Staff report
The Northern Kentucky Health Department reported on its successes in the last quarter — from gums to guns, food to flu, the department was busy looking after the public’s health.
Here’s a summary — and also a preview of what to look forward to for the rest of the year.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• The 19th year of providing free preventive dental care to pre-K to 6th grade children in schools throughout the region. By the end of the year, NKYHealth will have provided 2,000 dental assessments, applied 2,000 dental sealants on molars, applied 2,000 fluoride varnishes, and done more than 1,200 cleanings.
• Installed free “Naloxboxes” in schools around Northern Kentucky as a means of fighting opioid overdoses. Each box contains naloxone nasal spray, gloves, and a CPR mask. School Boards approved each installation.
• Offered free gun locks in partnership with the Cincinnati VA Medical Center and NorthKey Community Care as a means to help prevent suicides, which is an often overlooked public health issue. The locks are available in the district office, health centers, and on its mobile units.
• Connected all of its Health Centers to the EPIC/MyChart health records data system to enhance continuity of patient care between health organizations.
• Environmental Health and Safety team members inspected every temporary food booth at more than 60 events over the summer, including all four county fairs, all local festivals, and all major events such as Riverfest, Great American Seafood Festival, Goettafest, and Oktoberfest. For the year, NKYHealth inspected more than 600 temporary food booths at 150 events.
• NKyHEALTH centers began issuing credits to families within the WIC program that allows them to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers markets. The program is a win-win, benefitting the health of our WIC families as well as local farmers. NKyHealth provides WIC services to more than 7,000 women and children in NKY annually.
• Ownership of our second mobile services unit, which will allow NKyHealth to expand its community outreach efforts, including health education, disease testing, disaster response, and more.
• NKYHealth began administering the citywide smoke-free air ordinance in Highland Heights on September 18.
• NKYHealth hosted our 11th annual Lactation on the Levee in Newport on August 2 as part of World Breastfeeding Month. The event featured members of the USDA and internationally known speaker Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett.
• In partnership with the Northern Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy and others, NKYHealth’s four-county NKY region is now certified as a “Recovery Ready Community” by the Commonwealth for our commitment to supporting those in recovery from substance use disorder.
• NKYHealth held a committee meeting in July to kick off its new Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The committee oversees the process of developing, implementing, and evaluating a plan to promote and improve the health of people throughout Northern Kentucky.
UPCOMING EVENTS
NKYHealth will be:
• Administering the smoke-free air ordinance in Corinth, starting in November.
• Releasing its updated Infectious Disease Manual, which will now be available electronically.
• Offering flu and COVID vaccines in our health centers to those who are uninsured or on Medicaid. We will also continue to promote getting your annual shots.
• Promoting Fire Safety Month in October, Lead Poisoning Awareness Week in October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, safe Halloween practices, healthy eating programs around the holidays, the Great American Smokeout in November, World AIDS Day in December, as well as tobacco cessation efforts and getting healthy around New Year’s Resolutions.
