Health Department

Tell Us About Your Health!

The Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming County Health Departments and Hospitals are currently working with community partners to gather information from residents and those who work in these counties to help with public health planning for the next three to four (3-4) years. This initiative is part of the New York State Prevention Agenda which is the blueprint for state and local action to improve the Health of New Yorkers.

“As chief health strategists the health departments are working toward assessing current capacity, resources, and services,” stated Paul Pettit, Director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. “Responses will help us to identify services in our communities that are working well and ones that need to be improved. We can then use this information to review existing plans and to fill gaps and address the needs of residents going forward as we develop our Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).”

It is greatly appreciated if you would share the survey with your colleagues, service organizations, family members and clients to complete. The survey can be completed by March 31, 2019, online by visiting https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GOWCHA2019. The survey focuses on the health of the person taking it. I am happy to provide hard copies of the survey and/or flyers that promote completing it online.

I am also scheduling Community Conversations with willing groups in Wyoming County to learn what they feel are the greatest health concerns or issues in our community and thoughts on how they can be improved. Please contact me by phone or email if you are interested in this opportunity.

Your continued support is appreciated!

Sincerely,

Jillian Calmes, Public Health Educator

Wyoming County Health Department

P-(585)786-8890 F-(585)786-3537

jcalmes@wyomingco.net

American Heart Month February 2019

Image result for american heart monthHeart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, and heart attacks are a major category of heart disease; someone in the United States has a heart attack every 40 seconds (1). February is American Heart Month, an ideal time to remind all adults to focus on their hearts and encourage them, their families, friends, and communities to learn the important signs and symptoms of heart attack and how to respond. Recognizing that someone might be having a heart attack and calling emergency services (9-1-1) are crucial for optimizing access to lifesaving emergency cardiac care and receipt of advanced treatments and improving survival. Five common symptoms of a heart attack are 1) pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back; 2) feeling weak, lightheaded, or faint; 3) chest pain or discomfort; 4) pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulder; and 5) shortness of breath. If someone is suspected to be having a heart attack, 9-1-1 should be called immediately. Read more. 


Teachers and Parents: That USB Stick Might Be an E-cigarette

E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students.Some e-cigarettes don’t look like tobacco products, so some kids use them unnoticed in schools, including in classrooms and bathrooms.

  • The use of e-cigarettes is unsafe for kids, teens, and young adults.
  • Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development, which continues into the early to mid-20s.1 
  • E-cigarettes can contain other harmful substances besides nicotine.

Young people who use e-cigarettes may be more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future.Diverse students and teacher in a classroom environment.             

An increasingly popular e-cigarette, called JUUL, is shaped like a USB flash drive.JUUL delivers a high dose of nicotine. Nicotine is highly addictive and can harm adolescent brain development.   News outlets and social media sites report widespread use of JUUL by students in schools, including classrooms and bathrooms.                    


JUUL is a brand of e-cigarette that is shaped like a USB flash drive. Like other e-cigarettes, JUUL is a battery-powered device that heats a nicotine-containing liquid to produce an aerosol that is inhaled.

  • All JUUL e-cigarettes have a high level of nicotine. According to the manufacturer, a single JUUL pod contains as much nicotine as a pack of 20 regular cigarettes.2 
  • News outlets and social media sites report widespread use of JUUL by students in schools, including classrooms and bathrooms.
  • Although JUUL is currently the top-selling e-cigarette brand in the United States, other companies sell e-cigarettes that look like USB flash drives. Examples include the MarkTen Elite, a nicotine delivery device, and the PAX Era, a marijuana delivery device that looks like JUUL.
  • Additional information about USB-shaped e-cigarettes and actions that parents, educators, and health care providers can take to protect kids is available at CDC’s Infographic(https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/infographics/youth/pdfs/e-cigarettes-usb-flash-508.pdf) [PDF – 1.2MB]
  • Illustrations of the different e-cigarette devices such as JUUL, Mark Ten Elite and PAX Era.

State Septic System Replacement Program

The Clean Water Infrastructure Act of 2017 (L. 2017, c. 57, Part T) established the Septic System Replacement Fund to provide a source of funding for the replacement of cesspools and septic systems in New York State. This grant program (the “Program”) seeks to reduce the environmental and public-health impacts associated with the discharge of effluent from cesspools and septic systems on groundwater used as drinking water, as well as threatened or impaired waterbodies. Silver Lake and Java Lake have been identified as threatened or impaired waterbodies in Wyoming County. Click here to see a complete program summary.

If your property is located next to one of the identified waterbodies and you wish to participate in this program, please complete the online grant application.

Health Insurance Enrollment

You may be eligible to apply for health care coverage if your income falls below the 200% federal poverty level or if you have a qualifying event such as loss of health insurance, divorce death etc. Call Wyoming County Health Department (585) 786-8890 and speak with one of our Certified Navigators for more information or if you need to renew your Medicaid, Child Health Plus or Essential Plan. Read More….

Pay Your Environmental Health Related Fees & Invoices Online

In addition to paying your Environmental Health related charges by check, you now have the option to pay online with a credit or debit card using GovPayNet. For this service a small processing fee will be added to your transaction. If you would like more information please review GovPayNet Fee Schedule and GovPayNet Terms of Service prior to paying.

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