NEWS & EVENTS

In honor of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, one of our own Will County Community Health Center staff members shares his prostate cancer journey.

The Will County Health Department continues its efforts to reduce opioid overdose deaths, making access to the life-saving, overdose-reversing drug Naloxone (Narcan) easier by adding 10 additional red Naloxone distribution boxes throughout the County, bringing the total number of red distribution boxes in Will County to 20.

Every August, the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) sponsors National Health Center Week (NHCW) to celebrate and increase awareness of America’s 1,500 Community Health Centers (CHCs) and the essential role they play in improving public health and providing Americans equal opportunity to access critical healthcare services. CHCs represent the nation’s largest primary care network, serving 32.5 million patients nationwide.

The Milk Circle will meet twice a month on the first and third Tuesday of each month from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The meetings will take place at the Will County Health Department’s Main Office in Joliet, located at 501 Ella Avenue, inside the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) office.

No human cases of West Nile virus have been reported in Will County so far this year. According to data from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), WNV has been found in 22 counties in Illinois in 2025. There have been 99 positive batches of mosquitoes in Illinois and one confirmed human case of WNV in southern Illinois.

The event will take place at the Community Health Center located at 1106 Neal Ave. in Joliet and is scheduled from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The fair will feature a limited number of school and sports physicals, dental exams and vaccinations (all by appointment only). Games, raffle prizes and information and educational materials from agencies throughout the Will County community will also be available at the fair.

Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes (Milk Bank WGL) and the Will County Health Department have partnered to bring a new human milk drop-off depot to Bolingbrook, Illinois at the Will County Health Department’s Northern Branch Office (323 Quadrangle Drive).

The Will County Health Department to be aware of the potential for exposure to rabies from infected animals after a rabid bat was recently detected in Monee. Bats are the most common source of potential rabies infection in Illinois, and exposures from bats tend to be more frequent during the summer months, especially July and August. Rabies can also be found in other wild animals, including raccoons, skunks, foxes, and coyotes.

The Will County Health Department and Community Health Center are proud to celebrate National Public Health Week during the week of April 7-13.

Already serving Will County as a home for primary medical care, women’s health care, dentistry and many other services, the Will County Community Health Center has added an Infectious Disease (ID) Clinic to its list of medical services available to the public. The ID Clinic has partnered with the Care Clinic and specializes in the treatment of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) and HIV care while also offering general infectious disease consultations.

The Genoa Healthcare Pharmacy located inside the Will County Community Health Center has added a medication disposal bin for expired or unused medication. The medication disposal bin is located in the lobby of the Will County Community Health Center (1106 Neal Ave. in Joliet), near the Genoa Healthcare Pharmacy.

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is monitoring a large event of waterfowl mortality at numerous locations throughout Illinois. Test results received so far indicate highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is the cause. The public is reminded to not handle or attempt to capture waterfowl or other wild birds displaying signs of illness.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) have both reported increased numbers of norovirus throughout the state and the country.

The Will County Health Department (WCHD) is in the process of expanding mental health services at both its Northern Branch Office in Bolingbrook and Eastern Branch Office in Monee. Adult, child and adolescent outpatient behavioral health services have expanded at both branch locations. Additional services from the Will County Health Department’s Behavioral Health Division are also being included in the expansion.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, the Will County Health Department is reminding Will County residents to take precautions this holiday season to protect loved ones from foodborne Illnesses.