Champaign-Urbana Public Health District

Champaign-Urbana Public Health District Website Now Host of Champaign County Food Establishment Inspection Reports

Champaign, IL - September is National Food Safety Month and the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) announced this week that the CUPHD website now has inspection reports available for every retail food establishment where food is directly sold or offered to a consumer within Champaign County, Illinois, (such as a restaurant, convenience store, grocery store, day care, school, hospital, nursing home or tavern), except for cottage food operations and the retail food establishments operated by the University of Illinois.

Inspections have been a part of the food safety regulatory program since the start of the Champaign- Urbana Public Health District in 1937 and the start of the Champaign County Public Health Department (CCPHD) in 1998. Inspections are used to determine compliance with the current food rules and regulations to help protect... more...

CHAMPAIGN, IL - The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) typically offers one Freedom From Smoking class per year, but thanks to a new partnership with the University of Illinois, this year will be different. "Although CUPHD completed a class in April, partnering with the University of Illinois will allow us a wonderful opportunity to offer a second class in 2014 for UI employees and community members to quit together," said Talia Oakley, Health Educator.

Freedom From Smoking is a seven-week program that allows participants to work together with other quitters to develop and execute their own individualized "Quit Plan." "Quitting smoking can be very difficult, and we want to support individuals in making these difficult behavioral changes so they can be successful," said Nikki Hillier, Program Coordinator at... more...

Champaign, IL - The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD), Life Goes On, Be The Match and Community Blood Services of Illinois will come together on Monday, August 4, 2014 in an effort to reach out to community members for National Minority Donor Awareness Week. Representatives from the Secretary of State and Be The Match will be at CUPHD, 201 W. Kenyon Road, Champaign, in the main lobby from 1:00-4:00 PM for anyone wishing to sign up for the organ and tissue registry as well as joining the marrow registry for those 18-44 years old. Community Blood Services of Illinois will also have the bloodmobile available for anyone wishing to donate... more...

Champaign, IL - The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) announced
today that it has achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board
(PHAB). The national accreditation program works to improve and protect the health of the
public by advancing the quality and performance ofthe nation's Tribal, state, local and territorial
public health departments. CUPHD is one of the first of hundreds ofhealth departments across
the country that sought accreditation through PHAB, the independent organization that
administers the national public health accreditation program.

"We are pleased and excited to be one of the first health departments in the nation to achieve
national standards that foster effectiveness and promote continuous quality improvement," said
Julie Pryde, CUPHD Administrator. "The accreditation process helps to ensure that the programs
and services we provide are as responsive as possible... more...

Champaign, IL - The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) and the Indiana Mothers' Milk Bank (IMMB) will host a Milk Depot opening ceremony on Friday, June 20, 2014 at 201 W. Kenyon Road, Champaign, beginning at 10:00 AM in the Maternal and Child Health conference room. CUPHD will become the first downstate location in Illinois to become a breast milk drop-off site for screened and approved breast milk donors.

One goal of this program is to raise awareness of the importance of breast feeding for all babies and the life-saving benefit for premature babies in need. According to Heather Ludwig, Certified Lactation Consultant, "Many people are unaware of the option to donate breast milk. We want to raise awareness about this life-saving gift. When a mother's own milk is not available, the next best nutrition source is the use of human donor milk. There are over 200 ingredients in breast milk that cannot be duplicated in formula. Currently milk banks cannot keep up... more...

Local Agencies to Participate in a Mobile Health Round Up

CHAMPAIGN, IL - On Thursday, May 8, 2014, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) will partner with the State of Illinois and other organizations to host a "Mobile Health Round Up."

The Mobile Health Round Up is a free event for the public that will include health screenings, prizes and fun for the whole family. Mobile units will be available from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM in the CUPHD parking lot, located at 201 W. Kenyon Road in Champaign, this Thursday providing blood pressure screenings, body mass index checks, radon awareness education, West Nile virus prevention, financial health information and much... more...

CHICAGO - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today announced the first case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the U.S. The patient was on a flight last Thursday, April 24, 2014 from London to Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and then took a bus to Indiana.

"We will continue to work with the CDC and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) concerning the MERS-CoV patient who traveled from London to Chicago and then to Indiana," said Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Director Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck.

"The CDC, IDPH and CDPH do not consider passengers on the flight or bus to be close contacts1 of the patient and therefore are not at high... more...

A confirmed fatal case of RMSF acquired in Illinois occurred last year. Tetracycline is the drug of choice in adults and children. Empiric treatment should be initiated as soon as RMSF is suspected to prevent serious complications or death. RMSF is transmitted by the dog tick; dog ticks are present in all areas of Illinois.

--Signs and symptoms of RMSF include fever, malaise, headache, myalgias, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting, and a rash. However, all of these diagnostic clues are rarely identified on the initial patient encounter, leading to delays in appropriate therapy. Rash occurs in about 90% of RMSF cases; the typical rash first appears as spots on the wrists and ankles and then spreads to the trunk and also sometimes the palms and soles. The rash often appears two to five days after onset of fever. Some patients, especially children, may also have abdominal pain that may be severe. As with other tick- borne illnesses, some patients do not report a history of... more...

Champaign, IL - In 2013, the Illinois WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program served over 280,000 low-income, pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants and children. Governor, Pat Quinn, recently issued a Proclamation announcing April 2014 as WIC Month in Illinois, encouraging all citizens to support and promote the WIC program.

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) offers the WIC program to clients assisting over 4,000 families each year offering knowledge and skills to help them make healthy choices for their families. WIC is a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program that provides healthy food vouchers and is aimed to improve the health and wellbeing of pregnant women, moms and infants up to age 5. According to the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), "Nearly 40 percent of all babies born in Illinois are WIC participants and research shows that WIC has been successful in the reduction of fetal deaths, infant mortality, low birth weight... more...

Champaign, IL - In preparation for Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month in May, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report on April 8, 2014 showing a decline in births to younger U.S. teens. Although younger teen births have declined nationally, the Champaign County teenage birth rate is rising... more...