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The Vineland Health Department uses the 10 Essential Public Health Services as a framework to guide our core functions and better serve the community. These functions are our responsibility to the residents of Vineland. Throughout this annual report, there are examples of how we are working to meet those responsibilities and improve the health status of the community.
Table of Contents Department Vision, Mission and Commitment Board of Health & Administration Community Health Improvement Plan Organizational Chart Message from the Health Officer What does a Health Department Do? Administration Staffing Financial Report Environmental Health Services Food Safety Rabies and Animal Bite Investigation Kennels, Pet Shops, Shelter Facilities Body Art, Tattoos and Permanent Cosmetic Safety Youth Camps Recreational Bathing Facilities Ground Water Protection Septic System Well and Water Analysis Public Health Nursing School Immunization Record Audits Tuberculous Clinic Communicable Disease Sexually Transmitted Disease Clinic Childhood Lead Poisoning Communicable Disease Investigations Health Education Vineland Municipal Alliance Personal Responsibility Education Program Live Healthy Vineland Emergency Preparedness and Response Inquiries, Complaints and Complaint Investigations Staying Connected
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9 10 11 12 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 18 19 20 20 21 22 22 22 23 24 26 27 2
City of Vineland Department of Health Our Vision A healthy future for Vinelanders!
Our Mission Taking care of Vineland!
Our Commitment We are committed to seeking health equity, in all we do, to maximize the health and wellbeing of every Vineland resident.
City Council/Board of Health Anthony Fanucci, Mayor Paul Spinelli, President David Acosta, Vice President Angela Calakos, Councilwoman Ronald Franceschini Jr., Councilman Albert Vargas, Councilman Public Health Administration Robert Dickinson, Health Officer Emma Lopez, Assistant Health Officer Dale Jones, Health Director 3
Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) In 2015, the Vineland Health Department, the Cumberland County Health Department and other members of the Cumberland, Gloucester & Salem Health and Wellness Alliance convened to provide guidance and leadership throughout the community health improvement planning process. As part of this planning process, a Community Health Assessment was conducted to identify and rank the various health concerns in each of the three participating counties. After reviewing assessment findings and community input, Alliance members and other subject matter experts identified the five strategic health priority areas requiring the greatest level of response from public and private agencies in our community.
Obesity Access to care/Uninsured
Diabetes Substance Abuse/Alcohol Abuse Mental Health/Suicide
Goals, objectives and strategies to address these areas of need were formulated and included in the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). The purpose of this plan is to guide community leaders in making decisions on how to invest time and resources in order to attain the greatest positive, measurable impact on the health and well-being of the community. This plan has established the City’s health agenda through the period ending December 31, 2019.
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Organizational Chart
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Message from the Health Officer On behalf of the management and personnel of the Vineland Health Department (VHD), I am very pleased to present the 2017 Annual Report. The Annual Report provides an overall picture of the quality programs and services the Health Department delivers to the citizens of Vineland. For over 60 years, the staff of the Vineland Health Department has worked diligently to protect you from health threats, to educate you and your neighbors regarding health issues, and to provide and support programs and activities to advance the health of our community. Many of these activities occur behind the scenes. As a result, most residents are unaware of the important role public health plays in their lives, primarily the prevention of disease or conditions that cause disease, disability or injury. Throughout 2017, our Health Education Division and our community partners provided obesity and chronic health prevention programs by continuing our Live Healthy Vineland (LHV) project made possible by grants received by the Vineland YMCA from the CDC, Shaping NJ and The Food Trust and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. LHV continued worksite wellness programs, screenings and education programs at our Healthy Corner Stores, and delivered 32 tons of fresh produce along with information on healthy preparation alternatives to 7 food pantries. Over a 9 month period, our Teen Outreach Program provided instruction to 363 teens to foster and promote positive development. The Vineland Municipal Alliance and its partner organizations conducted community workshops, drug return programs and classroom education to reduce prescription drug abuse throughout our community. The Public Health Nursing Division worked behind the scenes to reduce the transmission of tuberculosis through investigation, screening, treatment of active and non-active cases, and case management activities. Our nurses also worked proactively to prevent the spread of disease and protect the health of Vinelander’s by administering more than 500 immunizations to uninsured/underinsured children and adults. In addition, our nurses conducted school audits to ensure that children attending our public schools have received all required vaccinations. In 2017, our nursing staff provided testing, treatment and counseling services to sexually transmitted disease (STD) patients during visits to our weekly STD clinics, conducted monthly cardiovascular screenings, conducted 428 communicable disease investigations, 7 outbreak investigations and provided case management services to lead poisoned children. The Environmental Division, using a grant from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), purchased the Accela software program that improved inspection efficiency by significantly reducing the amount of time required to prepare and deliver inspection reports. This program was funded and purchased for our retail food program, but has also been adapted for use in most of our other environmental programs. A comparison study revealed that the time spent to prepare inspection reports for medium and high-risk establishments using the new software program decreased by an average of one hour per report as compared to 2015 and 2016 data when the software program was not in use. The mission of VHD is “Taking care of Vineland” by protecting and promoting a healthy community and safe environment through quality services for residents in all stages of life. We hope this report provides insight into the tireless work required by dedicated staff and partners in fulfilling this mission. If you want to learn more about our programs and services, please contact us or visit us on the web at www.vldhealth.org. Best Regards,
Robert M. Dickinson Health Officer
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What does a Health Department do? Public health works to improve the health, safety and well-being of the community. The goal of public health is to prevent diseases and injuries before they occur and make it easier for everyone to live a healthier lifestyle.
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ADMINISTRATION
Staffing & human resources summary Number of Individual Employees
22
Number of Individual Contract Staff
2
Number of Individual Volunteers
9
Number of Contract Organizations
1
Total Number of Full-Time Equivalent Human Resources Available
19.4433
FTEs of Individual Employees
18.92
FTEs of Individual Contract Staff
0.0783
FTEs of Individual Volunteers
0.435
FTEs of Contract Organizations
0.01
1Employees are
individuals who are on the LHD’s payroll and paid a set salary or hourly rate. This includes full-time, part-time, and casual/at-will/W-9 staff of the LHD. 1 Contract staff are individual contractors or consultants who are not on the LHD’s payroll, but who invoice or bill the LHD for services rendered on behalf of the LHD and are paid directly by the LHD as individuals (rather than as companies/organizations). 1 Contract organizations are organizations that, under the terms of a contract, provide services on behalf of the LHD in exchange for payment, where the LHD pays the organization rather than directly compensating individual staff of the organization for their services.
Financial report The financial report below represents both revenues and expenses from January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017. These figures do not include financial data for the EMS Division. Fiscal Year Summary
2017 data
Total revenue
$ 2,609,260.56
Revenue from Municipalities
$ 1,954,517.56
Revenue from grants (other than State of NJ)
$
255,866.00
Revenue from service and licensing fees
$
398,877.00
Total expenditures for 01-01-2017 through 12-31-2017
$ 1,917,812.41
Revenue minus Expenditures
$
Budget for next fiscal year
691,448.15
$ 1,954,517.56
Per capita expenditures 8
Environmental Health Services The Vineland Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, is responsible for enforcing various city codes, state statutes and city ordinances. Most of the work completed by this division is driven by regulations and minimum standard requirements. The field of environmental health seeks to identify those factors present in the environment that either cause or contribute to disease, illness, or unsafe conditions, and prevent such factors from adversely affecting the public. To do this, environmental health relies on the complementary strategies of inspection, education, and regulatory enforcement. Performing inspections to ensure compliance with science based regulatory controls established by state and federal agencies, is a core strategy in most environmental health work performed by the Vineland Health Department. Education is equally important in ensuring that city residents understand the potential health risks and mitigation strategies associated with health code violations. Through education and enforcement, many potential illnesses and injuries are prevented. CONSUMER HEALTH Body Art Facility Inspections and Plan Review Pet Facility Inspections and Plan Review Recreational Bathing Inspections (Public Pool and Spa Inspection and Enforcement) Retail Food Establishment Inspections and Plan Reviews Tanning Facility Inspections Youth Camp Safety Inspections ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND SERVICES Childhood Lead Poisoning Investigations Control of Rodents and other Vectors of Disease Indoor Air Quality Investigations Public Health Nuisance Complaint Investigations Rabies Control Septic System Installations, Plan Review and Inspections Well Permits and Inspections. Well Water Complaints Private Well Testing Act
Results of retail food establishment inspections, recreational bathing facility inspections, and water testing results for recreational bathing facilities are provided online. This allows the public to have direct access to the over 500 inspections conducted in these programs each year.
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The goal of our food safety program is to ensure safe food for the public by: conducting inspections with mandated correction of significant issues; increasing awareness of food safety among food handlers, managers, owners and the public; initiating legal action when necessary; investigating outbreaks, and closures of facilities as deemed necessary to protect the public. We view food safety as a partnership between retail food establishments and this department. We have roughly 450 retail food establishments operating at any given time in the City of Vineland. Risk Level 1 Risk Level 2 Risk Level 3
Risk Level 1 Risk Level 2 Risk Level 3
Risk Level 1 Risk Level 2 Risk Level 3
Number of licensed food establishments: Conduct minimal food preparation and minimal handling of potentially hazardous foods 73 Conduct limited food preparation and heat/cool potentially hazardous foods 183 Conduct complex food preparation and heat/cool potentially hazardous foods 114 Mobile food establishments 33 Temporary - Establishments operating for no more than 14 consecutive days in conjunction with a single 31 event or celebration Number of specialized processes overseen by the health department 4 Number of retail food establishment plan reviews conducted 23 Number of pre-operational retail food establishment inspections conducted 31 Number of routine inspections for the following types of retail food establishments: Conduct minimal food preparation and minimal handling of potentially hazardous foods 76 Establishments that conduct limited food preparation and heat/cool potentially hazardous foods 204 Establishments that conduct complex food preparation and heat/cool potentially hazardous foods 194 Mobile food establishments 37 Temporary - Establishments operating for no more than 14 consecutive days in conjunction with a single 45 event or celebration Number of routine re-inspections for the following types of establishments: Conduct minimal food preparation and minimal handling of potentially hazardous foods 24 Conduct limited food preparation and heat/cool potentially hazardous foods 135 Conduct complex food preparation and heat/cool potentially hazardous foods 187 Mobile food establishments 13 Temporary - Establishments operating for no more than 14 consecutive days in conjunction with a single 3 event or celebration Number of non-routine emergency & complaint-related investigations/inspections: Investigations 71 Number of establishments on which the health department had to take one or more enforcement actions 24
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Each year, an estimated 76 million people get sick from food. More than 300,000 people are hospitalized and 5,000 die from foodborne illness. Decreasing illness rates requires prevention, intervention, and appropriate response. Food safety education and outreach efforts regarding good hygiene and safe food handling practices are an extremely important part of food safety promotion. Our education efforts target the food industry, consumers and those who prepare food in the home environment. Such efforts include: Online Employee Health Certifications for Managers and Food Handlers. The Employee Health tutorials are used to help owners and employees of retail food businesses understand their responsibilities and the importance of preventing food-borne illness. We offer our Food Safety Classes for anyone working with food. In 2017, eight classes were offered in English or Spanish with a total of 120 participants completing the 6 hour class. In 2017, our health inspectors selected 18 food establishments as recipients of the annual Five Star Award because they go beyond minimal code requirements and exhibit exceptional efforts in sanitation and food safety techniques.
RABIES AND ANIMAL BITE INVESTIGATION Animal bites are reported to the health department for investigation to assure that measures are taken to prevent transmission of rabies as well as future injuries inflicted by the biting animal.
177 Total animal bites investigated during 2017
Vaccination Clinics Key Facts & Activities
2017 data
Number of rabies vaccination clinics conducted by the health department
4
Number of pets vaccinated by the health department
1156
Average number of pets vaccinated per clinic
289
Animal Bites and Rabies Control Key Facts & Activities
2017 data
Number of incidents where a rabid or suspected-rabid animal bit a domestic animal (pet/livestock)
12
Number of unimmunized domestic animals that were confined for rabies observation after biting a person
121
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KENNELS, PET SHOPS, AND SHELTER/POUND FACILITIES Local health departments inspect kennels, pet shops, shelters, and pounds to ensure that these facilities are operating in compliance with sanitation, safety, and animal welfare rules. Key Facts & Activities
2017 data
Number of licensed pet shop facilities
2
Number of licensed kennel facilities
3
Number of licensed shelter/pound facilities
1
Number of routine inspections conducted at Pet Shops
2
Number of routine inspections conducted at Kennels
3
Number of routine inspections conducted at Shelter/Pound facilities
1
Number of routine re-inspections conducted at Pet Shops
2
Number of routine re-inspections conducted at Kennels
5
Number of routine re-inspections conducted at Shelter/Pound facilities
2
Number of non-routine emergency & complaint-related inspections conducted at kennels
3
BODY ART, TATTOO, AND PERMANENT COSMETICS SAFETY Vineland Health Department regulates body art, permanent cosmetic and tattoo shops located in the city. The purpose of this program is to prevent infections and the transmission of blood-borne pathogens during tattoo and body piercing procedures.
Key Facts & Activities
2017 data
Number of licensed establishments
6
Number of pre-operational inspections
1
Number of routine, operational inspections
3
Number of routine, operational re-inspections
3
Number of emergency & complaint-related inspections and investigations
0
Number of unlicensed establishments identified
0
Number of body art, tattoo, and permanent cosmetics injuries and illnesses reported
0
Average number of routine inspections per establishment
0
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Youth Camps Prior to opening, The City of Vineland Health Department conducts an annual pre-operational inspection of all licensed youth camps and single sport camps within our jurisdiction. Areas of scrutiny include: potable water supplies, sewage disposal, food service, paperwork, record keeping, recreational bathing facilities, obvious health and safety hazards and general overall conditions. The Health Department also performs operational inspections of youth camp bathing facilities and food service programs. These operational inspections are reported under the recreational bathing facilities program and the food safety program. Youth camps are regulated under NJAC 8:25 entitled “New Jersey Youth Camp Safety Standards�. The purpose of this code is to set reasonable sanitary and safety regulations for youth camps in order to ensure the health and safety of all attendees.
Key Facts & Activities
2017 data
Number of pre-operational inspections conducted
9
Number of routine, operational inspections conducted
0
Number of routine, operational re-inspections conducted
2
Number of emergency & complaint-related inspections and investigations conducted
0
Re-inspection rate (percent of routine inspections that require re-inspection / follow-up)
0
Average number of routine inspections per establishment
0
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RECREATIONAL BATHING FACILITIES Local health departments conduct safety and sanitation inspections of public recreational bathing facilities (including swimming pools, lakes, rivers, streams, tidal bays, and ocean swimming facilities) to reduce the spread of communicable diseases and protect consumers who use these facilities from avoidable harm and danger. For more information, contact NAME/PROGRAM at PHONE NUMBER or EMAIL
Recreational bathing facilities are regulated under NJAC 8:26, entitled Chapter IX Public Recreational Bathing. The purpose of this code is to set reasonable sanitary and safety regulations for public facilities and to preserve and improve the public health in this State.
Key Facts & Activities Number of licensed public recreational bathing facilities: Licensed year-round facilities Licensed seasonal facilities Number of public recreational bathing features of each type: Swimming / wading pools Hot tubs / spas Number of pre-operational inspections of bathing facilities of: Year-round facilities Seasonal facilities Number of routine inspections of bathing facilities of: Year-round facilities Seasonal facilities Number of routine re-inspections of bathing facilities of: Year-round facilities Seasonal facilities Number of non-routine emergency & complaint-related inspections of: Year-round facilities Seasonal facilities Number of individual features closed for health and safety violations, by type: Swimming / wading pools Hot tubs / spas Number of public recreational bathing facilities closed for health and safety violations: Year-round facilities Seasonal facilities
2017 data 11 22 29 4 1 22 20 22 2 24 1 1 11 7 1 2
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Ground Water Protection Program Personnel in the Environmental Health Division are responsible for protecting the safety and quality of our drinking water by ensuring that all septic systems and drinking water wells in the City of Vineland are appropriately permitted, designed, constructed and maintained in accordance with New Jersey regulations.
Septic Program Personnel in the Environmental Health Division review plans and perform installation inspections of septic systems installed in Vineland. They also conduct public education on how to properly maintain low-volume residential and commercial onsite wastewater treatment systems to ensure the systems continue to operate as designed, thereby improving New Jersey’s water quality and protecting human health and the environment. These regulatory activities are conducted by Registered Environmental Health Specialists licensed by the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. Key Facts & Activities Number of system construction permits issued for final authorization to proceed with installations of new systems Number of system construction permits issued for final authorization to proceed with repairs to existing system
2017 data 19 33
Number of system construction permits issued for final authorization to proceed with alterations to existing systems that don't expand the capacity of the system
53
Number of system construction permits issued for final authorization to proceed with alterations to existing systems to expand the capacity of the system
0
Number of system construction permits issued for installation, repair, or alteration of advanced wastewater pretreatment systems
0
Number of system construction permits issued for installation, repair, or alteration of commercial facility systems
0
Number of systems in this municipality Number of unduplicated noncompliant systems identified
8000 66 15
Number of realty transfer system inspection reports reviewed
122
Number of systems identified as noncompliant as a result of review of realty transfer system inspection reports
53
Number of septic management program inspection reports reviewed by the health department Number of system investigations conducted by the health department
13
Well and Water Analysis Personnel review permits and inspect the installation of all proposed non-public (domestic) and public non-community (PNC) water supply systems that serve as a source of potable water. The review and inspection process is conducted to ensure the water supply system and water quality is in compliance with the applicable regulatory standards. Key Facts & Activities
2017 data
Number of potable well investigations conducted
47
Number of potable well investigations where the health department determined well water to be hazardous to humans
47
Number of potable well certificates of compliance issued
0
Number of unduplicated potable wells inspected
17
Number of potable well inspections conducted
22
Number of public water system complaints received
0
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Public Health Nursing Services The nursing staff employees provide a population based approach to various clinical case management, care coordination, disease screening, diagnostic and treatment services, and education and surveillance services to meet health care needs of individuals in the community. Services are available to uninsured, underinsured, and Medicaid recipients. No one is denied service because of the inability to pay. All services are exclusive to public health services. These services are not competitive with those provided by other organizations or health care providers. Programs and services provided by the nursing division include: Child Immunizations, Sexually Transmitted Disease, HIV Prevention and Case Management Services, School Health, Cardiovascular Health, Adult Immunization Program, Tuberculosis Screening and Case Management and Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention. These preventive and proactive services meet the health care needs of people at various stages of life, focusing on health improvement, promoting well-being, improving quality of life and early diagnosis of certain illnesses. Part of our mission is to ensure that all people have access to essential health services and primary medical care and follow-up. We accomplish this by providing a variety of clinical services, screenings, immunizations and referrals to appropriate providers when necessary.
Key Facts & Activities
2017 data
Number of clinic-based medical visits provided
2,881
Number of individuals (unduplicated) who received care at health department clinics
1,675
Number of home-based nursing visits provided
301
Number of individuals (unduplicated) who received home nursing care
19
Number of referrals to medical follow-up, support programs, and/or accessible medical services
9
Number of children immunized to protect them from preventable diseases
664
Number of adults (age 18 and up) immunized to protect them from preventable diseases
379
Total number of immunizations provided by the LHD
1,619
Total number of health screenings provided by the LHD
2,723
Number of individuals screened for Hepatitis B
0
Number of individuals screened for Sexually Transmitted Infections (other than HIV/AIDS)
241
Number of individuals screened for HIV/AIDS
209
Number of individuals screened for Hypertension
409
Number of individuals screened for Tuberculosis
127
Number of individuals screened for Vision
1
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School Immunization Record Audits To ensure that our children are protected from exposures to preventable disease, local health departments review immunization records of children enrolled in schools and childcare facilities. The Vineland Health Department operates an Immunization Clinic where vaccines are administered to children, adolescents (teens) and adults as permitted by the New Jersey Department of Health’s Vaccines For Children Program. All immunizations are given according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines. In 2017, the Public Health Nursing Department partnered with Vineland Public Schools to provide onsite clinics to vaccinate pre-school students for influenza in an effort to assist parents in complying with immunization requirements.
Key Facts & Activities Number of Childcare / Pre-K facilities Number of Childcare / Pre-K facilities audited Number of Kindergarten facilities Number of Kindergarten facilities audited Number of Grade 1 facilities Number of Grade 1 facilities audited Number of Grade 6 facilities Number of Grade 6 facilities audited Number of High School facilities Number of High School facilities whose transfer school records were audited
2017 data 24 24 17 17 1 1 14 14 8 8
DISEASE CONTROL Public Health Nursing is responsible for the prevention, investigation, and sometimes for the reporting, diagnosis, and treatment of reportable communicable diseases in Vineland. Programs include Communicable Disease and outbreak investigations; Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD); HIV Counseling and Testing; and Tuberculosis Control. Nursing staff members monitor disease activity in Vineland and work closely with Health Administration and Environmental Health to develop education, outreach, testing, and treatment strategies to minimize the impact of communicable disease in the community.
Tuberculous (TB) Clinic The primary goal of our TB program is to protect our residents from exposure to persons diagnosed with or suspected of having active TB or latent TB infection by screening, testing, evaluation, treatment, counseling, risk reduction education, case management and when necessary isolation and confinement orders. In 2017, our nurses performed 127 TB screenings. They also provided management services for 5 patients with latent TB infections and 5 patients with active TB disease. 18
Communicable Disease Program The Communicable Disease program is responsible for the investigation, follow-up, surveillance and reporting of 47 diseases/conditions identified as reportable under the New Jersey Sanitary Code. All confirmed cases of reportable disease are electronically reported to the New Jersey State Department of Health (NJDOH). Nursing staff works closely with Vineland’s Environmental division, Animal Control, Health Assessment programs, NJDOH, and community partners, including hospitals and Healthcare Providers, to control and prevent the spread of communicable disease within the community. COMMUNICABLE DISEASE CONTROL PROGRAM PROVIDES: • Education to community residents and health care providers • Surveillance of reportable communicable diseases • Investigation and follow-up of all reportable diseases in Vineland residents, in collaboration with other health related entities such as laboratories, hospitals, infection control practitioners, physicians, etc. • Recommendations for preventative treatment when indicated • Screening and exclusion of persons who are suspected/confirmed to have certain communicable diseases and who work in sensitive areas (such as food handlers, infants or toddlers in child care, child care providers, health care providers) • Reporting of disease to NJDOH • When necessary, provide information to the public in a timely manner to protect our residents from communicable disease outbreaks and transmission.
Communicable Disease 140 123
Number of Cases
120 100 80 60 40 18
20
13
0 Confirmed
Probable 1
Possible
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Sexually Transmitted Disease Program The Sexually Transmitted Disease program is responsible for the investigation of, follow-up, surveillance and reporting of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV. SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASE CONTROL PROGRAM PROVIDES: • Screening, diagnosis, and treatment of reportable sexually transmitted disease • Laboratory testing • Contact investigation and notification of clients with reportable STDs • Hepatitis A & B vaccinations for qualified patients • Patient education and referral for services not available at Vineland Health Department • HIV counseling and testing offered to all clinic participants • HIV positive clients are provided referrals for counseling, treatment and follow-up
Total patient visits to the STD Center Total number of treatments performed at STD Center Cases of gonorrhea Cases of chlamydia Cases of syphilis New cases of HIV
328 137 7 32 13 2
CLINIC LOCATION Public Health Nursing Office 610 Montrose Street Suite 1 Vineland, NJ 08360 856-794-4000 *4806
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Provide case management services including: home visits, nutrition and health education, medical monitoring, social service collaboration, and proper cleaning techniques to reduce exposure to lead burdened children in the City of Vineland. N.J.A.C. §8:51A requires the protection of children younger than six (6) years of age from the toxic effects of lead by requiring lead testing pursuant to N.J.S.A. §26:2-137.1 - 137.7. In the fall of 2017, N.J.A.C. §8:51 was amended to require intervention when lower blood lead levels are detected (case management activities must now be initiated at 5 μg/dL). Environmental intervention or identification and abatement of lead hazards is required for blood lead levels of 10 μg/dL or for 2 consecutive venous samples of 5 μg/dL – 9 μg/dL between 1 to 4 months apart. In 2017, four children in Vineland received case management services. No environmental interventions were required. We expect both of these numbers to increase substantially, as a result of the regulatory changes.
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In addition to sexually transmitted diseases and suspected/confirmed TB cases, our public health nurses conducted these communicable disease investigations in 2017. Disease Amoebiasis Babesiosis Botulism – Foodborne Brucellosis Campylobacteriosis Cryptosporidiosis Cyclosporiasis Dengue Fever Ehrlichiosis/Anaplasmosis Anaplasma Phagocytophilum Ehrlichia Chaffeensis Giardiasis Haemophilus Influenzae Hepatitis A Hepatitis B Hepatitis C Influenza Legionellosis Listeriosis Lyme Disease Malaria Measles Mumps Pertussis Psittacosis Q Fever Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Rubella Salmonellosis – Non-Typhoid Salmonellosis – Typhoid Fever Shiga Toxin-Producing E. Coli (STEC) Shiga Toxin-Producing E. Coli (STEC) – NON O157:H7 Shigellosis Saint Louis Encephalitis Streptococcus Agalactiae (GBS) Streptococcus Pneumoniae Streptococcus Pyogenes (Gas) Streptococcus Pyogenes (Gas) With Toxic Shock Syndrome Streptococcus Pyogenes (Gas) Without Toxic Shock Syndrome Tularemia Unknown Fever/Neurologic Vancomycin Intermediate S. Aureus Varicella Vibriosis Viral Encephalitis West Nile Virus Yersiniosis Total
Confirmed
Probable
Possible
1
11
6
1
1 5 53 7
7
1
17 1
4
6
5
4
7
1
8
2
3
2
1
123
18
13
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Health Education The Health Education Division strives to provide educational programs and services that meet our community needs. These programs educate community residents so they will have the necessary knowledge, tools, and skills to improve their health and reduce their risks for chronic diseases. The health education division cares about the community’s health, and realizes the importance of prevention and early detection. Poor lifestyle habits such as improper diet, tobacco use, use of electronic smoking devices, lack of proper exercise, and drug/alcohol are all prominent risk factors for the leading causes of death in the United States. Through education, individuals are provided with information and are encouraged to make healthy lifestyle choices that will ultimately prevent or delay the onset of chronic diseases and improve their well-being and quality of life. VHD applies for grants to fund Health Education programs that are provided to our community free of charge.
119 Educational sessions were taught during 2017 on a variety of health related topics.
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY EDUCATION PROGRAM empowering and transforming teens 363 teens from Cumberland County schools met weekly to find ways to give back to the community and hone life skills for healthier living. The teens are part of a new evidence-based youth development curriculum facilitated by the Personal Responsibility Education Program. Staff piloted Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program (TOP®) at three clubs before expanding to 7 schools. Throughout the school year, TOP® participants meet for group discussions that focus on topics such as relationships, communication, values, goal setting and sexual health. Their community service efforts included collecting shoes for the needs and donating them to Soles4Souls, and collecting pop tabs to raise funds to benefit the Ronald McDonald House.
In FY17, substance abuse prevention efforts of the Vineland Municipal Alliance focused on preventing prescription drug and opioid misuse. The Alliance addresses concerns about the growing opioid epidemic problem in the City of Vineland. Along with our partners, we developed programs to educate the public regarding safe drug disposal and the dangers of prescription abuse. Drug take back events were held in collaboration with schools, faith based organizations, senior centers, after – school programs, businesses and pharmacies. We are proud of our partnerships with law enforcement, social service organizations and the faith based community who together have created a network of organizations and individuals that have properly disposed of hundreds of expired or unwanted medications. Municipal Alliances are local coalitions of citizens from the business, church and school communities, as well as members of other local organizations. Alliance members work together to develop, plan, and implement programs and activities, which will assist in preventing the abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD). To join call 856-794-4131 22
Live Healthy Vineland is a movement to unify the efforts of employers, residents, and community, municipal, and school district stakeholders, in building and promoting a culture of wellness in the City of Vineland. The three goals of Live Healthy Vineland include: 1. Increase the number of people with access to environments with healthy food or beverages. We are achieving this goal through our Healthy Corner Store and Farm to Pantry initiatives. 2.
Increase the number of people with access to physical activity opportunities, addressed through our Worksite Wellness and youth centered programs.
3.
Increase the number of people with access to opportunities for prevention of chronic diseases through clinical and community linkages.
Worksite Wellness
Healthy Food Network
Physical Activity
Since 2015, Live Healthy Vineland has worked with local organizations to implement healthy workplace strategies. Our worksites have many dedicated individuals who work to create wellness initiatives all year long. The worksites have created successful programs where employees can live and work in a culture of health. Twenty-one local businesses and organizations have implemented interventions that positively impact the health of 5300 employees working in the City of Vineland.
2017 was the second year of the Farm to Pantry project. Each week, 800 low income families received fresh produce and healthy recipe education. Thanks to the generosity of local farmers and donations of produce from the Community Food Bank, Live Healthy Vineland distributed more than 35 tons of produce to the pantries.
We conducted our 3rd Annual Park Hop. Over 200 individuals participated in 6 weeks of physical activity programs held four days a week in the city's parks.
During the Population Health Summit at Rider University in 2017, the New Jersey Department of Health recognized Live Healthy Vineland as the first ever winners of the Population Health Hero Award.
During Healthy Dining Restaurant Week, 230 contest entries were submitted by customers who consumed healthy meals at one or more of the 25 participating restaurants located throughout the county. Partnered with the Cumberland County Positive Youth Development Coalition to distribute over 100 gun locks and gun safety information at 3 corner stores in Cumberland County.
Live Healthy Vineland partnered with ¡Vive tu vida! Get Up! Get Moving!® the nation’s premier annual Hispanic family physical activity and healthy lifestyle event. Sponsored by National Alliance for Hispanic Health. Over 150 individuals participated in the day long wellness event at Landis Park. Live Healthy Vineland partnered with community organizations to set up a series of Walk and Talks with Local Health professionals. The Everyone Walk campaign was held in three locations to encourage physical activity in people of all ages in order to improve their health and wellbeing. 23
Emergency Preparedness and Response The Local Health Department monitors the community for infectious or communicable disease. Nurses conduct case investigations and disease outbreak prevention/mitigation services. During emergencies, health educators are essential in providing information to the public, helping them to minimize risks to persons and property, and to better cope with the crisis at hand. The Health Department establishes collaborative partnerships with traditional and nontraditional emergency responders and the community at large to protect all residents and mitigate environmental contamination during and after man-made disasters. City of Vineland has updated plans to respond to the following types of emergencies that involve: retail food safety food-borne disease outbreaks infectious disease outbreaks raw sewage spills isolation and quarantine to prevent the spread of dangerous illnesses major natural disasters potential bioterrorism exposures radiological release events City of Vineland’s response plans include extra precautions and preparations to protect populations at greatest health risk in emergencies that involve: infectious disease outbreaks major natural disasters
Health Alert Network Routine and emergency communication throughout the public health system is important for targeted response to community health issues. The Local Information Network Communications System (LINCS) electronically disseminates information to public health professionals and community partners to assure prompt notification of public health situations. Through the LINCS information system, Vineland Health Department regularly conveys important health advisories, alerts, information texts and updates to subscribers. Health professionals not subscribed to the network are encouraged to do so by calling (856) 794-4131. Email is the fastest way to send LINCS messages to the appropriate stakeholders. Subscribers are urged to provide the Vineland Health Department with an email address dedicated solely to receiving LINCS messages. This facilitates the forwarding of essential health information and makes it easy for subscribers to identify messages of significant importance as they arrive. Messages arriving in this account would be of high importance.
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The Vineland Health Department works with federal, state and local partners to prepare for public health emergencies that might affect Vineland families, communities and businesses. We also promote and encourage the use of “Register Ready – New Jersey’s Special Needs Registry for Disasters”. This system allows residents with disabilities, or access/functional needs to provide special needs information to emergency response agencies enabling them to better meet the needs of the community in a disaster or emergency. If the residents are not able to register themselves, family members, friends or caregivers may register for them. If you would like to register, call 211 or log on to registerready.nj.gov.
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Inquiries, Issues, and Complaint Investigations Improving Community Quality of Life, Health, and Safety The Vineland Health Department assists residents in the resolution of quality of life issues or concerns by providing direct services or by making referrals to other organizations that may be of assistance to the affected party. The Department also conducts investigations to prevent or abate conditions that interfere with the use or enjoyment of neighboring properties or otherwise endanger the life, health or safety of the community. Key Facts & Activities
2017 data
Number of cases investigated
50
Number of cases that required enforcement action (including, but not limited to, fines, notices of violation, and court summonses)
16
Percent of cases that required enforcement actions
32
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Website & Social Media Resources Vineland Health Department social media posts reach more than 40,000 persons annually. In 2017, we decided to offer one stop shopping for all of our information by creating our own website. You can use this website to access all of the “need to know” information about health issues and events in your community. We strive to provide everyone with convenient access to our information. Our new website interface and social media pages do just that.
2017’s Most Popular Posts Month Theme January Rabies Clinic Schedule February Youth Helpline New Jersey March Narcan Training April Parkinson’s Awareness May Bike to Work Day June Serv Safe Training Event July Anti-idling Ordinance Information August Everybody Walk Event September 2017 Flu Clinic Schedule October American Red Cross Blood Drive Event November Holiday Food Safety Tips December Rabies Clinic Event
Reach 1,507 998 237 280 929 1,041 816 1,212 2,234 6,577 665 20
How to learn more about us! www.vldhealth.org Follow us on Instagram! instagram.com/vinelandhealth Follow us on Twitter! twitter.com/vldhealth Follow us on LinkedIn! linkedin.com/vldhealth
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City of Vineland Department of Health
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