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IDPH News Archive  Content available as RSS

IDPH News is an archive of press releases from the Iowa Department of Public Health.

  • Recreational Water Illness: Are You to Blame?
    Wed, 15 May 2013 10:23 CDT
    Category: Environmental Health
    Every year, IDPH investigates hundreds of cases of recreational water illnesses (RWIs), which are caused by germs found in places where we swim....
  • Your Voice. Your Choice. Make a Difference.
    Tue, 14 May 2013 09:17 CDT
    Category: Behavioral Health
    IDPH joins the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in recognizing May 12 through 18 as National Prevention Week....
  • IDPH Recognizes Stroke Awareness Month
    Wed, 01 May 2013 11:03 CDT
    Category: Chronic Disease Prevention
    Approximately 60,000 Iowans were told by a doctor they had suffered a stroke in 2011, and while the death rate from stroke has been decreasing, stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in Iowa....
  • IDPH Web Site Highlights Smoke-Free Multi-Unit Housing
    Wed, 24 Apr 2013 08:58 CDT
    Category: Chronic Disease Prevention
    IDPH has launched a new Smoke-Free Homes web site to provide education and awareness of the benefits of living in environments free of second-hand smoke....
  • IDPH Recognizes State Leaders in Physical Activity and Nutrition
    Tue, 23 Apr 2013 10:17 CDT
    Category: Nutrition and Health Promotion
    IDPH has honored two individuals for excellence in physical activity and nutrition promotion....
  • IDPH Recognizes STD Awareness Month
    Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:28 CDT
    Category: Infectious Disease Prevention
    The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) joins the CDC in recognizing April as Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Awareness month....
  • Iowa Recognized as Leader in Advancement of Health Information Technology Use
    Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:42 CDT
    Category: General Health
    Iowa Recognized as Leader in Advancement of Health Information Technology Use...
  • IDPH Supports CDC Tobacco Education Campaign
    Mon, 01 Apr 2013 09:26 CDT
    Category: General Health
    The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) supports the CDC’s continuation of last year’s landmark national tobacco education campaign....
  • Sioux, Johnson Counties Lead Iowa in County Health Rankings List
    Wed, 20 Mar 2013 10:08 CDT
    Category: General Health
    Rankings provide opportunity for improvement...
  • Eat Right, Your Way, Every Day
    Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:05 CDT
    Category: Nutrition and Health Promotion
    Build a Personalized Eating Plan...
  • Governor Branstad to Declare March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
    Wed, 27 Feb 2013 09:04 CST
    Category: Chronic Disease Prevention
    Colorectal cancer second leading cause of Iowa cancer deaths...
  • New Website Addresses Teen Concerns, Questions
    Thu, 29 Nov 2012 08:46 CST
    Category: General Health
    The website, www.IAMincontrol.org (Iowa Adolescents Making Choices to Control Their Future) includes questions, answers and resources on topics ranging from fitness and nutrition to bullying and suicide....
  • IDPH Launches Bullying, Suicide Hotline
    Tue, 27 Nov 2012 10:36 CST
    Category: Behavioral Health
    Available 24/7, Your Life Iowa is a phone call or text away at www.Yourlifeiowa.org or 855-581-8111....
  • Great American Smokeout in Line with Healthiest State Goals
    Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:52 CST
    Category: General Health
    The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) joins with the Healthiest State Initiative (HSI) to support the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout this Thursday, November 15....
  • Report Shows Substance Abuse Treatment Works
    Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:01 CST
    Category: Behavioral Health
    A report released by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) finds substance abuse treatment works and benefits both individuals and the community as a whole....
  • Sniffle and Sneeze? No Antibiotics, Please!
    Thu, 08 Nov 2012 07:54 CST
    Category: Infectious Disease Prevention
    To bring attention to the growing world-wide problem of antibiotic resistance, the Iowa Department of Public Health joins the CDC in observing Get Smart About Antibiotics Week November 12 through 18, 2012....
  • Iowa Joins National Rural Health Day Recognition
    Thu, 08 Nov 2012 07:34 CST
    Category: General Health
    Governor Branstad will sign a proclamation today designating November 15 as Rural Health Day 2012....
  • IDPH Rolls Out Online Quit-Smoking Tool
    Tue, 30 Oct 2012 08:32 CDT
    Category: Chronic Disease Prevention
    “Web Coach” is an interactive online program that provides each participant with a personalized experience. The Web Coach focuses on four essential practices to enable smokers to quit for life....
  • IDPH Urges Iowans to Get Influenza Vaccine
    Mon, 22 Oct 2012 14:04 CDT
    Category: Infectious Disease Prevention
    Surveillance by IDPH influenza sentinel sites and confirmatory testing by the State Hygienic Laboratory shows the flu is circulating in Iowa, and appears to be particularly spreading among children....
  • State of Iowa Recognized as Among Healthiest Employers
    Fri, 12 Oct 2012 08:51 CDT
    Category: General Health
    The state of Iowa and eight other Iowa employers have been recognized by the Wellness Council of Iowa for excellence in worksite health promotion at the fourth annual Healthy Iowa Awards....
  • Iowa Newborn Screening Program Expands
    Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:45 CDT
    Category: General Health
    The Iowa Department of Public Health is expanding its newborn screening program to include screening for severe combined immune deficiency (SCID), a rare inherited disorder caused by a deficiency or absence of cells that help fight infections....
  • West Nile Continues to Impact Iowa Horses
    Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:48 CDT
    Category: Infectious Disease Prevention
    19 human cases of West Nile virus now reported in Iowa....
  • 2min2x
    Fri, 28 Sep 2012 09:14 CDT
    Category: General Health
    New campaign encourages children to brush teeth two minutes, twice a day....
  • Surveillance Shows Flu Virus Circulating in Iowa
    Thu, 27 Sep 2012 13:30 CDT
    Category: Infectious Disease Prevention
    IDPH joins national health officials in urging all Iowans, age 6 months and older, to receive a flu vaccine.Surveillance shows cases of influenza have already begun appearing in the state among every age group and in different parts of the state....
  • IDPH Joins National DPS Recognition Day
    Wed, 26 Sep 2012 10:34 CDT
    Category: Behavioral Health
    This day honors disease prevention specialists, the dedicated workforce of state and local sexually transmitted disease (STD) and HIV programs....
  • IDPH Encourages Children to Walk to School
    Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:01 CDT
    Category: Nutrition and Health Promotion
    IDPH joins local, state and national partners in promoting Walk to School Day on October 3, 2012....
  • World Heart Day
    Mon, 24 Sep 2012 10:06 CDT
    Category: Chronic Disease Prevention
    Most people think heart disease only affects older people or men. Women often underestimate their risk of heart disease, even though almost half of the deaths that occur annually are among women....
  • Iowa Communities Honored by CDC for Fluoridation
    Fri, 21 Sep 2012 08:28 CDT
    Category: General Health
    79 Iowa communities have been recognized by the CDC as Water Fluoridation Quality Award recipients....
  • Falls Prevention Awareness Day
    Mon, 17 Sep 2012 08:39 CDT
    Category: Behavioral Health
    Iowa joins 45 other states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico in recognizing Falls Prevention Awareness Day on the first day of fall, September 22, 2012....
  • IDPH Joins Recovery Month Recognition
    Mon, 17 Sep 2012 08:17 CDT
    Category: Behavioral Health
    The observance recognizes the benefits of substance abuse treatment, the hard work of individuals and families in recovery, and the message that recovery from substance abuse in all its forms is possible....
  • IDPH Recognizes Suicide Prevention Week
    Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:55 CDT
    Category: Behavioral Health
    Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Iowa’s youth aged 15 through 19 years old and a 2009 national survey ranked Iowa 14th in the nation for suicide rates among teens and young adults aged 15 to 24 years old....
  • CDC Report Focuses on High Blood Pressure
    Fri, 07 Sep 2012 09:01 CDT
    Category: Chronic Disease Prevention
    According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, about 28 percent of Iowans have high blood pressure (typically a reading higher than 120/80)....
  • Make Health a Preparedness Priority
    Thu, 06 Sep 2012 08:52 CDT
    Category: General Health
    IDPH joins local, state and national partners in recognizing September as National Preparedness Month....
  • Bat Season Underway
    Mon, 27 Aug 2012 09:19 CDT
    Category: Infectious Disease Prevention
    As expected this time of year, the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is receiving an increasing number of bat-related rabies calls....
  • Mosquito Activity Low; Need for Insect Repellant Remains High
    Fri, 24 Aug 2012 10:41 CDT
    Category: Infectious Disease Prevention
    IDPH urges the continued use of insect repellent with DEET while outdoors to protect against mosquitoes which may be carrying the West Nile virus, and ticks, which may carry Lyme disease....
  • IDPH Receives $838,000 Grant to Improve Rural Substance Abuse Treatment
    Thu, 23 Aug 2012 09:18 CDT
    Category: Behavioral Health
    The goal of the Iowa Recovery Health Information Technology (IRHIT) grant is to not only increase the number of rural adults who are served by intensive outpatient treatment, but to also improve intensive outpatient treatment retention rates....
  • Celebrity Heart Attack Highlights Women’s Unique Symptoms
    Wed, 22 Aug 2012 09:49 CDT
    Category: Chronic Disease Prevention
    TV personality Rosie O’Donnell revealed this week that she suffered a heart attack last week....
  • IDPH Highlights Safety, Health at Iowa Farm Progress Show
    Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:25 CDT
    Category: Environmental Health
    The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) will highlight rural health and safety issues at the 2012 Farm Progress Show in Boone, August 28th through 30th....
  • Iowa Walking Program Highlighted as Model by CDC
    Mon, 13 Aug 2012 08:34 CDT
    Category: Chronic Disease Prevention
    To help encourage walking as a fitness option, a recent CDC report highlighted successful initiatives to encourage more activity, including the Iowans Walking Assessment Logistics Kit (I-WALK) program....
  • First Human West Nile Virus Case of 2012 in Iowa
    Mon, 30 Jul 2012 10:08 CDT
    Category: Infectious Disease Prevention
    The case is a female older adult (61 to 80 years of age) from Lyon County, who is recovering....
  • IDPH Receives $900,000 Grant to Improve the Health of Iowans with Disabilities
    Thu, 26 Jul 2012 08:23 CDT
    Category: Behavioral Health
    Iowa is one of 18 states selected to receive the Improving the Health of People with Disabilities Through State-Based Public Health Programs grant....
  • Broken Thermometer? Why Safe Cleanup Matters
    Wed, 25 Jul 2012 08:30 CDT
    Category: Environmental Health
    Even a small mercury spill, like that from a broken thermometer, requires health precautions be taken....
  • Continued Heat Raises Food Safety Concerns
    Tue, 24 Jul 2012 10:16 CDT
    Category: Environmental Health
    Continued excessive heat across Iowa not only raises concerns about heat-related illnesses, it also makes food-borne illnesses, like salmonella, more likely due to improper food handling...
  • IDPH Recognizes Pool Safely Week
    Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:40 CDT
    Category: Environmental Health
    According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of death by unintentional injury in children between the ages of 1 and 5. Pool Safely Week encourages parents and caregivers to help prevent future tragedies....
  • IDPH Joins CDC Call for Adult Immunization against Pertussis
    Fri, 20 Jul 2012 12:38 CDT
    Category: Infectious Disease Prevention
    The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) joins the CDC in urging Iowa adults to talk to their health care provider about getting a booster dose of pertussis-containing vaccine,....
  • IDPH to Assist Walkability Survey in Black Hawk County
    Tue, 17 Jul 2012 09:57 CDT
    Category: Nutrition and Health Promotion
    The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is partnering with the Black Hawk County Public Health Department and community volunteers to conduct a ‘walkability’ survey next week....
  • Iowa Receives $7.5 Million Grant to Screen for Substance Abuse
    Fri, 06 Jul 2012 08:52 CDT
    Category: Behavioral Health
    SBIRT will provide local community health centers and the Iowa National Guard the ability to screen for substance use and provide secondary prevention, early intervention, and referrals to treatment for people at a higher risk for substance abuse....
  • IDPH Offers Tips to Handle the Heat
    Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:28 CDT
    Category: Severe Weather
    The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reminds Iowans even young and healthy individuals can have a heat-related illness if they are very active during hot weather or the heat index is very high....
  • Iowa Communities Honored for Fluoridation
    Tue, 26 Jun 2012 09:29 CDT
    Category: Environmental Health
    The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced today that 12 Iowa water systems have been awarded fluoride certificates by the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors on behalf of the CDC and ADA....
  • Keep Independence Day Celebrations Food-Safe
    Mon, 25 Jun 2012 12:05 CDT
    Category: Food Safety
    As the Independence Day holiday nears, IDPH reminds Iowans to keep food safety in mind at picnics and barbeques....
  • Summit to Focus on Falls Prevention
    Thu, 14 Jun 2012 08:08 CDT
    Category: Behavioral Health
    Public health and aging experts from around the nation will gather in Des Moines Thursday, June 21 for the Iowa Falls Prevention Summit....
  • ‘World’s Largest Swimming Lesson’ Attempts to Break Record
    Thu, 07 Jun 2012 09:50 CDT
    Category: Environmental Health
    The Iowa Department of Public health is joining top water safety and training organizations around the U.S. and world on Thursday, June 14 for the World’s Largest Swimming LessonTM (WLSL)....
  • IDPH Supports National Effort to Warn of Laundry Detergent Packet Dangers
    Wed, 23 May 2012 13:23 CDT
    Category: Environmental Health
    IDPH joins the Iowa Statewide Poison Control Center in urging Iowans, especially parents, to keep highly concentrated “single dose packs” of laundry detergent up and out of the reach of children....
  • May is Stroke Awareness Month
    Tue, 22 May 2012 09:45 CDT
    Category: Chronic Disease Prevention
    May is Stroke Awareness Month and High Blood Pressure Education Month. These observances offer another opportunity to remind Iowans to control their blood pressure and reduce their risk for stroke....

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