May 2024
Welcome to the May issue of the Public Health Macomb newsletter – from the Macomb County Health Department. This newsletter highlights timely public health services that are available to Macomb County residents through the Health Department. It is our hope that by sharing this information, you will take advantage of these offerings as we move from spring to summer and make Macomb County a healthier place to live, work, and play.
Take care and stay safe.
Important Things to Know
Hearing and vision screenings for kids – Though it’s still spring, the Macomb County Health Department’s Hearing and Vision Program is busy screening preschoolers across Macomb County to prepare for kindergarten in the fall. You might be surprised to hear that this program helps kids learn their best in school by helping them maximize their skills as students..
Michigan Public Health Code requires children to have hearing and vision screenings before kindergarten and periodically during their school years. Public Health Services Manager, Ashley Mascagni, says the reason for the law is, “early detection is vital to ensure that children can grow and learn socially, emotionally and academically.” Between five and 14 percent of screenings result in a medical referral.
For certain conditions, early identification and treatment are critical to avoid permanent vision or hearing loss. As kids grow, MCHD’s 18 Hearing and Vision Technicians conduct follow up hearing and vision screenings in schools. These occur every other year in elementary school, with additional vision screenings in 7th and 9th grades.
If you need a hearing and vision screening for a rising kindergartener, don’t delay! For more information, visit our website. Appointments are only available through May 2024. Call 586-412-5945 to schedule. Locations are available across Macomb County.
Household hazardous waste collection – Spring is here! Time to clean out all those old chemicals, such as insecticides, cleaners, and medicines that you no longer need or want. Please check out our Household Hazardous Waste webpage to learn how to dispose of these items, what type of items are accepted and not accepted, and directions to the collection site. We are now scheduling appointments for our next collection events. You can schedule online or call us at 586-469-5236 to reserve your time. Please organize items neatly in boxes. Leaking items should be boxed separately from all other items.
Maternal child health home visiting programs: choosing the right program option – Choosing the right maternal child health home visiting program from the Macomb County Health Department can feel tricky, but knowing what makes each one different can help. Let's break it down:
- Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP): This program helps first-time pregnant people in Macomb County. Specially trained nurses work with clients from early pregnancy until the child's second birthday. Nurses work with families to ensure a healthy pregnancy, support babies’ growth, and empower families to be independent.
- Maternal Infant Health Program (MIHP): MIHP helps pregnant people and babies up to 12 months old who are Medicaid eligible. Nurses and social workers come to your home for free visits. They help with having a healthy pregnancy and baby, and they connect you with doctors and community resources.
- Public Health Nursing Program: No eligibility or criteria needed to enroll. Public Health Nurses offer home visits for Early On Service Coordination, infant safe sleep education, and case management services for children considered to be lead poisoned.
Understanding what each home-visiting program offers can help you pick the one that fits your family best. Learn more about our maternal child health home visiting programs. You can also call us at 586-465-8429.
Healthy Communities survey – The Healthy Communities Program (HCP) is excited to expand outreach with new offerings that reflect changing community needs. To guide program planning, HCP recently launched a survey of community health education interests. The survey will help HCP design responsive injury and disease prevention activities for Macomb County residents and organizations.Healthy Communities wants to hear from residents and organizations in Macomb County. Take the survey here and let us know your interests! We anticipate keeping the survey open until June 30, 2024. Health topics on the survey include:
- Aging Adults
- Chronic Disease
- Emergency Preparedness
- Environmental Health
- Family Planning or Maternal, Infant, Child Health
- Immunizations
- Mental Health
- Nutrition
- Oral/Dental Health
- Physical Activity
- Substance Use
- 'Other Topics' (fill in the blank)
Let us know which topics you and your community are most interested in! Program Supervisor, Jenny Franz, is available at jennifer.franz@macombgov.org for questions about the survey or the Healthy Communities Program.
Be on the lookout for ticks – April to September is when ticks are usually active in Michigan. Ticks can be active when outdoor temperatures are at least 40°F. and are commonly found in shady, moist areas in wooded and grassy locations. In fact, historical results of surveillance efforts by the Macomb County Health Department indicate that Blacklegged ticks with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease are present in Macomb County. With warming temperatures, ticks are out and active longer. Ticks can carry dangerous bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Not all ticks carry diseases, but tick-related diseases like Lyme disease do occur in Michigan and can be serious or fatal if not properly diagnosed and treated. Learn more about our tick surveillance efforts in Macomb County. You can also learn more about ticks, Lyme disease, prevention strategies and more at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services online Ticks Resource page.
WIC provides help for those in need – Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federally funded Special Supplemental Nutrition Program of the Food and Nutrition Service of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). WIC is administered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services with local agencies providing support to those in need in the community.
The program provides nutrition education, referrals to resources in your community, healthy foods, and breastfeeding support. WIC foods include milk, cheese, eggs, yogurt, beans or peanut butter, whole grains, iron fortified cereals, and fresh fruits and vegetables. You may qualify if you meet the income guidelines and are pregnant, breastfeeding, or recently had a baby, have an infant (s), or children up to the age of five.
Recent updates from the USDA for WIC packages promote better access to nutritious foods with a wider variety to include personal and cultural food preferences. These revisions also encourage fruit and vegetable consumption and strengthened support for breastfeeding.
There are three WIC service center locations at the Macomb County Health Department (MCHD) with an additional location at the Arab Community Center. However, services are by appointment only. To learn more about WIC visit, WIC in Macomb County.
If you need nutrition support and would like to know if you are eligible for the WIC program, call MCHD at 586-469-5471 and 586-330-8020 for the Arab Community Center.
Service Locations:
The VerKuilen Building
21885 Dunham Rd, Suite 13, Clinton Township, MI 48036
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Thompson Community Center
11370 Hupp Ave, Warren, MI 48089
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Southeast Family Resource Center
25401 Harper Ave., St. Clair Shores, MI 48081
Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS)
4301 E. 14 Mile Rd, Sterling Heights, MI 48310
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Bathing beach water monitoring – The Macomb County Health Department monitors bathing beach water at Lake St. Clair Metropark Beach in Harrison Township, Walter & Mary Burke Park in New Baltimore, Memorial Park Beach in St. Clair Shores, Stony Creek Baypoint Beach in Washington Township, and Stony Creek Eastwood Beach in Shelby Township. Water testing is conducted to identify levels of E. coli bacteria. If sample bacteria levels exceed levels established in the Michigan Public Health Code, the beach will be closed to the public until bacteria levels fall to acceptable levels.
So if you’re planning on going for a swim, our website has information on current beach conditions, sampling procedures, and historical beach testing data that you might find helpful.
Stay current. Get connected. – Have you ever visited the Commonwealth events and resources website? Commonwealth provides information on upcoming events, workshops, and educational opportunities that are sponsored by local agencies, organizations and municipalities in Macomb County and southeast Michigan. Many of the activities posted on Commonwealth free. Check it out.
In the News
- Avian flu has spread to cows, milk - and experts worry human outbreak could be next – read more
- Norovirus: Nearly 200 sick in outbreaks on Princess, Royal Caribbean ships, CDC says read more
- Global measles cases nearly doubled in one year, researchers say read more
- 8 strategies for a healthy spring read more
About the Macomb County Health Department
The Macomb County Health Department provides a wide range of programs and services through five major divisions: The Environmental Health Services/Emergency Preparedness Division, which includes restaurant inspection, community health and safety, shelter, waste, water quality management, and emergency preparedness; the Family Health Services Division, which includes immunization, family planning, and other family and maternal/child health programs; the Community Health Planning and Promotion which includes health education, nutrition, and community-based chronic disease prevention, hearing and vision screening, Children's Special Health Care Services and WIC, the Disease Control Division which is responsible for disease surveillance and control programs; and the Medical Examiner's Office.
