Communities face threats to its health from many sources. Loss of control over toxic substances, pollution of our water and air, accidents within our transportation system, among others, all represent threats. No threat, however, is of greater concern than that of a disease organism that is out of control and affecting people. The health center offers services to prevent disease and investigate disease outbreaks to protect the citizens of Livingston County. It is the job of the health center to investigate any reports of communicable disease in our county to determine their origin and prevent the spread to others in the community.
Immunizations
Immunizations... The health center offers immunizations for adults and children at three regular monthly clinics, on a walk-in basis. Our office offers all immunizations as recommended by the State of Missouri Department of Health and some vaccinations that are not required. More...
TB Testing
Tuberculosis (TB) Testing Tuberculosis (TB) is a lung disease caused by a tiny germ breathed into the lungs. The only way to contact the disease is by extremely close contact, through the air, with someone who has the disease. Symptoms of TB may include a cough of longer then three weeks, unexplained weight loss, night sweats, chills, fever, and coughing up blood in advanced cases.
The tuberculin skin test is available at the health center to county residents for a fee of $3.00 to cover supplies.
If you have questions about tuberculosis, call your personal physician, the Livingston County Health Center at 646-5506, or the Missouri Department of Health at 1-800-611-2912.
HIV/AIDS Testing Confidential Testing... AIDS is a fatal disease caused by the HIV virus. Currently, available tests look for HIV antibodies, not the virus itself. If you think you may have been exposed, you might want to consider being tested. You could be at higher risk of being exposed if you:
•Share needles and syringes. •Have sex with anyone who injects drugs. •Have sex with men who have sex with other men. •Have sex with multiple sex partners. •Have received transfusions or blood components before 1985.
The client who wishes to be tested must supply identification, address and telephone number. Persons of any age can be tested for HIV. Parental consent is not required for minors. If the client wishes to remain anonymous, he must use mandated anonymous testing sites in Kansas City, St. Louis or Springfield.
The Department of Health and Senior Services does provide assistance to infected persons through the HIV/AIDS Service Coordination Program. HIV Testing will be done by appointment only and no walk-ins will be tested. All results and discussions are kept confidential. Call 646-5506 to set up an appointment for testing.
Flu Shot Clinics Protection During Flu Season... Each fall, the health center holds influenza vaccine clinics for those at greater risk for developing complications from the flu. A lot of the illness and death caused by the flu can be prevented by yearly influenza vaccinations. People in certain groups who are at high risk to develop serious complications from the flu and people who are in close contact with those at high risk should get a flu shot every year.
Health center nurses also administer shots to employees of local businesses, who purchase their own vaccine. Business with leftover vaccine usually donate their remaining doses to the health center to distribute in the county. Listen to the news or check back at this website to find out dates for the annual immunization clinics.
Disease Surveillance It's Our Job... Communicable disease surveillance is a legal requirement of the health center. By law, local public health agencies are one of several mandated reporters that collect specific data and forward it to the Department of Health. This is done through the collection of disease reports from local physicians, hospitals, schools, nursing homes and day cares. Reports also come by word of mouth from residents who have experienced a communicable disease, like chicken pox or mumps, in their family. By keeping aware of the “normal” amount of illnesses in particular age groups, ongoing surveillance alerts us to disease outbreaks and helps prevent others from getting sick. Information gathered through weekly disease surveillance is then forwarded to the District Office of the Missouri Department of Health. To report a communicable disease, call Susan Rice at 646-5506 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Disease Investigation Public Health Private Eye... Controlling disease is not a simple matter, as any practitioner of public health will tell you. It involves simple, yet complex organisms that can impact the human body in many ways and from many paths. To prevent the potential spread of disease through the community, the health center follows guidelines from the Missouri Department of Health to investigate reports of communicable diseases.
When the health center is notified of a reportable disease, a staff nurse or sanitarian will investigate. This includes:
•contacting the patient involved, •following up with patient contacts and; •determining the source of the illness.
Depending on the disease involved, there may be large scale preventive measures taken by the health center. The investigation process also allows statistical data to be collected and evaluated by agencies like the Centers for Disease Control, who use the information to learn more about how a particular disease is spread, who is at high risk and how to prevent the disease from spreading.
If you’re contacted by the health center requesting information for a disease investigation, rest assured that any information you give is handled within strict confidentiality guidelines. Although your name and other personal information are required with any disease investigation, any data forwarded to the Centers for Disease Control and Department of Health is only in the form of age, sex, race and risk factors. So, if you’re involved in a disease investigation or hear of an outbreak of a communicable disease in Livingston County, feel good about the fact you have people working in your community to protect your health and the health of our residents from serious outbreaks of devastating illnesses.
Livingston County Health Center is an equal opportunity provider. Livingston County Health Center 800 Adam Drive Chillicothe, MO 64601 660-646-5506
