Cholesterol Screening Offered November 15

McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) will offer a cholesterol screening at Woodstock Public Library, 414 West Judd Street, in Woodstock on Saturday, November 15 from 9am-11:30am.  Appointments are required at 815-334-4082.  The cost is $35.  The screening requires a 12-hour fast and includes total cholesterol, HDL and LDL cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, triglycerides, blood pressure, heart age assessment and cardiovascular education.  A nursing consult is available once results are received.

Why is cholesterol important? High cholesterol has a lot to do with your chances of getting heart disease.  Although it usually has no signs or symptoms, it can be treated. In fact, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes are all major risk factors for heart disease.  Certain lifestyles such as being a smoker, being overweight and lack of exercise can also put people at a higher risk for developing heart disease. Everyone can take steps to lower their risk of heart disease and heart attack by addressing these risk factors. 

 By quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight, you can keep blood cholesterols down. For more information on cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/what_you_can_do.htm. 

Symposium On Violence and Bullying In The Home At MCC -- October 29

The 22nd Judicial Circuit Family Violence Coordinating Council in cooperation with McHenry County College (MCC) will host “All in the Family: Violence and Bullying in the Home, School and Community,” a symposium from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The event begins with a continental breakfast at 7:45 a.m. and will take place in the Luecht Conference Center at the college, located at 8900 U.S. Hwy. 14 in Crystal Lake.

The program aims to bring a multi-disciplinary approach to educating participants about violence and bullying. Participants will explore issues related to bullying, including the relationship between family dynamics and bullying, the role of technology in bullying, schools’ and parents’ response to bullying and the effect of substance abuse in domestic violence and bullying.

 The keynote speaker is Gail Sullivan, chairperson of the School of Justice at Alta Colleges. She is a certified trainer for Illinois Law Enforcement and Training Standards Board. She will present “No More Bull: Straight Talk About Bullying.”

Discussions on substance use and bullying and violence and the incidence of gangs in McHenry County will also be featured. Other symposium highlights will include local school administrators speaking on the schools response to bullying, a local police sergeant’s presentation on cyber bullying. Two other session topics include Psyche of a Bully and Alcohol & Domestic Violence: is there a relationship to bullying?

The event is intended for educators, school personnel, social workers, judges, victim advocates, law enforcement, including student resource officers, municipal officials, clergy, counselors, healthcare providers, probation officers and youth leaders.

This program is sponsored by the McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition Drug Free Communities Grant, the McHenry County Regional Office of Education, Rosecrance Health Network, Pioneer Center for Human Services, and McHenry County College.

Cost is $15, which includes continental breakfast and lunch. Continental breakfast begins at 7:45 a.m. To register, call (815) 455-8588 or email shahcenter@mchenry.edu. Continuing Education Units (CEU’s) and five Minimum Continuing Legal Education Credits (MCLE’s) will be provided.  Educators will have access to substitute teacher pay by contacting the Regional Office of Education.  

Use course ID: USP U81 001 if you wish to receive CEU’s of any kind. Use course ID: NTL S99 001 if you do NOT require CEU’s of any kind. For more information, contact Bev Thomas at (815) 479-7792 or email her at bthomas@mchenry.edu.

Volunteers Wanted For Board of Health Hearing Committee

The McHenry County Board of Health has four (4) vacancies on its Hearing Committee.  Duties of Hearing Committee members include hearing petitions, making findings of fact and recommendations to the Board of Health relative to a review of an Administrative decision in the Department of Health. 

 The Board is seeking volunteers to fill the following vacancies –

·         physician (3-year term);

·         licensed professional engineer (3-year term);

·         veterinarian (3-year term); and

·         community member-at-large (1-year term).

 Applications can be obtained from the McHenry County Department of Health by calling 815-334-4510, via email health@co.mchenry.il.us or by mail at 2200 North Seminary Avenue, Woodstock IL 60098.

Applications must be received in the Department’s office no later than November 14, 2014 for consideration.  Persons desiring additional information should contact Mike Hill, Public Health Administrator at 815-334-4510.