We are excited to say our Mary Sand Clinic has reopened, after being closed for approximately for 5-6 weeks, due to water damage. Thank you to all of our clients for being very patient and understanding during this time.
There is currently a waiting list for new clients. If you wish to be added to the waiting list, your health care provider can fax a prescription to (863) 967-1744.
The fourth annual County Health Rankings & Roadmaps tool was released today by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These rankings serve as a snapshot of the health of individuals in counties across the state and nation.
Polk County ranked 30th in health outcomes compared to the other 67 county health departments in Florida. Health outcomes measure the overall health of our county in terms of low birth rate, premature death rate, and other factors.
Polk County ranked 43rd in health factors, which is a measure of our healthy behaviors, access to clinical care, social and economic factors, and our physical environment. Both rankings are similar to how we ranked last year.
“The Florida Department of Health in Polk is committed to working with our community partners on shared goals to improve health”, said Dr. Ulyee Choe, Interim Director of the Health Department. “Community groups such as Polk Vision, the Healthy Start Coalition’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Alliance, and Tobacco Free Polk, to name just a few, work year-round to implement strategies to address disparities in the health of Polk County residents.”
Polk County started a new initiative this year to reduce the obesity rate. Building a Healthier Polk is a group of community partners, brought together by Polk Vision, who developed a three year plan to reduce the obesity rate in Polk to less than the state average. Obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, which are major causes of death and preventable hospitals stays for the residents of Polk.
“This is a broad initiative, focusing efforts on six areas: school-based, neighborhood/community-based, primary care physicians, worksite-based, higher education, and communication,” says Sara Roberts, Executive Director of Polk Vision, Inc. “Workgroups are putting into action strategies to encourage healthy habits among our residents. Health is everyone’s business. We encourage individuals, schools, workplaces, and communities to make a commitment to improve the quality of life in Polk County.”
The complete report is available at www.countyhealthrankings.org.
Use the link below to download the Polk County Health Department vaccination price list.
You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the price list. Please click here to download Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Vaccine Price List (Updated 03/06/2013)
Building a Healthier Polk is a group of community partners brought together by Polk Vision who are working toward the goal of reducing the obesity rate in Polk County. The goal of the initiative is to lower the obesity rate ( Body Mass Index) in Polk County to below the state of Florida’s rate from 37.6% to 27.2% . The Building a Healthier Polk 2012 Initiative is a 3 year plan to reduce obesity based on results from a forum of Polk County health professionals. The Initiative is built on 6 key strategy areas: school based, neighborhood/community based, physicians, work based, higher education and communications.
We are pleased to publish the 2011 Polk County Health Department Annual Report. This report highlights the activities and accomplishments of the PCHD over the past fiscal year. Please feel free to click on the link below and read this informative report.
Download the Sharps Collection Brochure In PDF Format Below:
The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu shot each year. Flu shots are safe, effective, and cannot cause the flu.
The Polk County Health Department partners with various agencies across the county to offer flu shots to the community during flu season. Flu season in Florida normally peaks during the months of November through February.
Annual flu shots are recommended for the following groups:
The health department also recommends pneumonia shots for persons over 65 years of age, or anyone with a chronic illness or weakened immune system. This shot will help protect them against pneumonia, a serious complication of the flu.
In addition to vaccination, you can also reduce your risk of getting the flu by following a few simple steps:
Please visit our locations page to view information on the location nearest to you.
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Many of the diseases that have been eliminated in the United States are still common in other parts of the world. When traveling outside the United States, it is important to ensure your health is protected.
In addition to providing specific vaccines needed based on your destination, the Health Department also provides prescriptions for anti-malaria medicine and critical information on general safety issues, travel alerts, and health information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
As soon as you know you will be traveling outside the US, you can make an appointment with one of our travel clinics to identify what vaccines may be needed before you travel. It can take several weeks or months to complete the series of vaccinations, so you should call well ahead of your planned departure date.
Please visit our locations page to view information on the location nearest to you.
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Infants are at highest risk for developing infectious diseases. While they receive some protection at birth from their mothers, this protection eventually wears off. Therefore, vaccines are needed to keep children healthy.
Through the federally-funded Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, children and adolescents in Polk County who are uninsured or under-insured can receive free vaccinations at the health department or other private VFC providers in our area.
The Polk County Health Department works to ensure that children and adolescents receive all needed immunizations. We encourage parents to actively keep track of their child’s immunization records.
Please visit our locations page to view information on the location nearest to you.
Registration form link is provided below. Please fill out and bring to appointment.
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Much like children and adolescents, adults need to keep their immunizations up-to-date to protect themselves from diseases that can result in death or disability.
These vaccines include:
Please visit our locations page to view information on the location nearest to you.
Registration form link is provided below. Please fill out and bring to appointment.
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CDC Updates
