Welcome to the Ashland County Health Department!
OUR VISION STATEMENT-
HEALTHY PEOPLE, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT, HEALTHY COMMUNITY
OUR MISSION STATEMENT-
WE STRIVE TO PROMOTE OPTIMAL HEALTH FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES OF THE ASHLAND COMMUNITY THROUGH PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION, PREVENTION OF DISEASE AND INJURY, AND RESPONSE TO PUBLIC HEALTH CHALLENGES.
If you are a health professional evaluating a patient for suspected 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection, please contact the Ashland County Health Department immediately at 419-282-4231.
2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)
Current Situation Update :
There are currently no cases or persons under investigation (PUI) in Ashland, Ohio.
- Currently, there is one person under investigation in Ohio and the results have not come back yet.
- As of 02/11/2020 the CDC has identified 13 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV in the US.
- The World Health Organization on 01/30/2020, declared a public health emergency of international concern over the global outbreak of 2019-nCoV, specifically to aid developing countries with a weak health care system.
- On 1/31/2020 the US Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency for the U.S. to aid the nation’s health care community in responding to 2019-nCoV.
- The goal of the ongoing U.S. public health response, and therefore, our goal in Ashland, is to prevent sustained spread of 2019-nCoV. Ashland County Health Department (ACHD) is working closely with our community partners, including Ashland County EMA, University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center, local urgent care centers and clinics, Ashland University, and first responders to practice precautionary actions to prevent the spread of 2019-nCoV. ACHD is participating in weekly calls with the CDC and daily calls with ODH, taking immediate action when needed.
- Risk to the general public remains low, and no special precautions are required. The CDC recommends that Americans use typical infectious disease precautions, just as those used to prevent cold or flu, suggesting
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds or more with soap and water. If unavailable, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home while you are sick (except to visit a health care professional) and avoid close contact with others.
- Cover your mouth/nose with a tissue or sleeve when coughing or sneezing.
- Get adequate sleep and eat well-balanced meals to ensure a healthy immune system.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in the home, office and vehicle.
- CDC does not routinely recommend the use of face masks by the public to prevent respiratory illness and is not recommending their use at this time for 2019-nCoV.
Please note it is far more likely that Ohioans will contract the flu than 2019-nCoV. The CDC estimates that there have been between 10,000 and 25,000 deaths from flu this season. There have been no confirmed U.S. deaths due to 2019-nCoV. It is not too late to get a flu vaccine!
- People should not be excluded from activities based on their race, country of origin or recent travel whether or not they exhibit symptoms of the respiratory illness. Like all people suffering illness, patients who may be affected by this virus should be treated with compassion. Be sure to quell actions that could perpetuate a stigma attached to 2019-nCoV or appear to be targeted at people from other countries living in your communities.
- Please note that this is an evolving situation globally and information will be updated as we continue to explore and learn more about 2019-nCoV. For additional details follow the links:
- What we know about 2019-nCoV
https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/Novel-Coronavirus/2019-nCoV or
https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/Novel-Coronavirus/Resources-LHD/ or
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
- What you can do to protect yourself
- What you should know about travel restrictions
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices
- What are the guidelines for healthcare providers
https://odh.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/odh/know-our-programs/Novel-Coronavirus/Resources-for-Providers/
- What are the guidelines for EMS
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-for-ems.html
- What are the guidelines for educational institutions
- What are the guidelines for employers
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/guidance-business-response.html
We have a limited supply of Shingrix Vaccine available. Please call 419-282-4357 to schedule your appointment.
To Register for the 2020 ServSafe Manager Certification, click on the photo below.
2019 Community Health Assessment
In 2018, the Ashland County General Health District, UH Hospitals - Samaritan Medical Center, Ashland County Mental Health & Recovery Board, the City of Ashland, Ashland County Commissioners and other local community partners and agencies joined forces to create assess the health status and needs of our community. The mission of this collaborative is to improve the health and quality of life for residents of Ashland County. In the latter part of 2018, surveys were administered to a random sample of adult residents in Ashland County and in 2019, youth at Mapleton Middle/High School, Ashland Co Community Academy, and Ashland City Middle/High School participated in a computerized health questionnaire. This was done in order to assess the health of our community and identify the health issues of greatest concern.
The data from these surveys is presented in the 2019 Ashland County Community Health Assessment report.
2020-2022 Community Health Improvement Plan
Based on the data from the 2019 Community Health Assessment, the collaboration of agencies throughout Ashland County have identified two (2) major priority areas to focus on to improve the health of Holmes County. The priority areas are:
- Improving chronic disease outcomes
- Improving mental health and addiction outcomes
These two priority areas, as additional cross-cutting priorities, such as Access to Care, Poverty, etc will be the focus of action-driven groups called TAGs. The four Target Action Groups (TAGs): Health & Wellness, Overcoming Ashland Trauma & Resiliency Collaborative, Preventing & Overcoming Addiction,and Ashland County Homeless Coalition report their activities and outcomes at the Ashland County Family & Children First Council (FCFC) meetings.
The Target Action Groups, throughout the next 3 years, will be implementing new programs, processes, and interventions to address these priority areas in order to improve health outcomes. The identified interventions, timeline for implementation as well as measurable results can be found in the 2020-2022 Ashland County Community Health Improvement Plan.
Ashland County residents are encouraged to leave feedback regarding the Draft CHA prior to its final version, as community input is very important to pursuing excellence in public health. Please email your questions or comments regarding these documents to jhelbert@ashlandhealth.com. You are also welcome to call the Ashland County Health Department at 419-282-4231 to leave your feedback directly with a staff member.
