Your Health Matters: Perry County Health Department Fills Environmental Health Vacancy; Launches Free Quit Smoking Program
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Perry County Health Department's recent appointment of Krista Mulholland as environmental health director mirrors an extraordinary professionalism and a list of initiatives that includes a no-cost quit smoking program and new women's health initiatives.
For PCHD director Jodi Schoen and her staff of 15 it all gets down to one thing: Your health matters.
Steeleville native Krista Mulholland is a licensed environmental health practionioner, a licensed septic specialist and has her food certification.
She becomes Perry County's lead food safety resource person, responsible for education, safety, inspection, private septic systems, potable water safety, West Nile virus issues, tanning statute enforcement and planning.
She is also responsible for education and enforcement of Illinois' new "Cottage Food Act" which covers things like farmers' markets in the state. She fills the position once held by Ron Brown.
Krista and her husband have two children.
The staff also includes registered nurse Ellice Wickwire of Pinckneyville--who began her healthcare career as a CNA in 1977.
On top of her other responsibilities, Ellice is now shouldering the local share of the state's new Illinois Tobacco-Free program. The Illinois Department of Public Health is providing all of the supplies--nicotine patches, nicotine gum, etc. to clients at no cost. Even a $10 co-pay fee has been eliminated. There is no charge for anything.
You have to be referred to the program by a doctor and the program is neither income nor insurance sensitive.
"There are a lot of reasons people smoke," says Ellice--"peer pressure, stress and other things." She adds, "It usually takes three weeks to start any habit and three weeks to end it."
But, even longtime smokers CAN quit, and with another $1 cigarette tax proposed on top of existing taxes to pay for growing medicaid costs, now is a good time to contact Ellice about quitting.
Clients need to have already made a commitment to quit smoking and Elice will dispense supplies as needed after consulting with clients on their progress once every two weeks. That way, supplies are not dispensed that are not being used.
Clients can also access support through the Illinois toll free "Quit Line" at 1-866-784-8937.
The department also introduces Marcus Miller, whose work involves emergency preparedness within the agency.
Women and infants' health is a major focus at PCHD.
The Perry County Health Department is now renting medical grade breast pumps for breastfeeding mothers, according to Dawn Galbraith and Kacey Ingram.
There are also six certified lactation counselors to assist with breastfeeding needs.
The rental cost for the first month is $35 and $30 for each additional month, considerably less than what other agencies charge. By comparison, the cost of purchasing formula for a year is about $2,076.
Breastfeeding provides everything your baby needs for the first six months of life. It is proven that breastfeeding helps you bond with your baby, releases hormones to help you relax, may help you lose weight faster, helps shrink your uterus to pre-gregnancy size and decreases your chances of breast cancer, osteoporsis, anemia and more.
Breast milk has never been "recalled." It is easier for babies to digest, has all the nutrients your baby needs for orper growth and development, may decrease colds and ear infections and may reduce the risk of obesity and diabetes.
The Perry County Health Department Board of Directors oversees the program and includes: Brice Harsy, president; Sue Dixon, secretary and members Dr. Beth Bigham, Linda Quillman, Sherry Wertz, Dr. Bill Roe and Dr. Craig Furry.
The department has an operating budget approaching $1 million a year with a relatively small local levy and receipts that approximate a projected $802,000 a year.