New Division Director Comes to Public Health

Larry Rogers, MSW, to Head New Division of Chronic Disease Prevention & Management

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is proud to announce the hiring of a director of the new Division of Chronic Disease Prevention & Management. Larry Rogers, MSW, comes to the Health District with 15 years of experience in public health and community service, working in management, social work and education.

Mr. Rogers has two masters’ degrees: in Social Work and in Clinical Psychology, with minors in public and business administration.

His most recent position was as Illinois HIV Prevention Program Administrator at the Illinois Department of Public Health, HIV/AIDS Section.

Prior to working at the state Public Health department, he spent 11 years as Coordinator of Social Services & Community Program Development and as Clinical Associate Faculty in Social Work at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria in its Heart of Illinois HIV/AIDS Center.

He has experience in policy and budget development and administration, case management oversight, grant writing and social work education. He has worked with people living with HIV/AIDS, the elderly and mixed populations, reflecting his commitment to working with the poor and disenfranchised. At Senior Citizens of Sangamon County, Mr. Rogers also managed programs and contracts with Illinois Department on Aging for the Community Care Program and Elder Abuse and Neglect Investigation.

The Division of Chronic Disease Prevention & Management will include the agency’s

Community Health nurses, the Illinois Diabetes Control Program, the Illinois Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, At-Home Health Support, all tobacco programs, and other programs designed to address heart health, cancer, or chronic disease prevention and management.

###

Download 2005-10-05-Larry-Rogers-hire-PR

Public Health District Reorganized

Some Programs Move to New Divisions, Some Divisions Change Names; All Services Continue Without Interruption

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District is undergoing a structural overhaul that will help it better serve the people of Champaign County. Many of the changes will be invisible to those served by Public Health, but will enhance the way divisions are organized and managed.

Here are the changes:

1. Family Health, Public Health's largest division, will become two divisions:

* Pediatric & Nutrition Services
* Maternal & Child Health Management

Vision & Hearing screenings (formerly in Community Health Nursing) will be moved to the division of Pediatric & Nutrition Services. These divisions will remain in their current location at the Health District main building, 710 N. Neil St., Champaign.

Family Health Division Director Les Hitchens will be the division director for Pediatric & Nutrition Services. The agency will hire a new director of Maternal & Child Health Management. In the interim, Nutrition Program Supervisor Brandon Meline will head that division.

2. The Division of HIV/STD/TB Prevention & Management will now be called the Division of Infectious Disease Prevention & Management. All the services now provided in the division will continue to be provided in its current location at 217 N. Broadway, Urbana. Julie Pryde will continue to head this division.

3. Community Health Surveillance, Planning & Education will merge with Community Health Nursing to form Chronic Disease Prevention & Management. All programs currently operating in these two divisions will continue here or will become part of the administrative structure. This division is housed at 815 N. Randolph, Champaign, and will be headed by Larry Rogers, MSW, who will begin October 11. (See attached news release.)

4. The Division of Dental Health will remain unchanged. Dr. Trina Blunt continues as interim director. This division is located at 710 N. Neil St., Champaign.

5. The Division of Environmental Health will remain unchanged. This division is located at 815 N. Randolph St., Champaign. Garry Bird continues as director.

Please see the new organization chart, attached. OTHER CHANGES AT PUBLIC HEALTH

All agency support functions are now divided among six branches of the Administration: Finance, Human Resources, Communications, Facilities & Administrative Support, Planning & Preparedness, and Nursing.

The first three branches remain much as before, although some services previously provided elsewhere (purchasing and fees, for example) have been moved to Finance.

Facilities & Administrative Support will include the administration's receptionists and administrative staff, and will also include buildings, technical support, records, telecommunications and other such functions.

Planning & Preparedness will include the agency Epidemiologist, the Communicable Disease Investigator and the Emergency Response Planner.

The Director of Nursing will be responsible for ensuring that all agency nurses are qualified, trained, tested and follow federal, state and other standards of practice to ensure client safety and confidentiality.

All Administrative functions are housed at 710 N. Neil Street, Champaign. Please see the new administration organization chart, attached.

###

Download 2005-10-04-District-Reorganized-PR

The Champaign-Urbana Public Health District will offer the first adult flu shot clinic of the season on October 17, and is urging people 65 years of age and older, those with chronic medical conditions, residents of long-term care facilities and health care workers with direct patient care to attend. Pregnant women and adults who care for children under six months of age are also encouraged to come in for a flu shot.

The October 17 flu clinic will be at the Health District main building, 710 N. Neil St, in Champaign. The clinic will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pneumonia shots will also be available.

A second flu shot clinic for adults and children affected by Hurricane Katrina will be offered on Wednesday, October 19 at the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District Illinois Terminal, 45 E. University, in Champaign. This clinic will be from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. on the second floor of the Illinois Terminal, Room #202.

Other flu shot clinics will be scheduled as supply of vaccine allows.

Adult flu shots cost $18.70; Adult pneumonia shots cost $29.70. Child vaccines are available free of charge to children who are uninsured, underinsured or on Medicaid. Children who are Native Americans or Alaska Natives are also eligible for free flu and pneumonia shots.

No one will be turned away for inability to pay.

###

Download 2005-10-04-Flu-Shot-Clinics-PR