It Takes a Village

Although World Breastfeeding Week has come and gone and National Breastfeeding Month is coming to an end, we all have a role to play in supporting breastfeeding families year-round. Chances are, at some point, each of us will know a mom who wants to breastfeed to keep herself and her baby healthy, it might be your daughter, sister, wife, neighbor, employee or friend.

In 2015, 75% of Clinton County babies started off breastfeeding but by the time their 1^st birthday came around that number dropped to just over 20%. We know that moms can face barriers along their breastfeeding journey so the Clinton County Breastfeeding Coalition set out to remove some of those obstacles to helps moms reach their goals while normalizing breastfeeding in the community.

Breastfeeding Welcome Here Campaign - Members are recruiting local restaurants to display a Breastfeeding Welcome Here decal on their front door to do their part to support breastfeeding in the community. So far we have 13 restaurants participating, but we are always looking for more! If you own a business or would like to get a decal for your favorite restaurant just give us a call 518-565-4993. 

 

Pharmacy Toolkits - The coalition also conducted mini focus groups with local pharmacists and learned that they received very little training in school about breastfeeding and medication and would benefit from additional resources. We created toolkits to assist with counseling breastfeeding mothers. The kit includes a copy of Dr. Thomas Hale’s book, Medication and Mother’s Milk, a link to an online resource, LactMed, as well as a telephone number to call. We also provided each pharmacy with a small sign letting patients know the pharmacist could help if they had a question about breastfeeding while taking prescription or over the counter (OTC) medications. 

The take away is this: a little bit of encouragement from each of us can go a long way. The professional work we do to support moms is important, but changing the culture happens with the whole community!

To see what breastfeeding looks like in Clinton County visit: http://www.clintonhealth.org/pdf%20files/CCProfilesInPublicHealthFall2013.pdf

Community Design with Health in Mind

On Thursday May 18^th, 2017 the Creating Healthy Schools and Communities grant hosted a Complete Streets workshop, Community Design with Health in Mind, featuring Mark Fenton. Mr. Fenton is a nationally recognized public health, planning, and transportation consultant. 40 people attended with representation from many different fields including Town Supervisors and Board Members, school professionals, Town and City Planners, Engineers, Program Directors, community members and more. The day started with a keynote presentation of Mark sharing proven approaches and best practices, with a focus on Complete Streets and Safe Routes to School using local examples. Mark led the group on a walking audit around the City of Plattsburgh, stressing the importance of the 3 P’s; prosperity, people and the planet.  Mark showed the group how to identify areas for improvement in their own communities and use this knowledge to address issues and implement solutions.

Mark Fenton leading a walking audit in the City of Plattsburgh.

For more information about Creating Healthy Schools and Communities or Complete Streets visit http://www.clintonhealth.org/chsc.
For more information about Mark Fenton visit http://www.markfenton.com/.

Make School Meals Great Again?

 

If you are like me, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture's school meal program announcement came as a shock.  After doing a little research, the changes aren’t nearly as dramatic as they seem at face value. The new proclamation gives states control of guidelines on whole grains, sodium and milk. The rest (the meat and potatoes if you will) of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) nutrition standards remain untouched. Here’s the inside scoop:

·         Whole Grains – Since many schools are finding it hard to obtain whole-grain rich products and prepare them in a way that is appealing to students, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) “will allow states to grant exemptions to schools experiencing hardship in serving 100 percent of grain products as whole-grain rich for School Year 2017-2018”. This system has actually been in place since the 2015 appropriations bill.

·         Sodium – We all know that too much sodium can negatively impact our health (if you didn’t know; now you do!). To this end, the HHFKA requires schools to gradually (over 10 years) reduce the amount of sodium in school meals. A mandated sodium reduction was set to take effect July 1, 2017 however; the new proclamation states that schools do not have to meet this reduction until 2020.

·         Milk –Schools can now offer 1% flavored milk to students. This is a change since schools can currently only offer flavored milk that is fat-free and unflavored low-fat milk.

The take away message – it is going to take longer for schools to fully meet the HHFKA nutrition standards. In the meantime the USDA is working to implement long term solutions and provide technical assistance to school districts so they can better comply with the nutrition standards.

For more information on the new proclamation: https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2017/05/01/ag-secretary-perdue-moves-make-school-meals-great-again

For more information on the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA): https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/healthy-hunger-free-kids-act

Drinking Water Awareness Week

Are you a water-waster? Although 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, our water supply is actually very limited. 97% of Earth’s water is salt water or unusable and 2% is permanently frozen, leaving only 1% available for human needs. It is up to us to conserve what is left. May 7 - 13, 2017 is the American Water Works Association’s annual Drinking Water Awareness Week, which is a perfect opportunity to recognize the importance of water. This year’s local focus is water conservation; here are a few tips:

In the kitchen:

·         Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.

·         If washing dishes by hand, plug the sink or use a wash basin instead of running water the entire time.

·         Scrape your plate instead of rinsing it before loading it into the dishwasher. Not rinsing dishes prior to loading the dishwasher can save up to 10 gallons of water per load.

·         Run the dishwasher only when it’s full.

·         Try composting instead of using the garbage disposal.

In the bathroom:

·         Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth or shaving. This alone can save a household more than 200 gallons of water per month.

·         Install a water-saving shower head.

·         Take a 5 minute shower instead of an 8 minute shower. This can save 7 gallons of water with EVERY shower.

·         Fix leaky appliances. Check for a toilet tank leak by adding a drop of food coloring to the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear in the bowl within 10 minutes. Make sure to flush immediately after this experiment to avoid staining the tank.

In the laundry room:

·         Wash only full loads of laundry or use the appropriate water level or load size selection on the washing machine.

·         The next time you purchase a washing machine, try a water-saving model.

Outside:

·         Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.

·         Collect rainwater to re-use for irrigation and watering.

·         Only water the lawn or garden when rainfall isn’t enough. In general, lawns only need up to one inch of water per week, including rainfall. Shrubs, trees and other perennials need even less.

It is up to us to conserve our water supplies. By making these tips every day habits, you can make a difference.

“Water: To know it is to love it.”

April is Autism Awareness Month

Pam Lefebvre, RN

The goal of Autism awareness month is to educate as many people as possible about signs of Autism. Through my previous work in the Early Intervention Program, I know that early diagnosis combined with intensive therapy leads to the most promising outcomes.  Parents I worked with, noticed positive changes in their child’s development, and I personally witnessed the changes myself.  When Autism is diagnosed early, children and families can get the resources, training, and support they need to help them prepare for the future. 

What is Autism?Autism, also referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that is often diagnosed in early childhood.  People with ASD communicate, learn, behave, and interact with their surroundings differently.  No two people with ASD are the same which can result in a misunderstanding of ASD.  Signs of ASD begin early in childhood and usually last throughout a person’s life. 

What causes ASD?We don’t know exactly what causes autism, but research indicates that a combination of genetics and environmental factors are contributing factors.

What are some signs of ASD in a child?

·        Delay or absence of words

·        Loss of words or skills they once had

·        Avoids eye contact and prefers to be alone

·        Not responsive to others’ facial expressions or feelings

·        May be interested in people, but doesn’t know how to talk, play, or relate to them

·        Unusual reactions to the way things smell, taste, look, feel, or sound

·        Rejects being held cuddled, or might cuddle only when they want to

·        Does not point to objects to show interest

·        Repeats actions over and over again

·        Difficulty with changes in routine

What can I do if I think my child has ASD?Talk to your child’s doctor if you are concerned about the way your child plays, learns, speaks, or acts. If your child is under 3 years, contact us at Early Intervention Program at 565-4848 to make a referral for a developmental evaluation or schedule a free developmental screening.  For more information check out our website http://www.clintonhealth.org/specialneeds

For more detailed information about developmental milestones visit   https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/milestones/  

National Public Health Week

National Public Health Week is a celebration in the power of prevention, advocating for healthy and fair policies, sharing strategies for successful partnerships, and championing the role of a strong public health system.

Help us celebrate and check out why Public Health is so important at the National Public Health Week website.

                

Hot off the Press: The 2017 Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan

Health Department and Hospital representatives discuss the CHA on WIRY.

For the past year, CCHD and UVHN-CVPH have been working with community health partners to complete the Clinton County Community Health Assessment (CHA) and the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).  While these documents are required by NYSDOH, the practice allows the community to develop a shared plan for community health improvement.  The process for creating these documents involves collecting and interpreting health data as well as securing resident and stakeholder input. With this information, local health priorities are then determined. 

This community health assessment differed notably from past experiences.  First off, health data is now more accessible than ever.  National, state and other public data portals offered easy, quick access to many health metrics.  Data contributed by local organizations was also included.  In addition, community residents were surveyed regarding health issues they felt were important to them and to their communities.  Their input was used in selecting health priorities and designing activities for the new health improvement plan.  With this input, community health partners voted to adjust the course… slightly.  The featured priority areas are now: Prevent Chronic Disease and Promote Mental Health and Prevent Substance Abuse.

The CHA and CHIP are available for viewing and input at www.ClintonHealth.org  in the “Statistical Data” section.

National Nutrition Month

Fruits and vegetables purchased at the grocery store travel, on average, 1,500 miles before they reach your plate. Buying local fruits and vegetables guarantees produce is fresher and tastier. The Overcoming Obstacles to Food Access in Clinton County Grant, funded through the NYS Health Foundation, has awarded eight local farmers with mini-grants to create more opportunities for residents to buy and eat local produce.  These mini-grants will help increase access to, and availability of, locally grown fruits and vegetables. The money will be used to help farmers improve crop production, increase the acceptance of nutrition benefits, encourage collaboration with local entities, and grow the number of farm stand and market locations in the region.

The following farmers submitted applications and were awarded money: Country Dreams Farm, Fledging Crow Vegetables, Lamoy’s Produce and Greenhouses, Oregano Flats Farm, Shady Grove Farm and Wellness Center, Shield’s Vegetables, Souza’s Farm Stand, and Windy Hill Farm.

National Nutrition Month is all about the importance of making healthy food choices. In order to make it easier for you to get your 5 A Day, (5 servings of fruits and vegetables), the Clinton County Health Department and local farmers are working hard to make produce more plentiful, accessible, and affordable.

American Heart Month

Heart disease is still a leading cause of death for both men and women in the US. February is dedicated to American Heart Month as a way to increase the prevention, detection, and treatment of heart disease.

A few ways to help protect yourself from heart disease:

• Eat a healthy diet
• Exercise regularly
• Maintain an optimal blood pressure and healthy weight
• Refrain from tobacco use

It's important to know your risk factors for heart disease and know the signs and symptoms for heart attack and stroke. 

The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease discusses myths and truths specifically for women.

Want more info? Check out American Heart Association's website.

Better Choices, Better Health

The choices you make can lead to better health. That’s the message behind a new series of videos created for the Clinton County Health Department by Carlin Media through a grant from the New York State Health Foundation.

What we eat and how active we are is as important to our health as getting regular physical check-ups. Maintaining a healthy diet and getting enough healthy physical activity are primary prevention strategies that can protect us from developing heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. 

The videos provide snapshots of the expanding array of healthy food choices in our communities. They highlight local opportunities for residents of all ages and abilities to be active. One video takes viewers on a virtual tour of several easy to use and easy to find trails in Clinton County.

Check out this series of BetterChoices, Better Health videos on the CCHD YouTube channel. Let them inspire you to do something good for your health today.

A Safe Halloween is a Happy Halloween

 Last year for Halloween we featured the top 5 websites to make your Halloween safe and fun. To continue to help our communities keep an eye on safety, we're featuring a YouTube video from our Channel. We have links to a number of helpful and reliable videos, like this SafeKids Halloween video:

 

 

 

National Walk and Bike to School Day

October 5^th is National Walk and Bike to School Day.

National Walk to School Day began in 1997 to promote awareness of walkable communities. It is now a national movement that is celebrated throughout the month of October. Walk to school month promotes safe routes to school, physical activity, cleaner air, and much more.

Do you live too far away from school to walk or bike? You can designate a starting point where families can meet and walk or bike to school together, this is called a ‘walking school bus’. Another way to participate in national walk and bike to school day is to walk at school before or after classes, during lunch or recess, as part of a classroom activity or any other time set aside by the school.

For more information and ideas of how to join in on the fun visit: http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/

Walk, Bike, and Roll

Complete Street with multi-use lane

What do sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes and paved shoulders have in common?  They all help to make our streets complete! If you have never heard of Complete Streets before, you are not alone. Complete Streets is a fancy term used to describe streets and roadways that are safe for all users – walkers, bikers, the elderly, the handicap, and even children.

If you have driven, walked, or biked down Margaret Street in Plattsburgh you may have noticed that there are now sidewalks, bike lanes and crosswalks with flashing signs. All of these elements make it safer to walk, bike, roll and drive. Complete Streets also encourage us to be more physically active as a community – something we can all use more of!



Not complete - no shoulder or sidewalk

Complete Streets are becoming an increasingly common practice. Today, there are over 85 villages, towns and/or cities, and 9 counties in New York State that have Complete Streets policies or resolutions. For more information about Complete Streets and to find out if your Town or County has a Complete Streets Policy visit: https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/completestreets

  

 

 

Better Choice Retailer Program

Eating healthy isn’t always easy but the Better Choice Retailer program is trying to help make the better choice the easy choice. You may have noticed some changes to your local convenience store over the past year or so, anything from produce displays to wall art to healthy grab-n-go options. Our participating Better Choice Retailers are working hard to offer you healthy options, in addition to your favorite candy bar.

With the wide array of options available these days it can be hard to determine what the better choice is – but the Better Choice Retailer program has you covered! You will find colorful shelf tags placed throughout participating stores which quickly show you healthy options.

There are currently 5 official Participating Better Choice Retailers in Clinton County and 3 additional retailers who are actively working towards designation.

• Varin’s Market and Deli, Ellenburg Depot
• LaBarre’s Convenience Store and Deli, Ellenburg
• D&D Meat’s, Altona
• Northern Cakes, Plattsburgh
• Cumberland Bay Market, Plattsburgh

 To find a Better Choice Retailer near you or for information on how your store can apply visit: http://www.clintonhealth.org/bc

World Breastfeeding Week Events

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective steps a mother can take to protect the health of her baby. In observance of World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, learn more about the promotion and support of breastfeeding in the United States.

Locally, there are two events celebrating World Breastfeeding Week:

The Breastfeeding Block Party, Thursday, August 4 from 5-7 p.m. at the US Oval in Plattsburgh, this event aims to help all families touched by breastfeeding to come and celebrate their journey. See more information here.

The second event, The Big Latch on 2016, is part of the Global Latch On effort to promote and support breastfeeding mothers. This event will be Friday, August 5 from 9a.m. to noon. See more information here.

Nice Day for a Walk

The song “It’s a Sunshine Day” by Steve McCarthy, made famous by the Brady Bunch sums up my feelings as I write this. It’s ok if you start to sing.

  I think I'll go for a walk outside now

 The summer sun's callin' my name

 (I hear ya now)

 I just can't stay inside all day

 I gotta get out, get me some of those rays

 Everybody's smilin', sunshine day

 Everybody's laughin', sunshine day

 Everybody seems so happy today

 It's a sunshine day

Now that the North Country is finally getting some “sunshine days”, it’s time to take a walk outside. We are lucky to have many trails and areas to hike. The Clinton County Health Department has developed a Walking Trails Map to guide your travels. It includes locations, descriptions and pictures of the following trails:

·        Point Au Roche State Park

·        Terry J. Gordon Recreational Path

·        Saranac River Trail

·        Cadyville Recreation Park

·        Saranac New Land Trust

·        Little Au Sable River Trail

·        Silver Lake Bog Trail

Maps have been distributed to town and village offices, the Chamber of Commerce, through the Clinton, Essex, Franklin Library System. You can also find them at the YMCA, the City of Plattsburgh Recreation Center, the Clinton County Health Department, and other locations in Clinton County. You may also call the Health Department’s Division of Health Planning and Promotion at (518) 565-4993 to request a copy. We hope this resource will encourage you to explore a new trail, walk more and have a “sunshine day!”

Getting Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies

Many mealtimes can be frustrating for adults when they try to get children to eat their vegetables. However, one encouraging idea is to have kids grow their own food. Research supports that children will eat more vegetables when they participated in helping them get to the table.

Want to learn more? Here are some helpful places to start:

• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Clinton County. They have a number of great community resources, ideas, and even some classes you and/or your kids can try out.
• Kids Gardening. A website focused on parents and teachers to encouraging growing everything from food to flowers. They even have a fun garden birthday party idea!
• EarthEasy. This site has a lot of fun and fast ideas to maintain children's interest in what they are growing by picking faster crops, or starting small and working your way up.

Drinking Water Awareness Week

Do you know where your water comes from?  The average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day at home, yet only 23% of Americans know where their water comes from.  The American Water Works Association has designated May 1 -7 as Drinking Water Awareness Week, with the 2016 theme being “Your Water: to know it is to love it.”

So, how do you ‘get to know your water’?  First, you can start by understanding that water and wastewater services are a 24/7/365 operation.  The Clinton County Health Department regulates approximately 210 Public Water Systems to ensure safe drinking water is provided to the public. They are responsible for monitoring more than 100 contaminants on a regular basis, staying in compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Health standards for drinking water. 

Each water system is maintained by a Water Operator, working hard to ensure that the water you drink is safe.  One such operator is Jamie Giroux, Water Operator at Saranac Central School District.  When asked why what he does is important to community health, he stated, “The process of supplying good, safe drinking water is very demanding and rewarding.  I always strive to provide only the highest quality of domestic drinking water.”  Part of ‘getting to know your water’ is most definitely understanding that there are many ‘real’ people working diligently every day to ensure that when you turn on your tap, safe, drinkable water comes out.  The Clinton County Health Department thanks Jamie Giroux and all of the other Water Operators out there for the excellent work they do!

Earth Day and Public Health

Earth Day started as a day of education about environmental issues. Founded in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson, the movement began as a way to gain national attention to environmental causes. In 1990 Earth Day went global with over  140 countries participating. As Earth Day approaches its 50^th anniversary, an ambitious goal has been set.  The goal is to plant 7.8 million trees.

Why trees?

·         Trees clean the air- They absorb CO2, odors and pollutant gases by trapping them in their bark and leaves.

·         Trees conserve energy- When placed around your home can cut summer air conditioning needs. By reducing the energy demand, we reduce carbon dioxide and pollution emissions from power plants.

·         Trees help communities- Trees provide a habitat for animals, produce food that feed people, muffle sounds and can provide fuel for our homes.

The official Earth Day is April 22, 2016. Join your family and friends and plant some trees.

Spring Cleaning? What about those Smoke Detectors?

Here is a smoke detector which is over 10 years old and the battery is missing.  The resident didn't realize the battery wasn't in the smoke detector. 

 

Over time the battery compartments on smoke detectors become worn causing batteries to not fit properly, preventing proper contact to work. 

 

Dust accumulation can also hinder a smoke detector from working properly.  Smoke detectors should always be maintained by changing the batteries every six months, even if they're not beeping.  Batteries wear down and become weak causing them to not function properly if they need to alert individuals to a potential fire. 

 

When you're spring cleaning - think of the safety products in your home: smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, carbon monoxide detectors, first aid kits, and flashlights. Be sure these are well maintained, and easily accessible.

 

The Clinton County Health Department has a program that can help Clinton County residents with a free, confidential assessment of your home. Call the Healthy Neighborhoods Program today at 518-565-4870.