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Day in the life of...
Jodi Willemsen,
Public Health Preparedness Service Manager
Public Health Preparedness is a unique section to the field of public health. After the events of September 11, 2001, and Hurricane Katrina, health departments became heavily involved in helping to prepare communities for both man made and natural disasters. Yet, the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health is the only Health Department in the state of Iowa that has a service section solely devoted to the welfare of our citizens during these disasters. Jodi Willemsen is responsible for the Public Health Preparedness Service Section at the Health Department.
Willemsen's career path started out at the University of Northern Iowa where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration and a minor in Communications. After graduation, Willemsen landed her first job at Wyndham Jade as an incentive program planner. "In this first job, I worked with companies like Blue Cross and Blue Shield to plan and manage meetings and incentive programs across the United States," Willemsen said. "I was responsible for developing meeting or travel awards programs and budgets with clients, selecting venues, arranging for speakers or entertainment, handling supplier contracts and providing on-site management of the event and staff to ensure the program ran smoothly." She enjoyed traveling to a lot of places both in and out of the United States to oversee these programs, in which she might not have ever gotten to go otherwise. With a new change of scenery, in 2000, Willemsen joined Allied Purchasing as an account manager. "At this purchasing co-op, I was responsible for negotiating pricing, invoicing, and ordering supplies for bottled water companies across the nation." One of her proud achievements with the company was building a new division in which a major national customer was added to Allied's customer base.
In 2004, Willemsen made the leap to the public health sphere, where she served as a regional education and training coordinator. In this position she assisted both public health agencies and hospitals in an 18 county region with all hazards emergency response planning, exercising and training. "During my time with the region, we focused a lot on exercising and training agencies to distribute vaccines to large amounts of people, in preparation for pandemic flu, which was really on the radar at that time." Finally, in 2006 Willemsen landed at the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health as the Public Health Preparedness Service Manager.
At the Health Department, Willemsen is responsible for updating and maintaining our All Hazards Emergency Response Plan, which includes protocols for dealing with risk communication, outbreak investigation, mass vaccination and dispensing, mass care, continuity of operations and environmental health response. She also helps to prepare staff to respond to both man made and natural disasters by providing trainings and developing exercises to test department plans. "Some of the things we have practiced include providing press conferences, setting up a call center to handle questions from the public, N-95 respirator utilization, mass dispensing clinic set ups, large scale disease outbreak investigation as well as re-locating the health department to another site to test our ability to continue to provide services to the public with minimal resources," she notes. Willemsen manages the Public Health Emergency Preparedness grant, which is provided through Iowa Department of Public Health each year. In addition to meeting yearly grant requirements, in 2009, Willemsen lead the department through Project Public Health Ready re-recognition (originally recognized in 2004), a national program which assesses health departments in their ability to respond to emergencies. The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health is the only health department in Iowa to receive this level of recognition in the preparedness field. "We are very proud of this achievement, and feel this has helped us to be better prepared to serve the public in the event of a disaster," Willemsen notes.
"As Public Health Preparedness Service Manager, I enjoy the opportunity to network with other organizations within the county to plan for emergency situations. It's rewarding to be in an occupation that allows you to work with an entire community, whether it's through preparing for or responding to emergencies. We strive to stay ahead of the curve to provide residents with services, even down roads you wouldn't think of, such as preparedness."
Willemsen's talents in the field of Public Health Preparedness helped us to successfully provide resources and aid to the community during the floods of 2008 as well as through mass vaccination clinics in 2009 with H1N1. She hopes community members can be a little more at ease, knowing there are plans in place to respond to whatever might come our way!
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Department Quick Links...
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Celebrate National Groundwater Awareness Week:
March 11-17, 2012
There are very good odds that you rely on groundwater as a significant source of your drinking water. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, over 90% of public water systems rely on groundwater for their water supply and millions of Americans depend upon private wells to supply drinking water. National Groundwater Awareness Week helps us to remember where our drinking water comes from and how to keep it safe; something we often take for granted.
While public drinking water systems regularly test and treat water for contaminates, there are no such regulations for private wells. It is the responsibility of the well owner to test and treat their private well for contaminates. Yearly testing is recommended for all private wells. In Iowa, local public health agencies assist private well owners by offering low cost well testing for bacteria, nitrates, arsenic and other potential contaminates of private wells. If you are interested in testing your private well, please contact your local public health agency. In Cerro Gordo County, please contact Sophia Walsh at 641-421-9318 or by email at arsenic@cghealth.com.
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Spring is almost here!
We had beautiful weather this week and hopefully, it is here to stay. Take advantage of the weather and go for a walk or run outside and maybe even take your dog with you.
This Saturday is daylight savings time. REMEMBER to set your clock one hour ahead. This is a great reminder to change your batteries in your smoke detectors, and all other battery operated devices you may depend on for health and safety during emergency situations.
Mark your calendars for the Cerro Gordo County Women's Health Fund first annual Lace Up, Leash Up, Line Up- 5K Walk/Run. The event will take place Saturday, June 9, 2012, from 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM at City Park in Clear Lake. Runners and even dog walkers will start at City Park and take a route on a street bordering the lake. A silent auction will be held in the Lakeview Community Room during the event. Event proceeds will help cover medical expenses for county women who are under insured or have no health insurance to receive free mammograms, breast screenings, pap smears, pelvic exams and additional health resources. To register for the 5K Run/Walk, visit our website.
Join us Saturday, April 7, 2012, from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM at Southbridge Mall for our Health Day. This event will feature NBC's "The Biggest Loser" contestants, Daniel Wright and Rebecca Meyer, Season 8 at- home winner as well as many other health and wellness resources. The event schedule is below.
March's edition of the Public Health Communicator features an article about National Colon Cancer Awareness Month and a story highlighting National Nutrition Month. Our Arsenic in Groundwater Grant Coordinator, Sophia Walsh has provided an article shedding some light on Groundwater Awareness Week. This edition also features Jodi Willemsen, Public Health Preparedness Service Manager in the "Day in the Life of" column as well as the Wellness Corner.
Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date on all the current information surrounding the Health Department.
Make sure to check out the left side of our newsletter, which features our Quick Response (QR) Code. Scan it with your smartphone to get directly to our website. Enjoy!
For more information about our services, visit our website at www.cghealth.com
Best wishes,
Nola Aigner
Public Information Officer
Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health
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Mark your calendars for HEALTH DAY-
Saturday, April 7, 2012
The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health will be hosting a Health Day on Saturday, April 7, 2012, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM at Southbridge Mall. Health Day is aimed at encouraging residents to take control of their personal health through lifestyle behaviors. This event will highlight NBC's "Biggest Loser"
contestants, Daniel Wright and Rebecca Meyer, the Season 8 at-home winner.
Throughout the event, Wright and Meyer will share stories of their personal successes and barriers along the journey to healthier living. Health Day will also feature healthy cooking demos and healthy shopping tips provided by Hy-Vee Dietitians. The Health Department staff will be on hand to provide health assessments such as blood pressure and Body Mass Index (BMI). Information about diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, sample exercise plans, and worksite wellness tools will also be provided. The Cerro Gordo County Women's Health Fund will also be there to promote the Lace Up, Leash Up, Line Up - 5K Run/Walk. Below is a schedule of events for the day. Visit www.cghealth.com for more information.
10:00 - 11:00 Daniel Wright and Rebecca Meyer, Wright Fitness
11:00 - 11:45 Healthy Shopping and Meal Planning by Hy-Vee Dietitians
12:00 - 1:00 Wright Fitness and Hy-Vee Dietitian Question and Answer
1:00 - 1:45 Hy-Vee Cooking Class
1:45 - 2:00 Kaplan 90 Day Challenge Winner Announcements
2:00 - 3:00 Wright Fitness
3:00 - 4:00 Fitness Testing by Health Department staff
4:00 - 5:00 Wright Fitness
5:00 - 6:00 Wellness Booths |
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March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month
Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in Iowa. With technology advances, individuals are surviving colon cancer. A colonscopy is one type of tool used to help detect colon cancer early. A colonoscopy is a technique that utilizes a flexible fiber optic tube camera to screen for colon polyps, which are a risk for cancer. They can be removed before they turn into cancer. This procedure sounds uncomfortable, but patients are given medicine to relax or to fall asleep. Another testing option is a Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT) that can be done at home. Talk to your healthcare provider on which option is best for you.
Individuals are most commonly diagnosed with colon cancer at 50 years or older. However, most individuals may have certain risk factors that make them more prone to develop colon cancer. One of those risks stems from family history, which can affect as many as one in five people. Family history of colon cancer or other colon problems such as pre-cancerous polyps, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and heredity syndromes can increase the risks of colon cancer.
Eating healthy, maintaining a proper weight and exercising can also lower the risks of colon cancer. Eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and less red meat and processed meat can help reduce your risk. Exercise helps you stay at a healthy weight, which lowers your risk of colon cancer. Finally, cutting back on smoking and drinking can lower your chances as well. Men should drink no more than two alcoholic drinks a day and women no more than one. For concerns about colon cancer and other colon related concerns, contact your healthcare provider.
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March is National Nutrition Month!
During March, we celebrate National Nutrition Month. Throughout this time, we need to focus on making healthier food choices and creating new, healthy eating habits. Proper nutrition is a great way to keep our bodies healthy. Adequate nutrition provides our body with energy, helps reduce chronic diseases, provides us with essential vitamins, and many other benefits. If you have never paid attention to what you eat, maybe take the time during March to try to change a few bad eating habits.
Here are a few healthy tips when eating out:
- Order water, fat-free milk, or unsweetened tea for a beverage.
- Order steamed, grilled, or broiled dishes.
- Order off the menu when at a buffet.
- Order an appetizer or side dish instead of an entrée.
- When your food arrives, set aside or pack half of it to go immediately.
- You don't need to be a member of the clean plate club.
- Ask for dressings on the side.
- Avoid foods with the following words: creamy, breaded, battered, or buttered.
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Wellness Corner
Fad Diets: Don't Give in to the HYPE!
Today, our society has increasingly put more importance on weight. Many Americans will try a "fad diet" to lose weight. A fad diet is a diet that gains popularity due to marketing tactics and their tendency to rapidly gain and lose popularity. Conflicting claims, testimonials and hype by so-called "experts" can confuse even the most informed consumers. The bottom line is simple: If a diet or product sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you read about a diet that claims any of the following, steer clear:
1. Rapid Weight Loss
A healthy weight loss is between 1/2 to 1 pound a week. If you lose weight more quickly, you could also be losing muscle, bone, and water. You also will be more likely to regain the pounds quickly afterwards.
2. Quantities and Limitations
Ditch diets that allow unlimited quantities of any food, such as grapefruit and cabbage soup. It's boring to eat the same thing over and over and hard to stick with monotonous plans. Avoid any diet that eliminates or severely restricts entire food groups, such as carbohydrates. Even if you take a multivitamin, you'll still miss some critical nutrients.
3. Specific Food Combinations
There is no evidence that combining certain foods or eating foods at specific times of day will help with weight loss.
4. Rigid Menus
Limiting food choices or following rigid meal plans can be an overwhelming, distasteful task. With any new diet, ask yourself: "Can I eat this way for the rest of my life?"
5. No Need to Exercise
Regular physical activity is essential for good health and healthy weight management. The key to success is to find physical activities that you enjoy and then to aim for 30 to 60 minutes of activity on most days of the week.
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Help us promote Public Health services. Forward this electronic newsletter to your friends, family, co-workers and associates. Thank you for choosing the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health! Our Mission Statement: The Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health works to optimize the health of all people in Cerro Gordo County. Our Vision Statement:
We will be the leader in making Cerro Gordo County the healthiest
county in Iowa.
Our Value Statement:
We believe in human dignity, respect for individual choices, promotion for wellness and personal safety, protection of the environment, prevention of disease and access to quality health services.
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