Healthy Living
Program Contact and Mission
Emily O'Connell
Director of Health Promotion and Public Relations
eoconnell@maconchd.org
Phone:
(217) 423-6988 ext: 1603
Our Division of Health Promotion and Public Relations (DHPPR) promotes healthy lifestyle behaviors, addresses public health policy, and serves as a community resource for health issues and county health statistics. The DHPPR also works to achieve policy, system, and environmental change. The division receives funding from various funders and collaborates with a plethora of local coalitions, community agencies and organizations, and businesses. The division staff members coordinate public relations, marketing, community outreach partnerships and events, media activities, and serve as the Public Information Officers for the MCHD. Staff members work on a variety of grants focusing on health issues such as tobacco cessation, vaping prevention education, Smoke-Free Illinois Act enforcement, chronic disease, diabetes, teen pregnancy and STI prevention, and a variety of other topics.
Programs and Services:
Community Relations
We highly value the excellent collaboration that exists among community partners within Macon County and surrounding counties. Therefore, community relations is of high priority and the health department staff are honored to be a part of a variety of community coalitions, committees, and boards serving all demographics.
Health Resources
Below are some additional resources and health-related information which are available from some of the following organizations and agencies. For additional questions and/or concerns, please contact the Division of Health Promotion and Public Relations at (217) 423-6988 ext: 1603 or dhppr@maconchd.org.
Resources
Illinois Tobacco-Free Communities Grant
The Macon County Health Department is part of the Illinois Tobacco-Free Communities Grant (ITFC) program and continuously promotes smoke-free living and tobacco cessation in efforts to eliminate morbidity and mortality related to tobacco use among Illinois residents. Some of the resources available to help tobacco users in Macon County are as follows:
- Visit
smokefree.gov for online resources (including instant messaging and texting options) to help you quit smoking. Get more information or
talk to an expert.
- Call 1-866-QUIT-YES (1-800-784-8937) to talk to an expert about how to quit smoking.
- For teen-friendly information and resources for teens who want to quit, smart phone quit apps, smoke free texts, and live help, please visit the Smoke Free Teen and The Real Cost websites.
For more information about our tobacco cessation resources and/or how to become a tobacco- or smoke-free public place, please call us at (217) 423-6988 ext: 1603.
Illinois Project for Local Assessment of Needs (IPLAN)
The Macon County Health Department is required to complete the Illinois Project for Local Assessment of Needs (IPLAN) process every five years to submit to the Illinois Department of Public Health to remain certified as a local health department. This process is completed with the help of and input from health department staff, the Board of Health, community members, and a Community Health Committee. The plan is made to identify at least three top priority health concerns including risk factors and direct and indirect contributing factors for each health concern with impact and outcome objectives to be addressed and completed within the next five years. For more information about the IPLAN and/or to assist in the process, please call (217) 423-6988 ext: 1603.
Public Relations
Division of Health Promotion and Public Relations (DHPPR) staff serve as the Public Information Officers for the Macon County Health Department to inform the public about ongoing activities and keep them informed during emergencies. Division staff arranges advertising, news releases, annual reports, media interviews, and other promotional efforts. DHPPR staff also develop and publish the Annual Report, Illinois Project for Local Assessment of Needs (IPLAN), and the Macon County Health Department Brochure.
Resources
Smoke-Free Public Places
The Smoke-Free Public Places initiative is one of the most important steps for our community to promote tobacco cessation and overall health. In order to protect and improve the health of our residents, we need more places in Macon County to go tobacco-free and smoke-free. The main goal of the initiative is to create more tobacco-free and smoke-free public places and spaces throughout Macon County. These include places that adults and children visit, but cannot get away from secondhand smoke if it is present. These places can be parks, playgrounds, ball fields, churches, and any other public space. For more information, please call (217) 423-6988 ext: 1603.
Take Charge of Your Diabetes
We collaborate with a variety of partners to offer Take Charge of Your Diabetes classes throughout the community. Stanford University developed this evidence-based program to teach people with diabetes and/or their caregivers how to manage their diabetes and symptoms. For more information, please call us at
(217) 423-6550 or email
dhppr@maconchd.org.
Teen Pregnancy and STI Prevention Program
We provide medically-accurate, evidence-based pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention curriculum to designated District 61 schools. We actively participate in the Macon County Youth Health Coalition to achieve community awareness regarding these issues. For more information, please call us at (217) 423-6988 ext: 1603.