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Health Department
The holidays are a great opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends, celebrate life, to be grateful, and reflect on what’s important. They are also a time to appreciate the gift of health. Here are some holiday tips to support your efforts for health and safety this season.
Wash your hands often.

Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Wash your hands with soap and clean running water, and rub them together for at least 20 seconds. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands.
Stay warm.

Cold temperatures can cause serious health problems, especially in infants and older adults. Stay dry, and dress warmly in several layers.
Manage stress.

The holidays don’t need to take a toll on your health and pocketbook. Keep your commitments and spending in check. Balance work, home, and play. Get support from family and friends. Keep a relaxed and positive outlook. Make sure to get proper sleep.
Travel safely.

Whether you’re traveling across town or around the world, help ensure your trip is safe. Don’t drink and drive, and don’t let someone else drink and drive. Wear a seat belt every time you drive or ride in a motor vehicle. Always buckle your child in the car using a child safety seat, booster seat, or seat belt appropriate for his/her height, weight, and age.
- Child Passenger Safety
- Impaired Driving
- Travelers’ Health
- Blood Clots and Travel: What You Need to Know
Be smoke-free.

Avoid smoking and breathing other people’s smoke. If you smoke, quit today! Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW or talk to your health care provider for help.
Get check-ups and vaccinations.

Exams and screenings can help find potential problems early, when the chances for treatment and cure are often better. Vaccinations help prevent diseases and save lives. Schedule a visit with your health care provider for needed exams and screenings. Ask what vaccinations and tests you should get based on your age, lifestyle, travel plans, medical history, and family health history.
- Regular Check-Ups Are Important
- Flu and People with Diabetes
- Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work
- Vaccines and Immunizations
Watch the kids.

Children are at high risk for injuries. Keep a watchful eye on your kids when they’re eating and playing. Keep potentially dangerous toys, food, drinks, household items, choking hazards (like coins and hard candy), and other objects out of kids’ reach. Learn how to provide early treatment for children who are choking. Make sure toys are used properly. Develop rules about acceptable and safe behaviors, including using electronic media.
Prevent injuries.

Injuries can happen anywhere, and some often occur around the holidays. Use step stools instead of climbing on furniture when hanging decorations. Leave the fireworks to the professionals. Wear a helmet when riding a bicycle or skateboarding to help prevent head injuries. Keep vaccinations up to date.
Most residential fires occur during the winter months. Keep candles away from children, pets, walkways, trees, and curtains. Never leave fireplaces, stoves, or candles unattended. Don’t use generators, grills, or other gasoline- or charcoal-burning devices inside your home or garage. Install a smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector in your home. Test them once a month, and replace batteries twice a year.
- Carbon Monoxide (CO) Poisoning Prevention
- General Injury-Related Information
- Healthy Pets Healthy People
- Fire Deaths and Injuries: Prevention Tips
- Traumatic Brain Injury
Handle and prepare food safely.

As you prepare holiday meals, keep yourself and your family safe from food-related illness. Wash hands and surfaces often. Avoid cross-contamination by keeping raw meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs (including their juices) away from ready-to-eat foods and eating surfaces. Cook foods to the proper temperature. Refrigerate promptly. Do not leave perishable foods out for more than two hours.
Eat healthy, and be active.

With balance and moderation, you can enjoy the holidays the healthy way. Choose With balance and moderation, you can enjoy the holidays the healthy way. Choose fresh fruit as a festive and sweet substitute for candy. Limit fats, salt, and sugary foods. Find fun ways to stay active, such as dancing to your favorite holiday music. Be active for at least 2½ hours a week. Help kids and teens be active for at least 1 hour a day.
- Food Safety at CDC
- Alcohol: Frequently Asked Questions
- Healthy Weight
- Managing Diabetes During the Holidays
- Physical Activity for Everyone
Get ready.
Open Enrollment is coming soon!
Healthy Communities start with healthy families. Open enrollment for health insurance starts in November. Don’t forget to sign you and your family up!
What do I need to apply for coverage through the NY State of Health Marketplace?
We ask about income and other information about you to tell you what coverage you qualify for and if you can get help paying for it. We keep all of the information you provide private, as required by law. For everyone applying for help paying for your health insurance through the Marketplace, you may need:
Social Security numbers (or document numbers for legal immigrants who need health insurance)
Birth dates
Employer and income information for everyone in your family
Policy numbers for any current health insurance
Information about any job related health insurance available to your family
CALL THE WYOMING COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
585-786-8890 or 1-800-466-1191 for Free Navigator Services
Let us help you apply!
CHILD HEALTH PLUS, ESSENTIAL PLAN, MEDICAID ENROLLMENT AVAILABLE ALL YEAR For more information call 1-855-355-5777 https://nystateofhealth.ny.gov
2019 SEASONAL FLU VACCINE
BY APPOINTMENT – FOR AGES 6 MONTHS THROUGH ADULT
Please call the Wyoming County Health Department at
(585)786-8890 or Toll Free at (800) 588-8670
All clinics will be held at the Wyoming County Health Department
5362 Mungers Mill Road, Silver Springs, NY 14550
Flexible Appointment Times Available
The following insurances are accepted:
**Please bring a copy of your insurance card**
BC/BS of WNY
Blue Choice
Excellus Health Plan
Fidelis
Independent Health
Medicaid Managed Care
MVP Health Plan
POMCO
Univera
*Please note, Empire will not pay for vaccines at Health Department clinics*
**Also, the Health Department can no longer bill Medicare**
Please visit your physician or a local pharmacy
***Your insurance company may charge a co-pay,
& the Health Department may bill you for that co-pay***
If you are uninsured or do not have an insurance listed above, the cost of the
Flu Vaccine is $30 / Pneumococcal Vaccine is $115
(Talk with clinic staff if you are uninsured and have a financial hardship)
Flu Vaccine is Preservative Free
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.
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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Dr. Gregory J. Collins, DO, MPH
Commissioner of Public Health / Medical Director
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Health Department
Physical Address
5362A Mungers Mill Road
Silver Springs, NY 14550
Phone: 585-786-8890Fax: 585-786-3537Emergency: 585-786-2233 (After Business Hours)
Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
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Emergency: 585-786-2233 (After Business Hours)