Public Health Happenings

PUBLIC HEALTH HAPPENINGS

November 2024

Serving the communities of Winnebago County

thanksgiving-turkey-food-safety-infographic image

Let's Talk Turkey!

As we gear up for the holiday season, it's time to start planning your feast. From roasting the turkey to baking pies, there's a lot to consider. But don't forget about food safety!

Here are some tips to keep your food delicious and safe:

1. Wash your hands and surfaces often: Before and throughout cooking, wash your hands and all cooking surfaces to help prevent the spread of bacteria.

2. Thaw your turkey safely: If you're serving turkey, thaw it in the refrigerator, not on the counter. This will help prevent the growth of bacteria. Thawing takes time - see the USDA link below for specifics by thawing method and turkey weight.

3. Cook meat to the right temperature: Use a meat thermometer to make sure that your meat is cooked to the correct temperature. This will help ensure that harmful bacteria are killed.

4. Avoid cross-contamination: Keep raw meat separate from other foods, and use separate cutting boards and utensils for raw and cooked foods.

5. Store leftovers properly: After the meal, refrigerate leftovers promptly. Don't let food sit out at room temperature for more than two hours.

Learn More: Visit the USDA website for a detailed consumer guide to turkey safety, from defrosting to leftovers:

USDA Website

Winnebago County Public Health Staff

STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Get to Know Lindsey Uecker, Public Health Nurse

How long have you been working at WCPH? One year.

Can you describe your role? I promote healthy aging by helping people stay in their homes safely for as long as possible through our free, in-home fall assessments and our Wellness Plus exercise classes. Additionally, I help promote immunizations to help protect the community from vaccine preventable diseases.

What is one WCPH accomplishment that you feel particularly proud of? Writing for and being awarded the Routine Immunization Community Engagement (RICE) Grant to help increase childhood immunization rates within Winnebago County.

What program at WCPH are you most excited about right now and why? The new Wellness Plus Program Bingocize. Bingocize brings together exercise and social connection in a fun manner for the aging community.

What do you love about working at WCPH? I love that I can make a impact in the community to help provide a healthy place to live, work, and play!

What do you want the community to know about your role at WCPH? I want the community to know that as a Public Health Nurse, I am here to support their health and well-being. My main role is our aging population, and I also am part of the immunization team. Both programs may appear to focus on the individual person, but they are also helping build a healthier, more resilient community for the present and the future. I am deeply passionate about advocacy, empowering individuals to advocate for their own health and to create a stronger, healthier community.

What's an interesting fact about you? I love going mushroom hunting in the spring, especially searching for morel mushrooms. Even if I do not find morels, I enjoy the relaxation and challenge of foraging for other wild foods in the woods. It is a great way to connect with nature. I also love to chase the northern lights and other events that occur in the sky.

NEW HIRE

Welcome Olivia Meissner, WIC Program Nutritionist

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Olivia graduated from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse with a major in public health and community education and a minor in nutrition. She loves all things nutrition and wellness and is excited to be working in the community that she grew up in. Outside of work she loves to read, travel, hike, sew and camp.

Learn More about the WIC program, who they serve and who is eligible to participate below!

JOIN OUR TEAM

We are hiring a Community Health Strategist: Drug Free Communities/Breakwater Coordinator

Winnebago County Public Health was recently awarded a federal grant to support our Drug Free Communities program for an additional 5 years! We are seeking a Community Health Strategist to coordinate the grant activities and handle the day-to-day business of Drug Free Communities and Breakwater projects. This position will coordinate community volunteers and workgroups that lead efforts to strengthen collaboration in our community to reduce substance use by youth, and over time, adults.

Apply Here

Public Health Toolkit

Maddie Hill, a student pursuing her Masters of Public Health, completed her Field Experience with Winnebago County Public Health over the summer of 2024.

As part of her experience she created a project entitled "Bridging the Gap: An Educational Toolkit for Local Government Knowledge and Advocacy," focused on creating an onboarding toolkit with educational materials designed to train and inform elected officials in Winnebago County about public health. She presented her poster at the Wisconsin Public Health Association’s Public Health in Practice Conference in Oshkosh in addition to presenting the toolkit to the Winnebago County Board of Health. The toolkit includes everything from public health history to current definitions and resources.

View The Toolkit

Left to Right: Maddie Hill, Julia Salomón, and Heidi Keating pictured at the PHIP Conference

Photo provided by Julia Alberth, Joseph J. Zilber College of Public Health

BE HEALTHY

Firearm Safety

With fall hunting season in full swing in Wisconsin, firearm safety is on our minds. However research shows that in order to prevent accidents and injuries, especially in households with children, it is essential to take precautions year-round.

Did you know? For the third straight year firearms remain the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 17. When not in use, firearms should be stored unloaded in locked cabinets, preferably with ammunition stored in a separate locked location. A cable lock can be used on most firearms by running a cable through the barrel to prevent it from accidentally being fired. It is highly recommended that firearm owners install these locks to ensure that they are not accessible to children or anyone who is not authorized to use them. Firearm safety is everyone's responsibility, and using a cable lock is a simple way to promote firearm safety in your home and community. Learn more about safe and secure gun storage on the Johns Hopkins website here.

Winnebago County Public Health offers free cable locks to the public! You can pick them up:

During normal business hours at our Oshkosh or Neenah offices
24/7 at our NEW Public Health Vending Machines in Oshkosh and Neenah

Pertussis 101

The number of Pertussis (Whooping cough) cases have been increasing locally in our county as well as statewide and nationally. In 2023, Winnebago County Public Health jurisdiction only had 1 case of pertussis compared to 38 confirmed cases so far in 2024, with the majority of those cases happening in recent months.

Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease that spreads from person to person through coughing, sneezing, talking, or other close contact. Infected people can spread pertussis up to one week prior and three weeks after the cough begins if they are not treated with the appropriate antibiotics. Taking antibiotics early in the illness may shorten the amount of time someone is contagious so people may return to work or school. High risk individuals include infants under 1 year old, pregnant women in their 3rd trimester, and the immunocompromised.

Getting immunized is the best way to protect oneself and their loved ones against pertussis.

Speak with your healthcare provider to make sure you and your family are up to date with your pertussis immunizations, or check vaccination records on the Wisconsin Immunization Registry Website.

Winnebago County Public Health offers immunizations against pertussis (and more) for children and adults who qualify. Call us at 920-232-3000 for more information.

In addition, you can:

Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Put your used tissue in the waste basket right away.
Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands, if you don’t have a tissue.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Use an alcohol-based hand rub if soap and water are not available.

For Healthcare Providers: Wisconsin Department of Health Services recently made changes to Pertussis Reporting Requirements. Read more here.

eWIC Benefits Now Available at Self-Check!

WIC customers can now use self-checkout lanes at Target, Hy-Vee, Meijer, Metro Mart, Pick 'n Save, and Walmart stores for their WIC purchases. Successful test purchases have been completed, and the system is easy to use. If you have questions, please contact your WIC office:

Oshkosh WIC: (920) 232-3350 Neenah WIC: (920) 729-2945

What is WIC?

WIC is a national supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children providing benefits to pregnant women, mothers up to 6 months after giving birth, breastfeeding mothers up to 1 year after giving birth, and infants and children up to age 5. Fathers, guardians, and foster parents may also apply for WIC benefits for their children. The WIC program has been serving Wisconsin families for 50 years, and is currently assisting over 90,000 people in our state each month. Could you or someone you know benefit from the WIC program? Learn more about about WIC eligibility on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Website or contact our WIC offices directly at the numbers provided above.

PUBLIC HEALTH COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

Leaf No One Behind - Yard Waste Clean Up

The Healthy Aging Group held their second annual Leaf No One Behind Event - a day of community action engaging volunteers to assist those with aging or disability constraints in leaf and yard cleanup. This year the group assisted at 32 homes in the Oshkosh Area, more than doubling the 15 houses served last year!

The goal of the Healthy Aging Group is to assist residents of Winnebago County age 55 and over to live a full and healthy life. Programs like Leaf No One Behind prevent unnecessary injuries, promote social connectedness, and help people stay in their own homes as long as possible.

Learn more about resources available for healthy aging in Winnebago County:

Free Thanksgiving Meals

As the holiday season approaches many families may be facing challenges. ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households – which make up 35% of all households in Wisconsin – may be balancing tight budgets. Our community has several organizations that provide free Thanksgiving meals for anyone who needs it. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity or share it with others that could benefit from it.

Thank you to the Aging and Disability Resource Center of Winnebago County for compiling this list.

To read more about ALICE in Wisconsin, visit UnitedForALICE.org/Wisconsin

For additional information about meals, please reach out to the individual locations listed on the flyer.