HEALTH INFORMATION THAT MOM NEVER TOLD YOU
By Dave Rosenberg
Yolo County Supervisor, District Four
Did you ever have a meal in a restaurant and wonder about the cleanliness of the place? Have you had problems with the toilet in your apartment and the landlord just won’t get around to fixing it? Have you ever planned a trip to an exotic location only to find you need to get an equally exotic inoculation but don’t know where to go to get the shot?
The answers to these and many other questions in the "health safety net" can be found within Yolo County’s Department of Public Health. This department provides a myriad of health services to all the residents of Yolo County. Following is a list of commonly asked public health questions and the (sometimes surprising) answers:
Q. I’m really concerned about the cleanliness of a particular restaurant in town. Is the food safe to eat? Who should I call to check it out?
A. The Environmental Health division of the Yolo County Department of Health is the place to call. This division conducts plan checks for food establishments and periodic inspections of all retail food establishments including restaurants, bakeries, bars, markets, roadside stands, vending vehicles, bed-and-breakfast inns, and the like. Reports of possible food-borne illness are investigated. Education on proper food handling is given to public and private operators of food establishments. At least two inspections per facility are scheduled each year. In 1995/96, approximately 3,800 inspections were performed.
Q. What if I go to a supermarket and think it’s not clean, or the milk tasted sour, or produce is not fresh?
A. Same place. You can report your concerns to the Environmental Health division, and it will be checked out right away.
Q. I think I need an HIV test, but I don’t want to go to the family doctor. What can I do?
A. Yolo County runs an AIDS/HIV program which provides case management to about 60 clients with AIDS/HIV and seeks to find medical and psychosocial services for these clients. In addition, anonymous and confidential AIDS/HIV testing is provided.
Q. My mother is 83 years old and is having multiple health problems. I can care for her nights and weekends, but not during the day when I work. Is there an alternative to a nursing home?
A. Yes. Yolo County and Eskaton (a corporation) provide for the operation of an Adult Day Health Care (ADHC) program. The State Department of Aging licenses the Public Health Department to provide ADHC services to Medi-Cal and Medicare clients. The ADHC Center is staffed by Eskaton. Yolo County’s ADHC program provides a well-staffed, caring place for adults who require activities and care during the day.
Q. My landlord refuses to repair my toilet. The swimming pool is a mess, too. What can I do?
A. The Environmental Health Division operates a program to protect Yolo County residents from substandard housing and to improve the stock of housing. The division does this through inspections and enforcement of state and local housing laws or substandard dwellings. Actions are typically generated by complaints by occupants or other concerned people. About 1,885 calls were made in 1995/96 alone.
Q. I’m taking a trip to Chad, in Africa, and just found out I need to get shots for beri-beri, black plague, and yellow fever. What do I do?
A. Call the Department of Public Health. Among the services offered by the public health nurses are inoculations for unusual ailments.
Q. I live in an older house, and I’m concerned my children may be exposed to lead-based paint. Who can I check with?
A. Once again, the Department of Public Health can help. The Environmental division can check it out, identify problems, and provide medical care management.
Q. It’s Spring and flies, mosquitoes and rodents are swarming in my neighborhood. Can the County help?
A. Yes. Call the Yolo County Department of Health. The Environmental Health division will respond on a request-for-service basis. In 1995/96, the division addressed 395 cases of vector complaints and referrals.
Q. My neighbor is a single parent with a new baby and I think she’s having difficulty coping. What can I do?
A. Refer her to the myriad of women’s and children’s service available through Yolo County’s Department of Public Health..
If you wish to contact the Department of Public Health, you can do so at its main office: 10 Cottonwood Street, Woodland, CA 95695. Telephone: 666-8645. The Director of the department (and the County Health Officer) is Robert O. Bates, Jr., M.D.