Healthy People. Healthy Choices. Healthy Lake County.
Investigating Infectious Disease Outbreaks
During 2013, the Communicable Disease Program
investigated 37 different outbreaks of illness affecting
Lake County residents. Norovirus, influenza, pertussis
(whooping cough), salmonella, cyclospora, scabies and
chickenpox were among the outbreaks investigated that
primarily occurred in schools, day-care centers and longterm care facilities. To help share information regarding
communicable disease control, the program formed an
Infectious Disease Group consisting of all Lake County
infection control preventionists. The program regularly
shares communicable disease updates, state regulation
changes and other information with the group.
Encouraging Regular Testing of Well Water
Townships and municipalities with large populations that rely on private wells for drinking water are partnering
with the Health Department as a way to offer a convenience to their residents. The health department
provided water sample kits to these communities so that well water owners no longer need to drive the
distance to the Environmental Laboratory in Libertyville to pick them up. When flooding occurred last spring,
the accessibility of the water sampling kits came in handy for people with submerged wells. Staff analyzed
more than 279 water samples in which 48 tested positive for contamination. Participating communities include
Antioch, Fremont, Grant, and Lake Villa townships as well as the villages of Deer Park, Fox Lake, Lindenhurst,
Long Grove and Wadsworth.
Meeting Residents’ Needs
Receiving Recognition for Leadership in Maternal and
Child Health
The Health Department received the annual Jonas Salk
Health Leadership Award for Public and Community
Health from the March of Dimes Illinois Chapter. The
award recognizes exemplary leadership in maternal and
infant health. Maternal/Child Health (MCH) services
are a key part of LCHD/CHC’s operations and have been
since the early days of the organization. Several of the
Maternal Child Health Programs offered, including Family
Case Management, WIC, Prenatal Care and Title X Family
Planning, have been in place since the 1970s. Together,
these programs have served tens of thousands of Lake
County women and their families with high quality services.
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Lake County Health Department and Community Health Center 2013 Annual Report