- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Georgia WIC
During this time of social distancing due to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, North Georgia WIC is implementing alternative services for our clients to receive their vouchers. Please call (706) 370-4700. -
All the latest guidance and recommendations from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the CDC can be found on the North Georgia Health District website at http://bit.ly/COVID19-Updates-NorthGA.
See these WIC APPROVED FOOD CHANGES due to COVID-19 until September 30, 2020
Help When Help is Most Needed
The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Supplemental Nutrition Program is a federally-funded health and nutrition program© for:
- Infants and Children age 1 to 5 years (including foster children)
- Pregnant Women
- Breastfeeding Mothers (up to 1 year)
- Postpartum Women (up to 6 months)
How Do I Qualify For WIC Benefits?
Generally, WIC is available to:
- low income pregnant, breastfeeding, and postpartum women
- low income parent or guardian who is the sole provider of children under age five who are at nutritional risk and who are at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level
You can take the WIC Eligibility Assessment to see if you qualify* or contact your local WIC office to make an appointment and find out which documents you will need to bring with you. (To find your local WIC agency use the clinic listing) At your appointment, WIC staff will check to see if you and your family qualify).
*This online tool is only a preliminary assessment – only Local WIC Agency staff can determine if you qualify for WIC services.
What WIC Provides
- Special checks to buy healthy foods from WIC-authorized vendors – milk, eggs, bread, cereal, juice, peanut butter, and much more (see Authorized Foods)
- Information about nutrition and health to help you and your family eat well and be healthy
- Support and information about breastfeeding your baby
- Help in finding health care and other community services
How to Locate Services within the North Georgia Health District
WIC has offices in all our North Georgia public health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties - click on the name of the county nearest you for your North Georgia WIC contact information or dial 1-866-942-9675.
Interested in finding out about Zika? Click here.
Contact Information at the Georgia Department of Public Health
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
2 Peachtree Street, NW
10th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303
Participants should call: 1-800-228-9173
Vendors should call: 1-866-814-5468
Office of the Inspector General
Email Reports of Fraud, Waste & Abuse
/sites/dph.georgia.gov/files/DistrictMap.pdf
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
For CDC WIC Info visit the CDC page.
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Time to take steps to be healthier, but you're NOT alone!
National Men’s Health Week is observed each year leading up to Father’s Day. This week is a reminder for men to take steps to be healthier, but they don’t have to do it alone! Whether it’s your husband, partner, dad, brother, son, or friend you can help support the health and safety of the men in your life.
For more information, contact your local North Georgia public health department in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens or Whitfield County (click on county name to link to health department page and contact information).
Set an Example with Healthy Habits
You can support the men in your life by having healthy habits yourself and by making healthy choices.
- Eat healthy and include a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Fruits and vegetables have many vitamins and minerals that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Limit foods and drinks high in calories, sugar, salt, fat, and alcohol.
- Regular physical activity has many benefits . It can help control your weight, reduce your risk of heart disease and some cancers, and can improve your mental health and mood. Find fun ways to be active together. Adults need 2½ hours of physical activity each week.
- Set an example by choosing not to smoke and encourage the men in your life to quit smoking. Quitting smoking has immediate and long-term benefits. You lower your risk for different types of cancer, and don’t expose others to secondhand smoke—which causes health problems. Call your state’s tobacco quitline (for English speakers, call 1-800-QUIT-NOW [1-800-784-8669]; for Spanish speakers, call 1-855-DÉJELO-YA [1-855-335-3569])
- Help the men in your life recognize and reduce stress.Physical or emotional tension are often signs of stress. They can be reactions to a situation that causes you to feel threatened or anxious. Learn ways to manage stress including finding support, eating healthy, exercising regularly, and avoiding drugs and alcohol.
Tell Men to Use a Condom, Every Time
Although Zika is primarily spread through mosquitoes, it can also be spread through sex by a person with Zika to his or her sex partner(s). If you’ve traveled to an area with Zika, use a condom to protect against infection every time you have sex (vaginal, anal, and oral sex). This is especially important if your partner is pregnant because Zika can cause serious birth defects. Learn more about Zika and Sex, including how to use a condom and how long you should use condoms after travel. Condoms can also protect against HIV and other STDs.
Remind Men to Get Regular Checkups
Encourage men to see a doctor or health professional for regular checkups and to learn about their family health history.
- Men can prepare for doctor’s visits and learn which preventive tests or screenings they need. Certain diseases and conditions may not have symptoms, so checkups help identify issues early or before they can become a problem.
- It’s important for men (and women) to understand their family health history, which is a written or graphic record of the diseases and health conditions present in your family. It is helpful to talk with family members about health history, write this information down, and update it from time to time.
Know the Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack
Every 43 seconds someone in the U.S. has a heart attack. Know the signs of a heart attack and if you think you or someone you know is having a heart attack call 911 immediately. Major signs of a heart attack include:
- Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back
- Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder
- Shortness of breath
Encourage Men to Seek Help for Depression
Depression is one of the leading causes of disease or injury worldwide for both men and women. Learn to recognize the signs and how to help the men in your life.
- Signs of depression include persistent sadness, grumpiness, feelings of hopelessness, tiredness and decreased energy, and thoughts of suicide.
- Those that suffer from depression or anxiety should seek help as early as possible. If you or someone you care about is in crisis, please seek help immediately.
- Call 911
- Visit a nearby emergency department or your health care provider’s office
- Call the toll-free, 24-hour hotline of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255); TTY: 1-800-799-4TTY (4889) to talk to a trained counselor
More Information
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Press Room
We are joining organizations across the country to team up for Men’s Health!
To celebrate Men’s Health Month, North Georgia Health District joins Men’s Health Network, the Congressional Men’s Health Caucus, and hundreds of other local and national organizations to educate the public about the many preventable health problems that affect men and boys, and empower them and their loved ones to move towards a healthier, happier life.
Men die five years younger than women, on average, and die at higher rates for nine of the Top Ten causes of death. Men are the majority of workplace injuries, less likely to be insured, and far less likely to see a doctor for preventive care. All of this impacts their ability to be an involved father, supportive husband, and engaged member of their community.
“This year continues to be a pivotal one for men’s health—new guidance on prostate cancer screenings and the declining mortality rates for large groups of men means awareness and education is paramount,” says Ana Fadich, Vice President at Men’s Health Network.
More information is at our health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties. Click on the above LOCATIONS tab to find the one nearest you.
June is also National Men’s Health Week (NMHW), passed by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. It starts Monday, June 11, and ends on Father’s Day, June 17, 2018. Additional support comes from governors and mayors who issue proclamations for Men’s Health Week in their jurisdictions. You can find the proclamations here: http://www.menshealthmonth.org/week/proclamation.html You can also find more information on a variety of health issues at the Men’s Health Resource Center: www.MensHealthResourceCenter.com and health profiles of men and boys in each state can be found at www.stateofmenshealth.com
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Press Room
-Story by Raymond King, Director of Environmental Health, North Georgia Health District 1-2
Once flood waters in an area have receded and the most immediate safety hazards have passed, it's time to address the secondary health issues that can develop as a result of floodwater pollutants.
Be sure to protect your home, family and business by following these environmental health guidelines.
Keep Away from Flood Waters
Avoid any contact with flood waters, such as swimming, after a flood. Flood waters can contain large amounts of contaminants of all kinds, which can be hazardous. Fishing and other non-contact activities would not be affected.
Sanitize Flooded Areas
Floors, walls, equipment and furniture that have been covered with flood waters should be cleaned and sanitized to kill any bacteria or viruses. Wear gloves, eye protection and boots when working with contaminated areas and items. Items should be cleaned with soap and water, rinsed and then sanitized with a solution of a quarter cup of household bleach and one gallon of water. Do not mix bleach with any ammonia product and work in well-ventilated areas.
Mold
Mold is the most long-lasting effect of flooding. Unless a home's structural materials are completely dried, mold will grow behind the walls and under the floors. Do not replace sheet rock and other materials until the wood is dry, or mold will grow. If mold is already growing, spray the area with a household bleach solution. Keep the area vented and wear eye protection, gloves and boots. Contact your local county environmental health staff for more information about mold.
Well and Spring Contamination
If a well or spring was covered with flood waters, it must be considered contaminated. Do not drink or prepare foods with water from a well until it is disinfected and tested. Buy bottled water to drink and use for cooking.
The first recovery step is to pump out the well thoroughly, letting it run for at least 24 hours or until the water has no obvious color or smell. An outside faucet may be left on to run slowly for long periods of time so no damage will occur to the well pump.
Disinfect well water systems with two gallons of plain household bleach. Remember to not drink, bathe or cook with the water while bleach is in the system. Pour the bleach into the well or spring. Run all faucets until the bleach smell comes through in the water, then shut them off. Let the bleach stay in the water system for at least eight hours. To rid the system of bleach, turn on an outside faucet and let it run until all the bleach is gone, which may take 24 hours or longer. Only use an outside faucet to discharge the bleach water. Once the bleach is gone, make sure that the well or springhouse is sealed.
It may take two or more bleach disinfection procedures to rid the well or spring of contamination. For more information, contact the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office in your county.
Septic System Failures
In most cases of septic system failure, the only thing that can be done is to wait for the water levels in the soil to fall. If sewage comes to the top of the ground, the tank could be pumped for temporary relief. Usually, it does not take long for the system to function properly again. If flooding washed away the soil around the system, the system may need to be repaired or replaced. Call the local environmental health office with questions about a septic system.
Spoiled Food and Food Poisoning
If any flood waters have touched foods, throw them out. If the temperature in a refrigerator was at 60 degrees or higher for more than two hours, do not eat the food inside. There's no reliable way to tell if food will make you sick by looking at it or smelling it. When in doubt, throw it out.
Mosquitoes
Flooding leaves pools of water that are ideal for breeding mosquitoes, which can carry diseases like West Nile virus. Dump any water-filled containers around your home to discourage mosquitoes. Water that cannot be drained can be treated with certain insecticides and biological control agents. Always follow the label instructions for pesticides.
For more information about preventing health hazards after a flood, please call your local environmental health office (see contact info by clicking on above LOCATIONS tab) or visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
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