill out and return. Or if you'd like more information call us at 779-1039, or visit the Ohio Medical Reserve Corps page.
MENINGITIS: Meningitis is an infection of the fluids in the spinal cord or the fluids that surround the brain. It can be one of two types: bacterial - which is the more serious - or viral. For a fact sheet on either, click: