Public Health

Suicide has reached epidemic levels in Nevada, according to numbers from the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH), and the state has been stepping up efforts in recent years to combat the problem.

"We lose more than 500 Nevadans and 100 veterans to suicide per year," said Luana Ritch, Ph.D., a Community Health Planner with the Nevada DPBH. "It's really looking at this now as a public health crisis for Nevada."

Carson City Health & Human Services announced Thursday that it has achieved national accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board.

The national accreditation program works to improve and protect the health of the public by advancing and ultimately transforming the quality and performance of the nation’s state, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments.

Ready for a great day, Carson City? It’s a day of beginnings all over the place. The new Italian restaurant, Angelina’s, inside the Carson Nugget is celebrating its Grand Opening all weekend. The annual Cowboy Festival in Genoa begins this afternoon and includes music, demonstrations, art exhibits, and more. Join the United Federal Credit Union for their ribbon cutting this afternoon, and enjoy live music and BBQ. Today is ‘Dining Out for Life,’ so head to Peg’s Glorified Ham and Eggs, Sassafras, or Adele’s to help raise funds for Northern Nevada Hopes.

THURSDAY:

This week's It's Your City celebrates National Public Health Month. Host Cortney Bloomer talks with Taylor Radtke, public information officer for Carson City Health and Human Services.

Carson City Health and Human Services, Carson Tahoe Health and Partnership Carson City will host a public health town hall meeting April 28 as part of Public Health Month.

Carson City Health and Human Services, Carson Tahoe Health and Partnership Carson City will host a public health town hall meeting as part of Public Health Month.

The event aims to provide an opportunity for residents to speak with area leaders, public officials and health officials about issues such as access to healthcare and mental/behavioral health services. The meeting also serves as an opportunity to collect input for the next Community Health Needs Assessment that will be published by CCHHS later this year.

An alarming number of overdoses and at least nine deaths in the Sacramento area has prompted a public safety alert from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration concerning counterfeit Hydrocodone tablets containing Fentanyl.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, in its capacity as the Tahoe Metropolitan Planning Organization, on Wednesday adopted an active transportation plan that will help communities continue to improve transportation options for bicyclists and pedestrians in the basin.

The Division of Public & Behavioral Health (DPBH) is working with healthcare, public health, emergency management, ethical and legal partners to develop Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) Guidance for the state of Nevada. It is very important that the public provide feedback on the guidance as CSC standards will assist healthcare professionals to decide how to provide the best possible care when resources are limited and/or unavailable.

Pioneer High School students returned from the Nevada HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) State Leadership Conference with a new perspective and affirmation of their hard work and dedication.

When asked about the developing health CTE program at PHS, Jason Zona, principal, stated:

“When everyone is looking for gold, it’s good to be in the pick and shovel business.” — Mark Twain

The entrepreneur-turned-humorist ought to know. Even though Samuel Clemens failed miserably at both mining and logging ventures in Nevada, he gave getting rich his best shot. Twain well understood the appetite Americans have for money — and how far those who want a slice of the supply chain pie are willing to go in order to get it.
It’s the same ambitious impulse a recent Seattle Business article identified when it said, “Marijuana entrepreneurs are lining up to cash in.”

In our last column, we specified the duty of elected public officials: a fiduciary duty to voters, taxpayers and the broad public interest. Not, as some people claim, to government institutions such as the system of higher education, the military or some social service agency.

Improving transportation options for bicyclists and pedestrians is one of the most effective strategies to conserve and restore Lake Tahoe’s environment, revitalize the economy, enhance recreation opportunities, and improve public health, according to Tahoe Regional Planning Agency officials.

In the early 1970s, as assistant city engineer in Urbana, where I attended the University of Illinois, I worked on bikeways, sewer systems to minimize pollution, promoting underground power and telephone lines, and other “green” projects. Later, as a university research engineer, I worked on many other environmental, energy and policy issues.

The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded tribal governments in Nevada $4 million for community programs.“Tribes have made great progress in protecting the environment and improving public health in Indian C ...

Community flu vaccination events are being held in October and November in Carson City and Douglas County.
Each fall, the flu returns and brings with it the fever, cough, sore throat, congestion, muscle aches and fatigue that many of us dread.

Carson City Emergency Management and the Carson City Fire Department will host a planning and community hazard mitigation open house and workshop Thursday, marking the 100th anniversary of the historic 1915 Nevada Pleasant Valley earthquake that happened 50 miles south of Winnemucca and considered the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Nevada.

A California ground squirrel found dead in the picnic area of Kiva Beach at south shore Lake Tahoe on Aug. 17 has tested positive for plague. El Dorado County health officials were notified Wednesday by the California Department of Public Health that the squirrel tested positive for plague.

Patients interested in applying for a medical marijuana card can do so by working directly with the Division of Public and Behavioral Health. It is as simple as getting a physician recommendation and filling out some forms at a total cost of just over $100. According to Patient Registry Program Officer Kari Ward, roughly half of patient applicants needlessly pay up to $500 to consulting firms for this service.

The U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Nevada, Reno, will study the cause of eutrophication, or increased algae growth, along the nearshore of Lake Tahoe, researchers announced Wednesday.

Supported by California’s Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, the investigation is in response to widespread concerns with water quality and ecological degradation of the lake’s close to shore environment.

With coast to coast harvesting of fruits and vegetables and Americans continuing to enjoy their summer outdoor barbecues, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a report acknowledging the nation has entered peak season for E. coli outbreaks.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval officially signed Senate Bill 196 into law Wednesday, creating a statewide stroke system of care and paving the way to help save thousands of lives each year.

“We’re very pleased to see this important bill become a law. Legislation like Senate Bill 196 is part of the efforts going on nationwide to improve the system of care that have led to significant reductions in stroke deaths and improved care,” said Rick Casazza, Board Chair, American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Northern Nevada.

Take a walk with the Visitor’s Bureau as they help kick-off National Public Health Week. Meet at the new visitors’ center next to the Nevada State Museum at noon for a short walk to an undisclosed location. For more downtown walk options, check out the health walk series tab on the Visit Carson City app.

MONDAY:

• Carson School District Spring Break
• Tartan Day at the Legislature
• Customer Appreciation Month: free small iced coffee today at Dunkin Donuts
• OPENING DAY: ‘The Observation and Conclusion’ by artist Joseph Watson at the LXS Gallery in the Legislature Building

In recognition of National Public Health Week, Carson City Health and Human Services is encouraging people to get out and walk.

“We really want to educate people about safe walking practices and encourage them to take part in this healthy activity,” said Cortney Bloomer, health educator for Carson City Health and Human Services. “I’m excited about it.”

Even with an aging population, Carson City is showing improvements in a number of public health areas including preventable hospital stays, diabetic monitoring and mammography screening, according to a nationwide health survey released Wednesday through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Survey results are compiled county-by-county in an easy-to-use snapshot.

CARSON CITY, Nev. – Nevada will soon receive 60 percent of its allocated settlement amount of more than $1 billion to be used by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection for contaminant cleanup efforts in Nevada.

The Nevada Office of Vital Statistics announced Tuesday that for the first time, it joins many other states in being able to send vital event data such as birth and death certificates automatically and electronically through an application named STEVE.

Nevada will receive up to $2 million to design health care payment and service delivery models that will improve health care quality and lower costs, Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia M. Burwell announced Tuesday.

Miss Friday's free flu shot in Carson City? There's another planned for Saturday, Nov. 8 in Minden. Douglas County Emergency Management and Carson City Health and Human Services, along with several community partners, including the Douglas County Healthcare Coalition, are hosting the free drive-through flu vaccination clinic.

Citizens are invited to stop by the GE Bently parking lot from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a free flu vaccination. Vehicle staging will begin on Bently Parkway off Buckeye Road. The address is 1631 Bently Parkway South.

Carson City – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first case of Ebola to be diagnosed in the United States is in a person who had traveled to Dallas, Texas from Liberia. The patient did not have symptoms when leaving West Africa, but developed symptoms approximately four days after arriving in the U.S. on Sept. 20.

This week's guest on It's Your City is Nicole Goehring, recycling coordinator for the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. She provides an update on statewide and local recycling figures and places where residents can take their items.

NevadaRecycles, a program through NDEP, is committed to reducing waste and increasing recycling opportunities. Its mission is to preserve and enhance the environment of the state in order to protect public health, sustain healthy ecosystems, and contribute to a vibrant economy. It was established in 1992.