Join our team!

We are looking for a Bilingual (Spanish) Well Woman Program Specialist. The Well Woman Program helps women who have little or no health insurance get screening for breast and cervical cancers.

Click here for the full job description.

Learn more about the Well Woman Program at winnebagopublichealth.org

💪🏽 Wellness Plus Classes

Our Healthy Lifespan division focuses on improving the quality of life for individuals through direct services and population-based solutions. We provide services that help prevent and manage chronic disease and injuries for Winnebago County residents that are 55 and older through home visits, community classes, and coalition leadership.

One service we provide is Wellness Plus classes. These classes are researched and tested to help those over 55 self-manage their health. They focus is on falls prevention and living with chronic conditions. They also provide social connections and enhance the quality of life. Our mission with Wellness Plus Classes is to bring healthcare professionals, advocates, and the community together to ensure that evidence-based, self-management programs for health and well-being are available, accessible, and routinely referred to.

"These classes are not just improving the health and well-being of participants, social connections and friendships are also made," says Joanne Murphy-Spice, coordinator of Wellness Plus Classes. "Most of our participants say that not only is their physical health improved, but their mental health is better and they feel more at ease with others."

Wellness Plus classes are offered throughout Winnebago County at a low cost to participants. If you are interested in hosting, we can accommodate most locations including independent living facilities, senior centers, and churches. Programming includes Tai Chi, Healthy Living with Chronic Pain and Healthy Living with Diabetes, Strong Bodies, Stepping On (falls prevention), Mind Over Matter, and Powerful Tools for Caregivers.

• See information about our Wellness Plus classes here.
• Interested in hosting a class at your location or becoming a class leader? Contact WCHD by calling 920-232-3000 or emailing health@winnebagocountywi.gov.
• Promote all the Wellness Plus classes by downloading and sharing this poster.
• Watch Eye on Oshkosh and learn more about the Wellness Plus classes and our Healthy Lifespan division here.

📑 Licensing and Permits

Summer is just around the corner and that means food trucks, farmers markets and more! If you're planning on selling any goods, make sure proper permits and licenses are obtained before the season starts! The Winnebago County Health Department serves as an agent for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection and the Department of Safety and Professional Services and our Environmental Health Team is responsible for licensing and regulation of retail food and restaurant establishments, lodging establishments, campgrounds, tattooing and body art facilities, and more. All new owners of existing businesses and owners of newly constructed establishments are required to obtain a license from the health department.

For more information, please call 920-232-3000, visit our website, or e-mail us.

Please note, the Winnebago County Health Department does not provide licensing or permits for establishments in Appleton or Menasha. Contact your local health department if you are in these locations.

💊 ICYMI: Drug Take-Back Day

Almost every home has one — that cabinet or drawer filled with prescriptions and other medications. And if yours is like most, it probably contains a few things you didn’t know you had, or no longer need. When unused and expired medications start to pile up, they can fall into the wrong hands. Far too often, medications that get overlooked cause unintended harm.

National Drug Take Back Day was April 22 and Wisconsin has continually been a leader in collecting unused and expired medications during national drug take-back days. In fact, Wisconsin led the nation on the last drug take-back day with 54,040 pounds of unwanted medication collected.

Missed out this time? Did you know that there are several drop-off locations available year-round? Residents can dispose of unwanted medication at any of the four safe and convenient permanent drug drop sites located at local Police Departments: Fox Crossing, Menasha, Neenah, and Oshkosh. These sites are open 24/7. Safely disposing of unused and expired medications and used medical supplies helps protect the environment and people around you.

Learn more about safely disposing of unwanted medications and drug drop locations on our website.

📢 First Quarter Report Now Available!

The Quarterly Communicable Disease (CD) Report is available here. These reports provide timely data for the community and healthcare partners on diseases that are prevalent in Winnebago County. Tracking this data helps detect, prevent and control illness and outbreaks in the community. Find additional CD Reports here.

Questions? Contact the Winnebago County Health Department at 920-232-3000 or emailing WCHD.CD@winnebagocountywi.gov.

While mental health is important to address year-round, Mental Health Month provides a dedicated time for people, organizations and communities to join their voices to broadcast the message that mental health matters.

Mental health affects how we think, feel and act every day. However, it is often ignored until something is going wrong. The best way to prevent that is to pay attention to your mental health even when you’re feeling ok or even good. We all have days when we feel better than others. And just like with our physical health, we can all do things that make us mentally healthier. When you’re mentally healthy, you can enjoy your life and the people in it, feel good about yourself, keep up good relationships, and manage stress.

Self-care can help with maintaining or improving your daily mental well-being. It is important to note that self-care is not a selfish act and doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive. It can be whatever you make it and it is important for you to find out what works best for you.

Address stress that lives in your body. Alleviate physical pain or tension that either causes or results from mental stress. This can include massage, fitness, dance, aromatherapy, rest or other pampering.

Tend to your own internal emotional world – especially your mood and feelings. This can include connecting with others, talk therapy, journaling, creative writing or art.

Engage in activities that are intellectually rewarding and stimulating. This can include reading, writing, listening to books or podcasts, watching films or talk therapy.

Get in touch with the less tangible aspects of yourself and the world around you. This can take many different forms and does not have to be tied to formal religion. This can include meditation, breathwork, prayer, connecting with a spiritual or religious community and practicing mantras.

Additional Resources

Winnebago County Behavioral Health Services

N.E.W. Mental Health Connection

Mental Health America

Mental Health Coalition

National Institute for Mental Health

National Alliance for Mental Illness

Get Help

Winnebago County Crisis Hotline: 920-233-7707

Winnebago County Mental Health Institute

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Crisis Text Line

The Trevor Project

🕷️ Fight the Bite

Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months. Ticks feed on the blood of animals (such as rodents, rabbits, deer and birds) but will bite people too. Ticks live in grassy or wooded areas or on animals. Being outside can bring you in close contact with ticks, so take the proper safety precautions to reduce your chances of being bitten.

Ticks can carry germs that cause serious and sometimes deadly diseases, like Lyme disease. Lyme disease is spread by the bite of an infected black-legged tick and is becoming more common in Wisconsin. Frequent tick checks and prompt removal of ticks increase the likelihood of removing a tick before it can spread disease.

Tick Tips

• Use insect repellents on exposed skin and clothes to prevent tick bites.
• Shower after returning from the outdoors.
• Perform tick checks after being outside in tick habitat.
• If you see a tick, remove it immediately using tweezers.
• Call your healthcare provider right away if you feel ill or develop a fever or rash after spending time in areas where ticks may be found. Tell them if you remember being bitten by a tick.

Additional Resources

Winnebago County Lyme Disease Information

Lyme Case Counts in Wisconsin

DHS Tick Bite Prevention

CDC Tick Information

😷 COVID-19 Update

The Federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19 ended on May 11, 2023.

What does this mean?

• COVID-19 cases are trending downward, but ending the PHE does not mean that the virus is gone.
• Vaccines: COVID-19 vaccines will continue to be free for all, regardless of insurance coverage, as long as the supply of federally purchased vaccines lasts. This includes boosters. You can also reach out to your healthcare provider or stop by your local pharmacy to find out what vaccination options are available.
• Testing: Summit Clinical Laboratories will end its free walk-in COVID-19 testing on May 15. You can get at-home test kits by:
• Ordering free kits from the Say Yes Covid Test program through the end of May.
• Ordering free kits from the United States Post Office.
• Stopping by one of these community locations for free kits.
• Purchasing at-home test kits at stores and pharmacies. Insurance companies, Medicaid, and Medicare are required to reimburse up to eight tests per month, per member. Learn more from your insurance provider.
• Test Positive? If you're feeling sick or test positive for COVID, stay home to help prevent others from getting sick. Isolating for 5 days is still recommended. Wear a high-quality mask for 10 full days any time you are around others inside your home or in public (after isolation).
• Treatment: DHS' free COVID telehealth and treatment service will run until the end of the year. This program provides free at-home COVID treatment, which can prevent people from getting seriously sick.
• Community Levels: The CDC has stopped tracking Community Levels as the accuracy of the metrics may be skewed as labs will no longer be required to report COVID-19 test results.

The Winnebago County Health Department will continue to provide support to the community through this next stage of the pandemic. For county and state data please visit our website. Our COVID Hotline will remain for those who have questions - just call 920-232-3026. Up-to-date information can also be found at winnebagopublichealth.org.

🚲 Hit the Trails

You've been patient and the snow is finally gone! Now it's time to HIT THE TRAILS! It's National Bike Month and BAGO (Be Active. Go Outside.) is encouraging more folks to gear up and give biking a try. During the month of May, take a ride on the Wiouwash State Trail and experience the many benefits of riding a bike.

Bike to Work Week: May 15-21

Bike to School Day: Wednesday, May 17

Bike to Work Day: Friday, May 19

Click here for more information on BAGO and upcoming events.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Parent Resource Hours

Stop by anytime during Parent Resource Hours for information on developmental screenings, safe sleep, breastfeeding support, nursing expertise, health, and community resources. Appointments are necessary for car seat checks and immunizations.

Join us!

Thursday, May 25

11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Neenah Office, 211 N Commercial St

Click on the flyer to download and share.

Contact us to request additional languages.

🩹 COVID-19 Vaccine & Testing

Mission: Winnebago County Health Department (WCHD) protects and promotes health through services, partnerships, and equitable practices and policies so all can live their best life. 

STAY UP TO DATE!

Visit wchd.pub/newsletter to receive Public Health Happenings, press releases or public service announcements from the Winnebago County Health Department.

Find a copy of this newsletter on our website.

Winnebago County Health Department

www.winnebagopublichealth.org l www.wcvaccine.org

health@winnebagocountywi.gov

920-232-3000

Please distribute widely. The format may be altered when forwarded in an email. Find a shareable link here.