By the end February, Will County Health Department’s Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers had donated 10,040 hours valued at $379,074.00 during the COVID-19 response mission (and counting). During the pandemic, staffing at most organizations proved difficult. The dedication of the WCHD MRC volunteers made scheduling over 200 on-site clinics and over 60 off-site clinics significantly more manageable.
Will County residents are urged to complete the 2022 Will County Community Survey so that the county’s public health system can better understand the needs of the community and can develop plans to address those needs. Previous surveys have brought about many important programs to the people of Will County.
Aware of the most recent judicial rulings regarding schools and their practices with respect to COVID-19 mitigation strategies, Will County Health Department [WCHD] wants to reaffirm its recommendation that schools follow the most recent Illinois Department of Public Health [IDPH] school guidance concerning masking, testing, quarantine and isolation.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor’s recent disaster proclamation, the number of COVID-19 cases in will county, and the CDC guidelines regarding COVID-19, it is determined by the president of the Will County Board of Health that in-person meetings are not practical nor prudent.
On Friday, January 21, Susan Olenek, Executive Director of the Will County Health Department [WCHD], gave her annual State of the Agency address. Director Olenek praised the department for its work during the pandemic. Even with staffing short-ages and the challenges COVID-19 creates, WCHD and the Community Health Center [CHC] maintained their 38 programs and continued to serve the people of Will County.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, tooth decay is one of the most common chronic disease of childhood, and it is largely preventable.