LIVING WELL IN ESSEX COUNTY | | | | |
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- Children’s Services Update
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June is Men’s Health Month! This month is all about encouraging the men in your life (including you, men out there!) to take care of their bodies by eating right, exercising, and working to prevent disease.
🤔Did you know heart disease is the most common chronic disease among men in
Essex County❓
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Dive into Summer: Your Season of Health & Wellness! 😎🏊♀️ | |
Dear Community Members,
As we welcome the bright sunshine and warm breezes of summer, I'm delighted to share some important health updates and reminders. This season brings with it not only longer days but also increased opportunities for outdoor activities, which makes it important to prioritize our well-being and enjoy the season safely.
Summer Safety Reminders
With summer in full swing, it's the perfect time to remind ourselves of a few key safety practices:
- Sun Safety: Protect your skin from UV rays! Remember to apply sunscreen generously with an SPF of 30 or higher, even on cloudy days. Seek shade during peak sun hours (10 AM to 4 PM), and wear wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses.
- Safe Swimming: Whether you're at the beach, lake, or pool, always practice safe swimming. Never swim alone, supervise children closely, and be aware of currents and depths.
- BBQ Safety: Grilling is a summer favorite, but remember BBQ safety. Keep your grill clean, use it in a well-ventilated area, and keep children and pets away from hot surfaces. Always have a fire extinguisher or water nearby.
Tick Awareness: While Spring is the peak season for tick activity, ticks are out and about most times of the year. As we venture into our beautiful parks and trails over the summer, please be vigilant about protecting yourselves and your families from tick-borne illnesses. Remember to:
- Use insect repellent containing DEET.
- Wear long sleeves and pants, and tuck your pants into your socks.
- Conduct thorough tick checks after spending time outdoors.
- Promptly remove any attached ticks and monitor for symptoms.
Department Updates:
We're thrilled to celebrate our amazing Director of Health Planning and Promotion, Jessica Darney Buehler, and our dedicated Senior Health Educator, Elizabeth Terry! They were recently honored with the Outstanding Contribution Award at the 2025 Public Health Partnership Conference for their visionary leadership in improving maternal and child health in Essex County. Their dedication led to the development of our incredible Baby Steps to Bright Futures universal newborn home visiting program, launched in August 2023. Baby Steps offers support to all new families in our area, fostering trust and ensuring everyone gets the resources they need. Congratulations, Jessica and Elizabeth, for this well-deserved recognition!
We remain committed to serving our community and promoting a healthy environment for all. Please don't hesitate to reach out to our department with any questions or concerns.
Wishing you a safe and healthy summer!
Sincerely,
Linda Beers
Director of Public Health
phone: 518-873-3500
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It only takes a moment. A child or weak swimmer can drown in the time it takes to reply to a text, check a fishing line or apply sunscreen. Death and injury from drownings happen every day in home pools and hot tubs, at the beach or in oceans, lakes, rivers and streams, bathtubs, and even buckets.
Learning to swim means much more than learning strokes; it is learning water survival skills, water safety, and developing comfort in the water.
Here are some tips for safety in the water:
- Swim near a Lifeguard
- Swim with a Buddy
- Check with the Lifeguards
- Obey Posted Signs and Flags
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Enter Water Feet First
More swim safety tips here
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Outdoor grilling and cookouts are staples of the warmer months ahead. Here are some tips for grilling safely this summer:
- For propane grills, check the gas tank for leaks before use in the months ahead.
- Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill.
- Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it.
- If you use starter fluid when charcoal grilling, only use charcoal starter fluid.
- When you have or are finished grilling, let the coals cool completely before disposing in a metal container.
Check out more tips and FAQs when grilling - Visit our grilling safety tips page here.
| | Who Knew❓ Heavy drinking is associated with higher rates of sunburn among American adults. Research shows that when people excessively drink, they are less likely to use sunscreen. Drinking alcohol also reduces the amount of time a person can spend in the sun before their skin burns. Follow these tips to protect your skin in the sun - Stay in the shade as much as possible between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen on any exposed skin. Be sure it is at least SPF 30. For more FAQs on sunscreen - | | | | | |
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This month we wanted to re-emphasize the importance of keeping your pet’s rabies vaccination current. It’s not only the law, it’s vital to your pet’s health — and your own.
Registered for a rabies clinic and want a 3-year certificate? Simply snap a photo of your prior vaccination certificate and email it to us. If you don't have prior proof, you will receive a 1-year certificate.
email your certificate here.
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Rabies is a preventable viral disease most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. The rabies virus infects the central nervous system of mammals, ultimately causing disease in the brain and death.
Only mammals (including people) can get rabies. In our area, rabies most often occurs in wild animals including raccoons, fox, coyotes, skunk, porcupines, groundhogs and bats.
Livestock including cattle, horses, goat, sheep and swine, can also get rabies. Small rodents like mice, squirrels, chipmunks, rats and rabbits rarely get rabies. Reptiles and amphibians don’t get rabies.
Rabies bait drops occurred earlier this year than in years past – in May instead of August - during the week of May 4 through May 10. The coverage area includes the northeastern portion of the county, which is where the majority of the recent rabies cases have been identified.
With summer starting and many of us spending time outdoors, the chances of coming in contact with an animal that has rabies is never zero. Brush up on your rabies facts here.
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If you or your pet have been bitten, scratched or have had contact with the saliva of any animal, wash the wound immediately with soap and water, call this Department for assistance in planning treatment.
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Report an Animal Bite
Report all animal bites /exposures to Essex County Health Department
Mon-Fri 8 AM – 4 PM 518-873-3500
After Business Hours, Weekends, Holidays call
518-873-3500, you will be connected to our on call staff.
| | | Prevention by the Numbers - Essex County | | | | | | |
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Ticks in Essex County:
Local data indicates an increase in reported cases of Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis in Essex County.
Cases ⬆ rose from 189 in 2023 to 256 in 2024, representing a 35% increase. Data also suggests that residents aged 55 and older are more often contracting these conditions.
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Understanding Tick Habitat and Reducing Risk:
Deer ticks are commonly found in shady, moist environments at ground level, such as tall grass, brush, and shrubs (typically below 2 feet). They can also be present in residential yards, particularly near wooded areas and stone walls.
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Check Daily for Ticks
- Perform thorough tick checks on yourself and your pets after every outdoor activity, especially on mild days.
- Wear protective clothing like long pants, long sleeves, and closed-toe shoes when venturing into areas where ticks are common.
By being aware and taking these precautions, you can enjoy the outdoors safely and minimize the risk of tick bites.
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If You Find a Tick Attached
Use our tick assessment tool - The online, mobile-friendly tool asks a series of questions covering topics such as tick attachment time and symptoms. Based on the user’s responses, the tool then provides information about recommended actions and resources.
Tick BOT Tool Here
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Wonder if you qualify for WIC?
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What's New?
Exciting news for our WIC families! 🎉 Thanks to a new grant in partnership with the Essex County Food Hub, we're thrilled to be delivering 60 delicious meals featuring fresh, local foods directly to Essex County families!
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Families with children transitioning out of the program (ages 5-6)!
🎉 Starting in June, thanks to a special initiative, 10 lucky families will receive a $100 PEX card to purchase healthy foods at local stores. These families were selected based on an identified need to support their access to nutritious food options. We're excited to continue supporting your family's nutrition!
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Our partnership with Craig Garden is thriving! 🌱 We're excited to announce an "Adopt-a-Bed" program, offering eight WIC families the opportunity to plant, nurture, and harvest their own fresh fruits and vegetables. These opportunities were made available on a first-come, first-served basis to those who signed up. Get ready to grow with us!
🥕🍓
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Growing Up with Children's Services | |
At Children's Services, our focus is on empowering parents and families with the tools they need to nurture their children and foster their development. We offer a range of programs designed to support you every step of the way!
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Children's Services encompasses three key programs?
- Early Intervention Program: Providing support and services for infants and toddlers (birth to age 3) with developmental delays or disabilities.
- Preschool Program: Offering educational and therapeutic services for children ages 3 to 5 with disabilities.
- Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Program: Connecting families with resources and support for children and youth (birth to age 21) with chronic medical conditions, disabilities, and complex health care needs.
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Parents can refer children to any of our programs if a delay in development is suspected.
Stay tuned for more updates and information about each of these vital programs in future newsletters! We're here to help your children thrive. Call us at 518-873-3500
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Bringing Care Home - Home Health | |
Home health care is a wide range of health care services that can be provided in your home for an illness or injury. Our goal is to prevent hospitalizations, ER visits and allow patients to stay in their homes. We work with you, your family and your doctors to provide a hands-on care plan and personal assistance. We provide physical, occupational and speech therapy and, medical supplies and equipment. We can refer you to other community services and caregiver support.
Did you know we have been providing services to the people of Essex County since 1969?
Most of our experienced and knowledgeable staff live in the communities of the patients they help. Our dedicated staff live and work in the following communities:
Elizabethtown, Wadhams, Willsboro, Reber, Lake Placid, Keene Valley, Newcomb, Moriah, Jay, Saranac Lake, Schroon Lake, Lewis, Ticonderoga and Minerva.
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- The staff performed 998 visits during the month of May 2025.
- Admitting 36 new patients to our services from our local hospitals, nursing homes and physician offices.
- They helped 52 patients reach their goals and were safely discharged to their own home.
- Staff drove a total of 4,301 miles.
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Protecting our children is a top priority!
That's why the Essex County Health Department is pleased to announce the return of Tech Check Tuesdays for 2025.
Our certified car seat technicians will be available at the Health Department every Tuesday (10:00 AM - 1:00 PM) to provide free car seat safety checks, ensuring your little ones are traveling securely.
This service is available to all Essex County families, regardless of income. Furthermore, eligible families can receive a free car seat following a fitting. Let's work together to keep our kids safe on the road! Have questions? Give us a call at 518-873-3500 or send us an email🔽
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Healthy People in Healthy Communities | | | | |
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