CONTACT: Mary Young, Division of Public Health, (608) 266-2757

LAFAYETTE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT  PASSES REVIEW BY STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS

MADISON—Dr. Seth Foldy, State Health Officer, today announced that the Lafayette County Health Department has successfully passed the state’s health department review. As a result, the Lafayette County Health Department will maintain its Level II status.

“The hard-working staff of the Lafayette County Health Department helps make their community a healthier and safer place to live,” said Foldy. “Their department has an actively engaged and supportive Board of Health, and does an excellent job of engaging a supportive community network to solve local public health problems.”

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is required to formally review the operations of all 92 Wisconsin local health departments at the county or municipality level at least every five years. The review establishes the health department as a level I, II or III agency. A level I agency meets the minimum requirements and a level II agency meets the maximum requirements established for a local health department.

The Lafayette County Health Department provides services important to the community, such as:

• Daycare Support/technical assistance Program -- The LHD provides this program to all daycares in Lafayette County as an educational and supportive program for daycares and daycare providers. Providers find this program very helpful.
• Lafayette County WI WINS vendor compliance checks program / Lafayette County Tobacco-Free Coalition -- The motivator for having this program lies in the concerning statistics that exist in Lafayette County related to the high number of teens and pregnant women who smoke as well as the high incidence of lung cancer and heart disease in our county.
• School Health Program -- Six of the seven school districts in Lafayette County contract with the LHD to provide an RN in their school to oversee a school health program.
• Families First (Maternal and Child Health) Program -- Newborn/Maternal Home Visitation and Support program -- The program is a unique collaboration between local county-owned hospital, UW Extension, LHD and the community. Part of another grant (that compliments this program) allows for the provision of a Family Friendly Home Visitor (in addition to the PHN) to additionally support the family.

For information about the Lafayette County Health Department, visit:
http://www.lafayettecountyhealthdepartment.org

For contact information for Wisconsin’s local health departments, visit:
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/localhealth/

For information about the state health plan, Healthiest Wisconsin 2010 or 2020, visit:
http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/statehealthplan/index.htm

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Last Revised:  July 12, 2010