Respiratory viruses are on the rise in Michigan and in Kent County.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) monitors flu activity across the U.S. and now categorizes Michigan’s flu activity level as high. Local hospitals are seeing an increase in upper respiratory illnesses including influenza, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and COVID.
(Courtesy, Kent County Health Department)
The rise in the three illnesses has many of us feeling the symptoms which may include runny nose, congestion, and coughing. But how can you tell if what you have is a common cold or something more severe?
COVID has changed
For people who are up to date on vaccination the symptoms are much less severe and can easily be confused with a cold. At first, one of the telltale signs of COVID was the loss of taste and smell. Health officials say that isn’t happening as much anymore because of the level of immunity people have acquired from having the illness, getting vaccinated, or both.
If it is COVID, you may have stomach issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. The flu and RSV do not usually have these symptoms. If you are having gastrointestinal issues with your other symptoms, you should consider a COVID test.
Symptoms for respiratory illnesses can vary (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
RSV symptoms
RSV can be fairly mild, but for people over 65 and children the illness can become very severe. Medical professionals say RSV patients will typically have wheezing or symptoms that look like asthma flare ups. RSV symptoms usually in stages over the course of 4 to 6 days.
Flu symptoms
The flu generally comes all at once. Sudden onset of symptoms like fever, cough, fatigue, body aches and a sore throat can seem to strike out of the blue. COVID, colds and RSV do not do behave that way, instead a person may have new symptoms for several days when they have become infected with those illnesses.
This chart can help you interpret your symptoms:
Respiratory Illness Symptoms (Courtesy, KCHD)
I have some of these symptoms, now what?
When you are feeling symptoms, medical professionals say that getting tested for COVID should be the first thing on the list. If that is negative, it is wise to get a flu test. After a positive flu test, you may be prescribed antiviral drugs like Tamiflu that can dramatically shorten the number of days you suffer.
When to seek medical attention
You should seek medical attention immediately if you are experiencing severe flu symptoms like difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, dizziness, seizures or severe weakness or muscle pain.
Vaccine resources
Fortunately vaccines exist for COVID, RSV and influenza and there is still time to protect yourself if you have not received yours yet. Other simple steps you can take to protect yourself and others include staying home if you are sick and washing your hands correctly and often.
Call KCHD today to make your vaccine appointment at 616-632-7200.
Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Estimates suggest radon kills 21,000 people from lung cancer each year in the United States.
Radon is an odorless, tasteless, radioactive gas formed by the natural breakdown of uranium in the soil. It seeps into homes through foundation cracks, floor drains, and sump crocks. Radon gas can accumulate in basements or lower levels of homes, especially during winter months when houses are kept closed.
This makes January the perfect time to test your home.
How to detect radon
The only way to determine if elevated levels of radon exist in your home is to test for it.
(Courtesy, KCHD)
Kits are easy to use and testing can be completed in less than a week. Testing for radon is recommended every few years or after completion of certain household construction projects.
The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) is offering free radon test kits to residents throughout January, coinciding with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s designation of January as National Radon Action Month.
The radon kits are available to Kent County residents and must be picked up in person at any one of four clinic locations during regular business hours in January while supplies last. Click here for a list of clinic locations and hours.
Results and action options
Residents using the kits and the State of Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will receive the results. Residents can use the information when deciding on how best to pursue remediation, and EGLE gains a better understanding of the locations and prevalence of radon in Michigan.
EGLE Michigan Indoor Radon Results Map – see link below (Courtesy, KCHD)
For help understanding the test results, residents should the KCHD Environmental Health Division at 616-632-6900.
If elevated radon levels, above 4 pCi/L, are detected in your home, there are options to help reduce exposure. Radon mitigation systems are often installed to help vent radon gas collecting under a home to the outside atmosphere. Additional mitigation options include sealing cracks, gaps, and sump pits in a basement or installing vapor barriers.
Resource links
EGLE has developed a map of radon risk zones for Michigan. Kent County is typically categorized as having a moderate to high levels of radon.
Additional information about radon testing and how to remediate it can be found in these two KCHD podcasts:
Kent County Health Department encourages residents to support local restaurants across Kent County through Nov. 11. (Courtesy, MSBDC)
By WKTV Staff
deborah@wktv.org
Supporting local restaurants benefits the entire community (Courtesy, pxhere.com)
The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) is encouraging residents participating in Restaurant Week GR, taking place from Nov. 3-11, to broaden their dining experiences and support restaurants across Kent County.
To assist residents in finding and selecting a restaurant, an interactive map was created featuring local restaurants across Kent County.
“Restaurants hold a unique place in our community,” said KCHD Director Dr. Adam London. “They are often where memories are made, and life’s milestones are celebrated. Supporting these establishments not only preserve our local flavors but also strengthen the bonds that hold our community together.”
Community support and benefits
Though the restaurant industry has rebounded, the workforce remains low (Courtesy photo)
Spending at local restaurants benefits the community by supporting jobs and businesses. Whether dining in, ordering take-out, or buying gift cards, consumers contribute to local employment and business growth.
In the United States, the restaurant industry has rebounded to employ a record 12.37 million people as of September 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. However, Michigan’s restaurant workforce remains about 6% below its peak, underscoring the importance of supporting local restaurants.
The Health Department works with a diverse range of food establishments, spanning from restaurants to mobile food trucks to healthcare facilities, as part of their annual licensing renewal and inspection process. Consequently, they are uniquely positioned to comprehend the challenges that restaurants have faced over the years.
Interactive maps make exploring easy
Clickable icons provide establishment details (Courtesy photo)
“We created an interactive map to encourage residents to explore our local eateries during restaurant week and beyond,” said Environmental Health Division Director Sara Simmonds. “Whether it’s an old favorite, someplace you have heard about and haven’t tried yet, or an out-of-the-way spot with a unique menu, they all help make up the fabric of Kent County.”
The map can be found on the KCHD social media site and website, and allows residents to search within a specified distance of their location. Each restaurant has a clickable icon and provides residents more details about the establishment.
Residents are also encouraged to follow our social media to learn how our team partners with local restaurants.
After 15 years serving Kent County at the helm of the Kent County Health Department’s vaccine program, and more than 45 years in the health care field, Mary Wisinski will retire from her position as Immunization Program Supervisor on April 15.
And while she is respectively and affectionally known as the “Vaccine Queen” by her colleagues — a title given well before the COVID-19 pandemic but made all the more important during the last two years — her career as a caregiver is much deeper that.
The oldest of seven children, Wisinski always viewed herself as a “caregiver,” she said recently to WKTV. So, it was natural for her to turn to a career in healthcare, though she did look at medical school before settling on nursing.
“The more I looked at it, the more I liked the ability to spend more time with my patients as a nurse and get to know them,” Wisinski said.
(Public Domain photo)
Wisinski began her career in the maternal and child health field, serving 12 years in neonatal intensive care in Bronson Methodist Hospital in Kalamazoo caring for premature babies (preemies).
“I was a transport nurse and a transport supervisor for them. We picked up babies from different hospitals to bring them back to Bronson on either an ambulance or a helicopter,” Wisinski said.
Wisinski moved back to Grand Rapids to get married and found her new vocation and her new home at the Kent County Health Department (KCHD).
“I’ve been with the Kent County Health Department for about 20 years,” Wisinski said. “I spent three years doing resource (work) at the Butterworth neonatal intensive care unit, and then in 2003 I came back to the county, and then became the Immunization Supervisor in 2007.”
Always knew vaccines saved lives
It was during her first few years in the immunization program that Wisinski became passionate about public health, especially vaccines.
“My passion grew as I worked here and learned more about what public health really is,” said Wisinski. “It’s just a different focus on nursing.”
Wisinski said that what drew her toward public health was the objective of preventing disease versus treating ailments.
A Kent County Health Department nurse gives a COVID-19 vaccination shot. (WKTV/K.D. Norris)
“When you work in a hospital or a physician office, many times you’re working with ill clients. You’re treating the symptoms of their disease and trying to make them better,” Wisinski said. “In public health, our main goal is to prevent disease. We try to anticipate problems. We assess the entire community, and then work and strategize together to keep people healthy versus treating them when they become ill.”
Wisinski’s knowledge of nursing and vaccines earned her the nickname “Vaccine Queen” as colleagues and counterparts came to her with their questions. But the birth of that moniker, she said, was a friend who had previously worked with her in neonatal intensive care and, when asked a question about vaccines, would respond: “Hold on a minute, I’ll call the Vaccine Queen from Kent County!”
The nickname persisted throughout the years.
Several different components and programs are included in the focus of Wisinski’s immunization and vaccine team, among which is the Vaccines for Children Program in Kent County, a federally funded program that provides vaccines at no cost to children.
“Even though our immunization rates are low, we have very dedicated providers in Kent, and we are in one of the top counties in the state for getting our kids vaccinated,” Wisinski said.
Teaching and serving, even in pandemic times
Two nurses on Wisinski’s staff, as well as Wisinski herself, are Immunization Nurse Educators for the State of Michigan.
“I see my role as a teacher in order to give the people the information that they need to do the best and safest job possible to provide vaccines for the kids and the adults who need them,” Wisinski said. “We are seen as people that they can trust and come to, and I’ve been very transparent that as a health department, I am a partner to … our providers and our community.”
During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Wisinki and her staff have been the “boots on the ground” for testing and vaccinations. Wisinki was personally in charge of the long-term care testing and long-term care vaccinations.
“We went out not only to long-term care centers, but to adult foster homes, low-income senior housing, and (provided) vaccines for the homeless,” Wisinski said.
Kent County Health Department staff at a county COVID-19 testing station. (Kent County)
Though this is the longest vaccine outbreak Wisinski has been involved with, she chooses to look at the positive outcomes of the pandemic, noting the partnerships established in the community: “Many people here have committed to being part of that group … understanding what the health department is and does in the community.”
Bi-weekly meetings with the different community partners has allowed the health department to make sure they are working together and not “stumbling over each other, duplicating our efforts.”
Wisinski sees that as being a “tremendous achievement.”
Her and community moving forward
As Wisinski prepares to move on to the next part of her life’s journey, she wants the community to know that “public health works. Our job is to keep people safe and healthy as a community … I am extremely grateful to our scientists who have spent countless hours collaborating and cooperating with each other to come up with the best methods for vaccines and antiviral treatments.”
Wisinski says she hopes the community can, as we move forward, see the health department as an ally and not as an enemy.
“We did the best we could with the information we had at the time because we care about protecting people,” she said.
Though Wisinski says it is hard to leave because she loves serving her community, she is looking forward to some relaxation and time with her family. With weddings on the horizon for both her son and daughter, Wisinski’s immediate focus will be on plans for those festivities.
She does, however, plan to take a beach vacation and spend more time with her husband “because it’s been a little busy the last few years.”
Kent County announced Wednesday, March 9, that the county Board of Commissioners had voted unanimously to approve a one-time waiver of 2022-2023 food licensing fees for all existing food establishments in the county.
The approximate $1.2 million funding to offset the loss of the fees comes from the county’s portion of the American Rescue Plan Act, according to the announcement. In late 2021, Kent County was awarded more than $127 million to support the continued response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kent County Board of Commissioner Chair Stan Stek. (Supplied)
“We understand that restaurants are a major driver of our economy, and many establishments are still struggling to recover from the economic setbacks caused by the pandemic,” Kent County Board of Commissioners chair Stan Stek said in supplied material. “We trust this fee waiver will provide much-needed support to keep these businesses going and ensure that they can continue to serve our community.”
All 2,372 food service establishments in the county are licensed by the Kent County Health Department and license fees are based on the classification and type of operation.
“The restaurant business has always presented challenges and the pandemic made everything even harder,” Abby McClure, general manager at Walker Roadhouse, in Walker, said in supplied material. “We are grateful that our Kent County Commissioners voted to use these funds to help alleviate some of the pandemic related challenges we are still facing.”
Restaurants are required to submit a renewal application by April 30, 2022, which will ensure establishments remain licensed during the 2022-2023 operating period, according to the announcement. If an establishment does not intend to renew its license, the application still must be returned but include a signed note requesting its license be cancelled.
Annual renewal applications will be mailed to food service establishments by March 11, 2022.
The Kent County Health Department, responding to the month of January being National Radon Action Month, have a supply free radon test kits available to residents … while supplies last. (Supplied)
The Kent County Health Department recently announced that during the month of January — National Radon Action Month — county residents can gain free radon test kits while supplies last. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is leading month-long the public information effort.
“You cannot see, smell, or taste radon but the radioactive gas can kill,” the county announcement stated. “Next to smoking, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States.”
Radon-caused lung cancer kills more than 20,000 Americans every year, according to the U.S. Surgeon General.
“Testing for radon is an easy and important step in protecting the health of your family,” Rusty Flewilling, Supervising Sanitarian with the Kent County Health Department (KCHD). said in supplied material. “The kit is easy to use. Simply hang a filter inside your house for a few days, then send it in a self-addressed, pre-stamped envelope for testing.”
The KCHD recommends that all homes be tested for radon every few years. Testing kits are available Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the KCHD’s main clinic location at 700 Fuller Avenue NE, Grand Rapids.
Test results will be sent to residents and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. People can use the information when deciding on how best to pursue remediation, and the State gains a better understanding of the prevalence of radon in Michigan.
For help understanding the test results, residents should contact the KCHD Environmental Health Division at 616-632-6900.
Radon occurs naturally in the ground and seeps into buildings through cracks or openings in the foundation of floors and walls. It occurs in both new and old homes. The EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey have developed a map of risk zones for the United States which can be viewed by clicking here. Kent County is typically categorized as having a moderate to high levels of radon.
The KCHD podcast “A Matter of Public Health” recorded two episodes dedicated to educating people about the issue. In the first episode, residents will learn what radon is, how prevalent it is in Michigan, and how often testing should be done in homes.
In the second episode, the discussion focuses on how to get rid of the radon, how to select a contractor, and how to avoid getting ripped off by unscrupulous contractors. Guests include KCHD subject matter experts, Michigan’s top radon expert, the President of the National Radon Safety Board, and the Better Business Bureau of West Michigan.
The Kent County Health Department announced on Dec. 29 that it is changing its isolation and quarantine guidelines for people who have tested positive or been exposed to coronavirus to align with this week’s changes in U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocol.
The CDC has stated that science now shows the majority of COVID-19 transmission happens early in the illness, generally in the first one to two days before symptoms start and the two to three days thereafter, according to the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) announcement.
“Therefore, effective immediately, the new guidance shortens the isolation and quarantine periods under certain scenarios,” according the the KCHD announcement.
If an individual tests positive for COVID-19, the new isolation guidelines, regardless of vaccination status, are for the person to isolate for five days, and a person may leave isolation if they no longer have symptoms after five days, but those people are urged to continue to mask for an additional five days.
If an individual is exposed to someone with COVID-19, the new quarantine guidelines are:
For people who are not vaccinated, or if it has been more than six months since they received the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or more than two months after receiving the J&J vaccine and have not received a booster, they should quarantine for five days followed by mask usage for five additional days.
People who have received a booster do not need to quarantine following an exposure but should wear a mask for 10 days after the exposure.
All persons who have been exposed should test five days after the exposure. A person who experiences symptoms during quarantine should be tested for COVID-19 and stay home until receiving a negative result.
“These new guidelines will mean less disruption to people’s lives and still slow the spread of the virus,” KCHD Medical Director Dr. Nirali Bora said in supplied material. “However, COVID-19 cases and deaths remain unacceptably high. We encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms should be tested as soon as possible.”
This new guidance applies to the public and may not apply to those residing in congregate living settings, schools, or people who work with individuals in high-risk groups.
The KCHD is currently updating all its guidance and communication materials to reflect the change in the isolation and quarantine guidelines.
The Omicron variant of COVID has been discovered in a person from Kent County. (pxhere.com)
On the heals of announcing that the Omicron variant has been detected in Kent County, the Kent County Health Department released some sobering COVID-19 statistics.
The positivity rate has been 20.5 percent for COVID with the average number of cases per day being 377 in the last seven days.
Currently there are 400 people hospitalized with COVID, of which 102 are in intensive care units. About 90 percent of those patients in ICU are not vaccinated.
There is some good news in that about 62 percent of those eligible to be vaccinated, which are people who are ages 5 and up, are fully vaccinated. About 67.2 percent of population that is eligible has received at least one dose. Also 128,859 boosters have been administered in Kent County.
Kent County Health Department Director Dr. Adam London said the best way to protect against COVID-19 and the Omicorn variant is to be fully vaccinated and to get the booster shot.
“The identification of the Omicron variant is not unexpected,” London said. “We are fortunate that we have an effective, safe, and available vaccine that can protect us from this illness. We continue to urge people to get their vaccine and their boosters as soon as they are eligible.”
Early indicators suggest the Omicron variant causes milder COVID-19 than the Delta variant but seems to spread faster. The person identified with the Omicron variant is vaccinated but has not received a booster. However, according to KCHD officials, it is too early to determine precisely the severity of the disease caused by Omicron or if existing treatments will be as effective.
Other steps to take:
Get vaccinated against influenza
Stay home if you are sick
Wear a mask in public, indoor spaces, or crowded outdoors
Avoid large indoor gatherings
Wash your hands frequently
Get a COVID-19 test if you are exposed or are symptomatic
London also noted that the public health order on required facial coverings for pre-kindergarten to sixth grade would be in effect until Jan. 2, 2022. There are no plans at this time to extend the order.
“Vaccination appointments are readily available throughout the community,” London said. “And more importantly, school and legislative leaders have had ample time, with an awareness of the timeline and the relevant facts, to create long-term policies for COVID mitigation.”
On Oct. 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted vaccine authorization for children ages 5 to 11. Since vaccinations started being administered this age group, 26.8 percent of children in Kent County, have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Working with school officials, the Health Department has developed a COVID-19 Precautions for Students flyer in both English and Spanish. A few tips from that flyer are:
Students with symptoms MUST stay home
Consider contacting your family doctor or scheduling a test
Practice healthy behaviors like social distancing, getting good sleep, eating well, and staying active.
Dec. 1, 2021, marks 40 years since the beginning of the HIV epidemic in the United States. Since then, more than 700,000 people in the United States have died from the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one-in-eight people living with HIV in the United States do not know they have the disease. And testing is the only way for someone to know their status and take the necessary steps to stop the spread of the HIV virus.
In recognition of World AIDS Day, the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) will be holding a free walk-in HIV testing event on Wednesday, Dec. 1, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the health department’s main clinic at 700 Fuller NE in Grand Rapids.
Certified test counselors will be at the clinic to provide testing, answer questions, and connect residents with needed services.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made testing difficult,” April Hight, Personal Health Services Supervisor at KCHD, said in supplied material. “This year we are hoping that more people will take advantage of our clinic and we will raise the level of community awareness about the importance of HIV testing.”
Great strides have been made in the treatment of HIV. While there is no vaccine for the virus, today’s treatments enable people with the virus to live long and healthy lives. One treatment is PrEP, a daily pill that is 99 percent effective at reducing the risk of acquiring the virus.
A person living with HIV who is on treatment and has an undetectable level of the virus in their blood are unable to transmit the virus to others. The prevention method is estimated to be 100 percent effective as long as the person living with HIV take their medication as prescribed, and gets and stays undetectable.
This concept, which the KCHD supports, is known as Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U).
HIV testing and PrEP is available at the KCHD Personal Health Services Clinic. Residents are encouraged to call the KCHD at 616-632-7171 to schedule a test or to find out if PrEP is right for them.
The theme for the 2021 World AIDS Day is “Ending the HIV Epidemic: Equitable Access, Everyone’s Voice,” which emphases the United States’ commitment to ending the HIV epidemic globally by addressing health inequities and ensuring the voices of people with HIV are heard.
Visit worldaidsday.org to learn more about this global health day.
The Kent County Health Department announced this week that it will begin making Pfizer BioNtech COVID-19 booster shots available to eligible individuals on Tuesday, Sept. 28, at all three health department clinic locations.
County clinic locations and hours can be found here. Appointments can be made by calling 616-632-7200; persons may also use this number to schedule a first dose of vaccine for those who have not already had it.
“Note that these boosters are only for people who have received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. We expect other boosters from other manufacturers to be coming soon,” according to the announcement. “In the meantime KCHD continues to strongly encourage anyone who has not yet received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine to do so as soon as possible.”
The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) action follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently recommending a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain populations and for those in high risk occupational and institutional settings. This recommendation only applies to people who originally received both doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months ago.
The CDC recommends the following groups should receive a booster: people 65 years and older, residents in long-term care settings aged 18 years or older, and people aged 50-64 years with underlying medical conditions.
Additionally, the CDC recommends that the following groups “may” receive a booster based on their individual benefits and risks: people aged 18-49 years with underlying medical conditions, people aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of their occupational or institutional (residential) setting. (This groups includes adults aged 18-64 years who work or reside in settings such as health care, schools, congregant care facilities, correctional facilities, or homeless shelters. This group also includes front line essential workers such as first responders — firefighters, police, and EMS — as well as food and agriculture workers, manufacturing workers, U.S. Postal Service workers, public transit workers, and grocery store workers.)
The county health announcement also states that after reviewing data in the coming weeks, the CDC is expected to make recommendations about the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.
Booster vice ‘third dose’ difference explained
In the meantime, there have been reports about a “third dose” of the COVID vaccine that is now available. The third dose is different than a booster and has been approved by the FDA and recommended by the CDC specifically and exclusively for people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised. These individuals have a medical condition or are on a medication that limits the strength of their immune systems and, therefore, they may not receive the same level of protection from a regular course of vaccination.
People who are immunocompromised may receive a third dose of either the Moderna or the Pfizer vaccine as soon as 28 days after the second dose. There is no additional dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine currently recommended.
“Again, the third dose should not be confused with a booster,” according to the county announcement. “A vaccine booster is an additional shot that is given to previously vaccinated people as the immunity provided by the original dose(s) has started to decrease over time. A booster is administered to help maintain the level of immunity in the future.”
The Kent County Health Department announced Friday that the Jamestown Canyon virus has been detected in tested mosquitoes in Kent County. The discovery was made during ongoing surveillance and testing conducted by the health department in the 49504 ZIP code (westside Grand Rapids and Walker).
This is the first time the Jamestown Canyon virus has been detected in Kent County, and the county stresses that the finding was not a human case but in planned mosquito testing.
“Jamestown Canyon virus is similar to West Nile virus in a couple different ways: one is that they are both transmitted by mosquitoes and that they are both quite serious,” Paul Bellamy, KCHD public health epidemiologist, said to WKTV. “However, they differ in the amount that we see them here in the midwest. West Nile virus has been occurring, reoccurring for many years. Jamestown Canyon virus has only been seen over the last (few) years. … over the last decade, we have seen an uptick in the amount of mosquito-born viruses across the U.S. This is one of the symptoms of that (mosquito population increase).”
For a detailed discussion on how Jamestown Canyon virus was discovered, and why Bellamy believes it happened now, see video at top or here.
West Nile and Jamestown viruses can also have similar symptoms, but also are similar in the rarity of their causing serious illness, Bellamy said.
“Both have very similar presentations, as far as when people do become ill,” he said. “A lot of them are asymptotic, but those that do have … fevers, malaise, chills, like that. But it has the potential of becoming serious. … (But) Jamestown Canyon virus has a very low potential of having that happen.”
While the virus has been detected throughout much of the United States, most cases to date have occurred in the upper Midwest. Jamestown Canyon virus can rarely cause severe disease, including infection of the brain (encephalitis) or the lining around the brain (meningitis). There are no vaccines to prevent or medicines to treat Jamestown Canyon virus infection.
“Fortunately, the measures that people can take to protect themselves from other mosquito borne illnesses like West Nile Virus will work,” Bellamy said in supplied material. “This time of year, it is good to practice simple and proven steps that we already know work in preventing mosquito bites.”
The KCHD recommends the following prevention tactics: using a mosquito repellant that contains 10-35 percent DEET; wearing light colored clothing and long-sleeved shirts and pants; staying indoors during dusk hours; remove or refresh water in bird baths, children’s wading pools, pet water bowls; and empty other small containers that can collect water in your yard.
Brendan Earl, Kent County Parks’ supervising sanitarian, further discussed the relationship between dead birds and the virus, and what to do if people find dead birds. (Kent County Health Department)
It has long been known that dead birds can be a sign of West Nile virus infected mosquitoes in the area, and there has been reports in Kent County of dead birds with no obvious injury. But today the Kent County Health Department confirmed that West Nile virus has been detected in tested mosquitoes — not in an infected human — in the county.
According to an health department announcement July 22, the confirmation was made “during ongoing surveillance and testing” conducted by the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) The discovery comes after testing pools of mosquitoes that were trapped by the health department in the 49506 ZIP code (East Grand Rapids and area).
Brendan Earl, Kent County Parks’ supervising sanitarian, discussed with WKTV the relationship between dead birds and West Nile virus, and why the county is focused on testing live mosquitoes rather than dead birds.
A file photo of a Kent County technician testing mosquitoes for West Nile virus. (KCHD)
“Generally it (the virus) goes from mosquitoes to birds, and then (mosquitoes) to humans,” Earl said to WKTV. “It used to be you brought in a dead bird and you tested the bird, because finding a dead bird is pretty obvious, right, and concerning for most people.
“Here at the health department, we like to look at the mosquito because it is a step before the bird. It is more preventive, it allows us to realize that West Nile is in the environment, in our county, so we can get the word out and take proper precautions to prevent the transmission into humans.”
Additionally, Earl said, finding positive tests in dead birds is a delayed indicator of the virus’ presence.
“When a mosquito bites and transfers the virus into a bird, they act as a host. Now any mosquito that bites the bird will now, itself, become infected. So that will amplify the number of mosquitoes the are positive. Unlike humans, who are dead-end hosts — so if we have West Nile virus and a mosquito bites us, we are not going to transmit the virus to the mosquito.”
(Earl further discussed the relationship between dead birds and the virus, and what to do if people find dead birds, in the video above. This is a link to to report dead birds to the state.)
West Nile and human infection
Humans may be ‘dead-end’ hosts, as Earl said, and rarely have severe consequences from infection unless the person is already immune compromised, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But that does not mean precautions are not advised.
A mosquito’s bite could lead to infection with West Nile virus. (CDC)
“This discovery is important because it lets us know that this season’s mosquitoes are now carrying the virus and it could spread to humans,” Paul Bellamy, KCHD public health epidemiologist. “It is important for people to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites as much as possible.”
West Nile virus is spread primarily by infected Culex mosquitoes, according to KCHD. Only about 20 percent of the people infected will notice symptoms that may include headache, body aches, joint pains, and fatigue.
Most people with West Nile virus completely recover, but fatigue may linger. About 1 in 150 people infected develop severe illness that can affect the central nervous system. Recovery from West Nile virus may take several months. Some damage to the central nervous system can be permanent. In rare instances the disease can lead to death.
Since there is no vaccine or cure for West Nile virus, the best treatment is prevention. KCHD recommends the following measures:
Wear a mosquito repellant that contains 10 to 35 percent DEET.
Wear light colored clothing and stay indoors during dusk to reduce your risk of being bitten.
Remove or refresh water in bird baths, children’s wading pools, water bowls for your pets, and empty other small containers that can collect water in your yard.
More information about prevention can be found at accesskent.com.
At the testing planned HIV testing site, certified test counselors will be onsite to answer questions and connect residents with additional services. (CDC)
In honor of National HIV Testing Day on June 27, the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) and the Grand Rapids Red Project will hold a free HIV testing and education event on Thursday, June 24, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The event will take place in the parking lot across the street from the Kent County Sheldon Complex, 121 Franklin St. SE, Grand Rapids.
Certified test counselors will be onsite to provide testing, answer questions, and connect residents with additional services, according to a KCHDS announcement. There will also be music, food and free gifts.
HIV self-testing is also an option. Persons interested in self testing for HIV at home, visit here to find out how to order a free HIV testing kit.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the KCHD recommend everyone know their HIV status,” April Hight, KCHD public health program supervisor, said in supplied material. “This knowledge is essential for getting helpful therapy and for protecting others from the virus.”
More than 1 million people in the United States are living with HIV, and one in eight people are infected with HIV without realizing it, according to the CDC. Nearly 40 people are diagnosed with HIV in Kent County every year, according to the KCHD announcement, and “the only way for a person to know their status is to get tested.”
HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, attacks the cells that make up the body’s immune system. HIV can make it difficult for an infected individual to fight off diseases and, left untreated, it can develop into Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome — AIDS — which can be fatal.
Individuals who are at risk for HIV infection can take PrEP, a daily pill that is 99% effective at reducing the risk for HIV infection. PrEP is available at the KCHD Personal Health Services Clinic. For more information about PrEP or if you would like to be tested, call 616-632-7171.
The pandemic has shut down many things, but not the efforts of Kent County and its partners to identify and reduce lead exposure in the community — a serious health hazard especially for children before, during and unfortunately likely to continue after COVID-19.
Kent County Health Department Director Dr. Adam London provided an update Feb. 25 to the Executive Committee of the Kent County Board of Commissioners. As part of the report, London detailed the “significant strides the department has taken over the last year to identify lead hazards and conduct education efforts,” according to a statement from the county, work which occurred despite the coronavirus pandemic shutting down site visits for approximately six months.
“There is no safe level of lead in children and it is toxic to everyone,” London said in supplied material. “We have to keep the momentum of this work going to mitigate long-term negative impact of lead exposure on our community.”
The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) manages three lead programs including the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), the Multiple Elevated Blood Level (MEBL) list, and part of the county-funded Ready by Five effort.
According to the Kent County announcement, since December 2019, several actions have been taken, including: 161 ongoing or completed investigations at properties that have/had potential lead hazards, and 81 properties on the MEBL List out of 427 properties identified by Lead Action Team; 57 site visits for lead inspection, risk assessments and home health screenings; and 39 homes cleared of lead hazards including helping remediate/abate lead hazards at 28.
In addition, the effort has attained regulatory compliance through working with residents and landlords and initiated enforcement activities at five properties. Also, the lead team has been fully staffed with five lead sanitarians, a health educator, and a lead clerk.
“I am very proud of our team,” Brendan Earl, KCHD supervising sanitarian, said in supplied material. “We have been able to continue the critical work of reducing lead exposure despite the setbacks caused by COVID-19.”
Additionally, according the announcement, the KCHD will be “working in the months ahead to re-engage the Lead Action Team which was formed in February 2020 to bring together local units of government and a multitude of other partners to make our community safer from the harms of lead exposure.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced early this month that the state plans to offer a voluntary COVID-19 school-based testing program to provide weekly tests to educators with the “goal of having all Michigan school districts offer an in-person learning option for students by March 1.”
But many local school districts, including Wyoming Public Schools, either are already using or plan to use a Kent County Health Department testing program which initially proved successful during a December 2020 pilot testing program at Godfrey-Lee Public Schools — one of may local district also already providing in-school education to any student household requesting it.
The county program “is not part of the MDHHS testing program that is available to schools,” Joann Hoganson, Director of Community Wellness for the Kent County Health Department (KCHD), said to WKTV. “Our pilot predated that program, and since it is up and running smoothly, most schools in Kent County have not chosen to take advantage of the state’s offer for testing.
“In fact, I am not aware of any schools that are using the testing supplies (and) program offered by the State,” said Hoganson, who serves as liaison between the KCHD and the schools . “They are using the saliva tests offered by Arctic Lab and organized by the Kent County Health Department.”
Wyoming Public Schools is one of the school districts taking advantage of the county system.
Wyoming Public Schools Superintendent Craig Hoekstra. (Supplied)
“Our testing clinic will be located at the Cherry Health Wyoming Community Health Center (in Wyoming) and will be up and running on Tuesday, Feb. 16,” Craig Hoekstra, superintendent of Wyoming Public Schools, said to WKTV. “In this partnership, we will be working with Arctic Labs and the KCHD.
“The credit for making this happen goes to Sarah Earnest, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources. She did an excellent job working through the logistics, and we are excited about getting this going for our students, staff, and the greater community.”
The saliva COVID tests to be used, provided by KCHD in a partnership with Arctic Labs, are the same one used by the students, staff, and families of students and staff at Godfrey-Lee schools, Hoganson said. “This was a pilot, which went very well. We now provide similar testing for all of the schools in Kent County at several regional sites.”
Hoganson also provided WKTV with some KCHD numbers associated with the school-based program.
The first school testing site opened on Dec. 1, was available for full access on Jan. 18, and there are now four different sites available in Kent County. According to Hoganson, 20 schools and school districts have participated in testing at the regional sites, with 303 test “records” since the beginning of this year, resulting in 42 COVID-19 positive tests, 255 negative and six inconclusive.
“It is not a ‘rapid’ test … (but) it allows teachers and other staff who wake up with symptoms to get tested quickly,” she said. “They miss that day of school, but they get their results back within 24 to 36 hours. If they are positive, we have kept them out of school and prevented exposure to others. If they are negative, they can return to school much more quickly, thus reducing absenteeism by both students and staff. It is convenient and costs nothing to the person being tested.”
The MI Safe Schools Testing Program, announced Feb. 2, by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) provides no-cost COVID-19 rapid antigen testing for Michigan educators from both public and private schools.
Approximately 300 schools and 9,000 staff have signed up for testing so far, according to the state.
The rapid antigen testing program is modeled after Michigan’s successful pilot project that tested student-athletes and coaches who were participating in playoffs for high school fall sports such as football, according to the MDHHS. In that program more than 8,300 people were tested, including the Grand Rapids South Christian High School football team.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced this week that it is distributing 3.5 million free masks as part of the state’s Mask Up, Mask Right campaign.
The free KN95 masks provided by MDHHS will be distributed by community organizations, including local MDHSS offices, the Kent County Health Department, Kent County Community Action and Area Agency on Aging of West Michigan.
Even before the expected shipments of the state-provided masks are available locally, several local groups such as the county health department already have masks available.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced this week that it is distributing 3.5 million free KN95 masks as part of the state’s Mask Up, Mask Right campaign. (MDHHS)
“We have a limited supply of free surgical type masks available at our main clinic at 700 Fuller NE,” Steve Kelso, spokesperson for the Kent County Health Department, said to WKTV. “If people want those they can simply come to the lobby and they will see a box labeled ‘Mask Up, Mask Right’ and they can remove a box of masks for their household. We expect to receive additional supplies of masks within the next 30 days.”
Kelso also advised people to call 211 to find all Kent County locations where the masks are available, but also stressed that “These are not for businesses to offset their PPE (personal protective equipment) needs. These are for individuals only.”
Some areas of the state will start getting the state masks as early as next week.
“The KN95 masks likely won’t be available until next week,” Bob Wheaton, spokesperson for the MDHHS, said to WKTV. “They are being shipped this week.”
The planned infusion of free masks to the public is part of a continuing effort by the state health department.
“We are urging Michiganders to Mask Up and Mask Right to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities from COVID-19,” MDHHS director Robert Gordon said in supplied material. “Wearing the right kind of mask is important. Today’s distribution of effective masks will help more Michiganders limit the spread of COVID to save lives and get back to normal sooner.”
Masking right includes wearing one of three options of masks that provide stronger protection: three-layered washable cloth face coverings, three-layered disposable masks or KN95 masks. It also includes wearing the mask correctly: having it secured over the nose and mouth and snugly fitting without gaps.
The MDHHS announcement noted that KN95 masks are similar to but should not be confused with N95 masks that are intended for health care workers who are engaged as part of their work in higher-risk settings.
To find additional state distribution sites for masks, visit at Michigan.gov/MaskUpMichigan or call the COVID-19 hotline at 888-535-6136.
The Kent County Health Department announced this week that a consortium of West Michigan health departments, hospitals, healthcare providers, universities and others have launched a website where area residents can find the latest information about the COVID-19 vaccine.
According to the Dec. 15 announcement, VaccinateWestMI.com is intended to be the “go to” site for information about vaccine availability, local distribution plans, safety and efficacy, and will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.
“The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, highly effective and will be our best defense against the virus,” Dr. Adam London, director of the Kent County Health Department (KCHD), said in supplied material. “But it won’t be available to everyone immediately. It’s critical for the residents of West Michigan to have access to accurate, timely and consistent information about the vaccine so we can all do our part to slow the spread of the virus. That’s why we joined with partners throughout the region to launch this site.”
The Pfizer vaccine was the first to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use in the U.S. on Dec.11, and other vaccine approvals either have or are expected to follow.
But initial supplies are extremely limited. The first shipments arrived at area hospitals this week, with vaccinations starting with frontline health care workers. Workers and residents of long-term care facilities are also slated to be among the first to receive the vaccine, with other high-risk groups scheduled to follow.
As supplies of the vaccine increase, those at lower risk will qualify, and, according KCHD, “experts project all individuals 16 years and older will qualify to get vaccinated by mid- to late-2021.”
As vaccines become available, healthcare providers will distribute the vaccine according to the plans developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a national independent committee of medical and public health experts, according to the KCHD announcement.
VaccinateWestMI.com will be regularly updated as information becomes available, and visitors to the site can sign up for email updates on the vaccine.
Members of the consortium include: Kent County Health Department, Allegan County Health Department, Barry-Eaton District Health Department, Berrien County Health Department, District Health Department #10, Ionia County Health Department, Mid-Michigan District Health Department, Muskegon County Public Health, Ottawa County Department of Public Health, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s, Metro Health – University of Michigan Health, Spectrum Health, Holland Hospital, Spectrum Health Lakeland, North Ottawa Community Hospital, Michigan Health & Hospital Association, Answer Health, Cherry Health, CVS Pharmacy, Kent County Emergency Medical Services, SpartanNash, We Are For Children, Calvin University, Grand Valley State University and Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.
The Kent County Health Department and area hospitals, in a joint statement released today, Dec. 14, continue to urge residents to stay home for the upcoming December holidays. As of Dec. 14, Kent County has surpassed 35,800 total cases with a 14.7 percent positivity rate in the last seven days.
“We are making progress, but need to work together to continue to reduce the positivity rate and to reduce the spread and the strain on our hospitals and health care workers,” Darryl Elmouchi, MD, president of Spectrum Health West Michigan, said in supplied material. “We will continue to move this in the right direction by not traveling or gathering with people outside our immediate family.”
While it may be difficult to miss traditional holiday celebrations, the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) statement stressed “the importance of staying home and avoiding any kind of travel and group gatherings in order to avoid an even more devastating spike after the new year.”
The local “I love you so” holiday advertising campaign, which the health department and hospital partners launched in November, will extend to encompass all holidays through the end of the year.
The message builds on the sentiment, “I love you SO I’m staying home,” acknowledging the desire to be with loved ones over the holidays but also to protect them from the spread of the coronavirus.
Kent County is seeing more than 500 new coronavirus cases each day, according to the statement, and “the volume of cases has put a significant strain on local hospitals and frontline healthcare providers, and it has made it impossible for public health investigators and contact tracers to effectively do their jobs.”
With the contract tracing system under strain, the risk of community spread is increased because some people may not know they need to quarantine.
“Residents helped a lot by celebrating Thanksgiving with only people inside of their immediate households,” Hyung Kim, MD, president of Mercy Health Saint Mary’s said in supplied material. “Since infection rates, hospitalizations and mortality are still high, I hope people will stay strong in the upcoming holidays and avoid gathering with people outside their immediate households. We are far from being in the clear from COVID.”
Following the Friday, Oct. 2, decision by the Michigan Supreme Court to strike down Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-19 related executive orders, the Kent County Health Department issued a statement today that, in part, said that “orders for isolation and quarantine are not affected by the Supreme Court’s ruling.”
The Oct. 5 statement, attributed to Dr. Adam London, Director of the Kent County Health Department (KCHD), was in response to the supreme court ruling that the Governor did not have the authority to issue executive orders under emergency declarations past April 30 of this year.
“Actions such as orders for isolation and quarantine are not affected by the Supreme Court’s ruling,” Dr. Landon said in the statement. “These actions are authorized under the Michigan Public Health Code, a law that was enacted by the Michigan Legislature in 1978. The KCHD will continue to use public health orders and enforcement actions as appropriate under law as this agency has done for many decades.”
The KCHD statement also “stresses” the importance of adhering to the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Those strategies include wearing facial coverings in indoor public places, maintaining social distance, frequent hand washing, and staying home if you are sick.
“The KCHD is confident Kent County residents will continue to take the steps necessary to place their families, friends, and coworkers at the least possible risk for contracting COVID-19,” according to the statement.
Also according to the statement, the KCHD “is hopeful the Legislature and the Governor will work together to protect public health in a collaborative and expedited manner. The KCHD is communicating closely with officials at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and other local health departments to identify pathways forward which respect rule of law and are protective of the health and safety of our communities.”
Gov. Whitmer, also today, Oct. 5, issued a statement that address the issue of continued health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. (Governor’s office)
“Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Director Robert Gordon filed a motion with the Michigan Supreme Court (today) requesting that they clarify that their October 2nd ruling does not take effect until Friday, October 30th. … Ensuring this transition period will allow the governor, local health departments, and the Michigan Legislature to work together to put protections in place that will keep Michiganders safe and protect our economy.”
For whatever reason, the number of people availing themselves of the Kent County Health Department’s free-to-the-public COVID-19 testing program has fallen drastically in the past few weeks.
According to a statement supplied to WKTV, “in July we were doing about 800 a week and are now at about 400.” And the decline is not only at the county’s three testing sites, but also at several partner sites as well, despite low or no wait time for appointments and a decreased turnaround time for results.
Kent County Health Department staff at a county COVID-19 testing station. (Kent County)
“We want people to know that testing is free, quick, easy and available,” Christopher Bendekgey, county health Community Clinical Services Division Director, said in supplied material. “People are still contracting the virus, but we suspect they’ve heard it’s hard to get an appointment or others have waited over a week for results, and they’re thinking, ‘why bother?’ But it’s vital that we continue to track and work to stop the spread of this disease in our community.”
(Note: A Spanish language version of the Kent County Health Department information is at the bottom of this story.)
According to the county health department, the vast majority of KCHD test results are coming back within 48 hours, some as fast as 24-36 hours. “Wait times for test results were running as high as seven to ten days at their peak in July,” according to the county statement.
For locations of Kent County Health Department sites, visit here.
Tests at the county locations are free and appointments at the health department sites can be made online here or by calling 616-632-7200. Appointments at the partner LINC UP site can be made by visiting here.
Do you need to get tested?
The Kent County Health Department, “in accordance with CDC guidelines,” recommends a person get tested if you have had certain social interactions, or certain symptoms or combinations of symptoms.
You get tested if you have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19 (within 6 feet for 15 minutes), you suspect you’ve been exposed to someone with COVID-19, or you are in a “high COVID-19 transmission area and have attended a public or private gathering of more than 10 people where people weren’t wearing masks or social distancing.”
You should get tested if you have a deep cough, a shortness of breath or a new loss of taste of small; or if you have a combination of a fever, chills, body aches, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue or congestion/runny nose.
For more Kent County Health Department information on COVID-19 and coronavirus testing, visit here.
On this episode of WKTV Journal In Focus, we have three short Zoom interviews with the Kent County Health Department. First we catch up with the ongoing and extensive work by the department during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the department is also involved in more routine but non-the-less important activities including the need for important vaccinations and an on-going health survey.
First In Focus is an update on the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic here in Kent County, what has been done and what is being done by the Health Department and its local partners to keep us healthy and get us through these difficult times. With us is Dr. Adam London, Director, Kent County Health Department.
While the county Health Department’s relentless work protecting the community during this pandemic is probably first in everybody’s mind, county health workers are also concerned about the expected return of flu season — and the need for routine vaccinations of all kinds, for children and adults. There is also an ongoing countywide health survey of importance in process.
We talk with Mary Wisinski, Kent County Health Department Immunizations Supervisor, and then have a discussion on the current Kent County Health Department’s 2020 Community Health Needs Assessment with Maris Brummel, Kent County Public Health Epidemiologist. (The survey, which is available in Spanish as well as English, takes about fifteen minutes to complete and is available online at https://bit.ly/kentcounty20. Paper copies are also available.)
WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (For dates and times on Channel 26, see our Weekly On-air Schedule. For dates and times on Channel 99, visit here). All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
The Kent County Health Department announced last week that ongoing surveillance and testing conducted by the health department has revealed three presumptive positive instances of mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus in the county.
The discovery comes after testing pools of mosquito remains that were trapped in the 49504 and 49525 ZIP Codes in the City of Grand Rapids. But, the county statement advises, “It is important to note that these are not human cases.”
“Discovering these cases in mosquitoes should serve as a reminder to everyone who lives in West Michigan that West Nile Virus season is upon us,” Brendan Earl, supervising sanitarian at Kent County Health Department (KCHD), said in supplied material. “It is important for people to take precautions to prevent mosquito bites as much as possible.”
West Nile Virus is spread primarily by infected Culex mosquitoes. Only about 20 percent of the people infected will notice symptoms that may include headache, body aches, joint pains and fatigue. Most people with this type of West Nile virus completely recover, but fatigue may last for weeks or even months.
About 1 in 150 people infected develop severe illness that can affect the central nervous system. Recovery from this type of West Nile virus may take several months. Some damage to the central nervous system can be permanent. In rare instances the disease can lead to death.
Since there is no vaccine or cure for West Nile, the best treatment is prevention, according to the county statement. KCHD recommends wearing a mosquito repellant that contains 10–35 percent DEET, wearing light colored clothing and staying indoors during dusk.
Residents can also help stop mosquitoes from breeding by removing or refreshing water in bird baths, children’s wading pools, water bowls for your pets. Empty other small containers that can collect water in your yard and keeping your lawn and shrubs trimmed also help.
More information about prevention can be found at accesskent.com.
The Kent County Health Department is partnering with the Black Impact Collaborative and LINC UP to provide a free COVID-19 community testing today, Monday, June 29, from 2 to 7 p.m., at the Gallery at LINC UP located at 1167 Madison S.E., Grand Rapids.
The county announcement is also available in Spanish at the link at the end of this story.
In Kent County, members of the Latinx community account for 39.4 percent of the COVID-19 cases while comprising 10 percent of the population, while African Americans have 19.25 percent of the cases but make up 10 percent of the population.
Federal CDC-provided Coronavirus test kit. (KCHD)
“We know that COVID-19 has been disproportionately impacting the African American and Latinx communities, so the Black Impact Collaborative wanted to partner with Kent County to make sure that African Americans and Latinxs in our community have the opportunity to get tested,” Robert Womack, Kent County commissioner, said in supplied material. “This is such a needed resource for our community to allow anyone to get tested and we are thankful that the County put this testing day together.”
Any person, 6 months of age or older, can get tested, according to the county statement. Pre-registration for this event is encouraged by going online through this link or calling 616-632-7200 but walk-in testing is available.
The specific location of the free testing is based on county data.
“Our data is showing that 17 percent of our COVID-19 positive cases are located in the 49507 Zip Code and yet only six percent of Kent County’s population resides in this area,” Dr. Adam London, director of the Kent County Health Department, said in supplied material. “This type of data continues to inform our response to COVID-19 and ensures our resources are accessible to the most impacted neighborhoods.”
The county health department “will continue working to address the racial and ethnic health disparities by collaborating with community partners to offer testing in areas that are showing a higher prevalence of positive cases,” according to the county statement.
“We are excited to work with community partners like the Kent County Health Department, who recognize that racial health disparities exist and are actively working to address them by changing their practices,” Vincent Thurman, communications manager at LINC UP, said in supplied material. “COVID-19 has further revealed how stark these disparities are and how much needs to change.
“Partnering with KCHD is a great step forward to improving equity in healthcare. The data shows that Black and Brown communities are at a higher risk for contracting COVID-19 and we are happy to have free tasting available to residents in our neighborhoods.”
To learn more about Kent County Health Department services visit accesskent.com/health.
Kent County Health Department’s Wyoming location, The Potter’s House school, is a “walk-through” testing site is available Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to noon., until Aug. 1. (KCHD)
The Kent County Health Department’s efforts to make COVID-19 testing more widely available to specific segments of the public has expanded by the opening of community testing sites, including ones at the Wyoming’s The Potter’s House school, and in Kentwood at the Kent County Health Department South Clinic.
According to a June 3 statement, testing is available to individuals over the age of six months who live in a community impacted by COVID-19, have a known exposure to a person with confirmed COVID-19 or symptoms of COVID-19, or work in a job that puts them at high risk for exposure (jail, homeless shelters, nursing homes or assisted living facilities, food processing facilities, or any business that limits the ability to practice social distancing, or has repeated close contact with the public).
“Expanding COVID-19 testing in Kent County is important,” Christopher Bendekgey, the department’s community clinical services director, said in supplied material. “We wanted to establish sites in the geographic areas where we are seeing the highest incidents of positive cases and where individuals have less access to transportation.”
Federal CDC-privided Coronavirus test kit. (Kent County Health)
The Potter’s House “walk-through” testing site is located at 810 Van Raalte Dr. SW, and available Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to noon., until Aug. 1. The Kentwood “drive through” site is located at Kent County Health Department South Clinic, 4700 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. noon, until Sept. 1.
Other sites in the county which offer the tests include the drive-through Kent County Health Department Main Clinic, 700 Fuller Ave. NE, Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to noon, until Sept. 1; and the walk-through Baxter Community Health Center, 958 Baxter SE, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., until Sept. 1.
Registration for the testing is “strongly encouraged” and can be done by visiting accesskent.com/health or by calling 616-632-7200.
No insurance or identification is needed to receive the free test. However, people who have health insurance are asked to bring their insurance cards.
Individuals must wear a mask when arriving at a testing location. The test is administered by inserting a small swab into the nose and gently collecting nasal secretions from the back of the nose and throat. “It can cause mild discomfort but is a quick procedure,” according to the county statement.
Results should be available within three to five business days. If positive, individuals will receive further information from KCHD.
Part of the goal of the increased testing availability is “so we can get more accurate idea of the spread of COVID-19 in our community,” Bendekgey said. “It will not only protect individuals and their families but is an essential part of our overall strategy towards recovery.”
Brian Hartl, supervising epidemiologist at the Kent County Health Department, talked to WKTV this week about the county’s Contact Tracing Volunteer program.
As Kent County, with the rest of Michigan, begins to come out of its “stay-at-home” COVID-19-limiting efforts, the county’s Health Department remains hard at work with efforts to identify and keep track of persons actively infected — and those possibly exposed to the coronavirus.
And a key element in the county’s contact tracing effort is its on-going Contact Tracing Volunteer program.
“It is really important to control the spread of infection, that is our main goal with this … prevention and control of COVID-19 in our community,” Brian Hartl, supervising epidemiologist at the Kent County Health Department, said to WKTV this week.
The Kent County Health Department (KCHD) is currently seeking contact tracing volunteers to work with the department’s staff “mitigating the community spread of the virus and in supporting patients with a suspected or confirmed infection,” according to supplied material.
“We are really looking for someone who is comfortable with talking with people,” Hartl said. “Really, that is our main criteria, the prerequisite, that you feel comfortable talking with people on the phone. I think if you have some sort of science or health care background, where you are comfortable talking about health concerns, or infections, that is an added bonus.”
While volunteers will be asked to use their own home computers and personal phones, they will be give training, including “sensitivity training.”
“Training is obviously necessary, to help them understand what this is all about,” Hartl said. “Anytime you are talking about someone’s health, you have to understand that this in confidential. Sometimes people get concerned with charing their information with a stranger from the health department. And so confidentially is important. Some of these calls can get sensitive, and emotional.”
And always of great help are persons of diverse cultures and languages.
“We are seeing a high burden (of infections) in populations who are non-English speaking here is Kent County,” Hartl said. “So, individuals who are from those populations, who can speak those languages, are of great need at this point and would be an amazing benefit to this endeavor.”
County’s contact and isolation protocol
Hartl also detailed the KCHD’s overall process of “prevention and control of COVID-19” in Kent County.
“When we get a positive case of COVID-19, our investigators will contact that individual by phone to do that interview, an investigation,” Hartl said. “That investigation includes when their symptoms started, what types of symptoms they had, where they may have picked up the virus, if they have an idea. And then we ask a lot of questions about who they came into contact with 48 hour prior to their getting their symptoms, up to the point we are talking to them.
“We want to make sure all the individuals who may have been exposed to the persons who is sick are identified,” he said, adding that the focus of the questions are “high-risk exposures” to the sick individual.
“We get a list of those contacts, and we, in turn, contact them and ask them about their health to see if they have symptoms yet or if they are well. And then we recommend those individuals do a 14-day quarantine period from the last time they were exposed … periodically, our contact tracers call those individuals to make sure they are asymptomatic, and make sure they are still abiding by the quarantine recommendations. On the 14th day … we would release them from that quarantine.”
Hartl said it is also part of the protocol to “contact the (active) patients every couple days, just to make sure they are doing well and their symptoms have not gotten worse, and to make sure those individuals are isolated. … those individuals are isolated for a period of at least 10 days to make sure they are symptom free … and they can be released from isolation.”
Kent County’s Health Department’s Keep MI Healthy online screening application, which help health officials track potential COVID-19 hotspots, is now available in Spanish.
The app, which the county describes as a “secure, anonymous, web-based survey” was originally launched in English on April 13 and “provides health officials with valuable data that could potentially identify future COVID-19 ‘hot spots’ in Kent County.”
“Our ability to respond to this pandemic depends upon timely, accurate, and multi-sourced data,” Adam London, Kent County Health Department director, said in supplied material. “The information gathered through this survey will provide us with an additional layer of data to make strategic decisions on how we use our resources.”
The survey, now in both English and Spanish, asks: Are you experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms or not? To complete the survey, residents will be asked to answer four personal identification questions including year of birth, gender, county, and zip code.
All data will be kept confidential and housed in a secure database, according to the health department. Under licensed agreements, health care professionals, hospitals, and local health departments will have access to the anonymous data to learn more about the community’s health in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID- 19.
To complete the survey, go to keepmihealthy.org/ and click “Get Started!” … or “Emperezar!” in Spanish.
Upon completion, residents can optionally provide their mobile phone number to receive a daily text reminder to take the survey. By taking the survey daily, it will ensure health officials are making decisions based on the most current information available.
To learn more, review the frequently asked questions document at keepmihealthy.org/faq.
The application was designed by local technology developer OST.
In an effort to obtain information to track potential COVID-19 hotspots in Kent County, the county health department today launched a new web-based survey for residents — keepmihealthy.org.
The “secure, anonymous, web-based survey” — which does not required an app download — will provide health officials with “valuable data that could potentially identify future COVID-19 ‘hot spots’ in Kent County,” according to the announcement.
“Our ability to respond to this pandemic depends upon timely, accurate, and multi-sourced data,” Kent County Health Department Director Adam London said in supplied material. “The information gathered through this survey will provide us with an additional layer of data to make strategic decisions on how we use our resources.”
Local technology company OST, which started in Grand Rapids in 1997 but now has a worldwide footprint, actually came to Kent County with the idea.
“We would like to thank local technology developer OST for turning this community health screening concept into reality,” London said. “Without being asked, they identified a need, reached out to us and other community partners, and quickly developed an easy-to-use and effective screening tool.”
The survey questions are simple — as simple as “Are you experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms or not?”
To complete the survey, residents will be asked to answer four personal identification questions including year of birth, gender, county, and zip code.
All data will be kept confidential and housed in a secure database, according to the announcement. Under licensed agreements, health care professionals, hospitals, and local health departments will have access to the anonymous data to learn more about the community’s health in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID- 19.
To complete the survey, go to keepmihealthy.org/ and click “Get Started!”
Upon completion, residents can optionally provide their mobile phone number to receive a daily text reminder to take the survey.
“By taking the survey daily, it will ensure health officials are making decisions based on the most current information available,” according to the statement.
To learn more, review the frequently asked questions document at keepmihealthy.org/faq.
A Spanish version of the application will be released shortly.
Kent County Health Department’s Guiding Light building has 24 private rooms and a bunk area able to serve as an isolation facility for homeless persons. (Kent County Health Department)
Following last week’s action by homeless community advocate Guiding Light Works to temporarily turn over the keys to its facility at 255 S. Division in Grand Rapids to the Kent County Health Department, the health department announced today that it was ready to start accepting and isolating homeless persons.
In an afternoon announcement Friday, March 3, the Health Department confirmed completion of its work to prepare the facility as an isolation center for those experiencing homelessness who have tested positive for COVID-19 or are awaiting test results. The facility today began accepting patients who are referred from community hospitals.
“Guiding Light has always been a valued partner, but now more than ever, we appreciate their collaboration, sacrifice, and generosity,” Dr. Adam London, Kent County Health Department Director, said in supplied material. “Our goal is to provide a safe place for people who are experiencing homelessness to recover from the coronavirus and to minimize the transmission of the virus.”
The facility has 24 private rooms, a bunk area, six bathrooms, and a full-service kitchen that can accommodate up to 60 individuals when fully staffed.
“Our staff has done a tremendous job transitioning this facility into an isolation center,” London said. “They have worked tirelessly to assess the medical and operational needs to ensure individuals using this facility are well cared for during their recovery.”
A sign on the door of the Kent County Health Department’s Guiding Light designed to serve as an isolation facility for homeless persons. (Kent County Health Department)
The development of this facility would not have been possible without the partnership of the City of Grand Rapids and the non-profit community, as well as the generosity of Amway Corporation and Meijer Inc. who donated household and hygiene items, according to the health department statement.
“This is a very strategic and important public health intervention which will save lives,” London said.
Guiding Light’s offering use the building was key to the effort.
“As we have watched the spread of COVID-19 through our community, we have been increasingly alarmed to realize there was no announced coordinated plan to care for the men and women struggling with addiction, mental health issues and homelessness in the Heartside community,” Stuart Ray, Guiding Light executive director, said in supplied material announcing the use agreement last week.
“So Guiding Light stepped up, much as we have done every day for the past 90 years of caring for the most vulnerable in our society. We felt it was our God-given responsibility to step forward to make available a safe, clean and secure isolation space in the event of an outbreak of COVID-19 in our Heartside community. Without access to proper sanitation or the ability to physically distance, an outbreak in Heartside would ravage this group of souls.”
Guiding Light is maintaining its rescue, recovery, and re-engagement programs at its Iron House facility.
For more information on Guiding Light Works visit their website at guidinglightworks.org.
Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for Kent County, right, and Brian Hartl, county epidemiologist. (Supplied/Kent County)
By WKTV Staff ken@wktv.org
There is a lot of information flying around the internet and the airwaves — if not in your household — about the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), so the Kent County Health Department, led by Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for the county, continues to offer videos with up-to-date information.
In today’s video — travel. London and Brian Hartl, county epidemiologist, discuss what you need to know and how COVID-19 may impact your travel plans. To view the latest video, visit here.
For complete information from the Kent County Health Department on the local news dealing with the COVID 19 virus, and to view all the videos visit here.
According to the health department, public information will be distributed “as the situation warrants it.”
According to the county, here are some basic facts:
COVID-19 is caused by a new respiratory virus. In December 2019, the virus began circulating in humans. Health experts are concerned because little is known about this new virus and it has the potential to cause severe illness and pneumonia.
State level information is updated daily at Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Also available are the total number of people who may have been exposed to the virus who are referred to local public health for monitoring or assessment.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus, and they include: fever, cough and shortness of breath Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death.
Health experts are still learning about how this new coronavirus spreads. Other coronaviruses spread from an infected person to others through the air by coughing and sneezing; close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
The same steps you would take to prevent spread of flu and the common cold twill also help prevent coronavirus disease, including: wash your hands with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing, avoid contact with people who are sick, and stay home if you are sick and contact your healthcare provider.
Federal CDC-privided Coronavirus test kit. (Kent County Health)
By K.D. Norris ken@wktv.org
There is a lot of information flying around the internet and the airwaves — if not in your household — about the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus), so the Kent County Health Department late last week began series of videos with Dr. Adam London, Administrative Health Officer for the county.
“I certainly don’t think this is time to panic,” Adam London, Kent County’s Administrative Health Officer, said in the first video. “However, I do think it is responsible to think about thing we can do.”
To view the first video, which includes basic safety tips, in its entirety, visit here.
According to the health department, public information will be distributed “as the situation warrants it,” but “we anticipate 2 to 3 (videos) per week for the foreseeable future … following our daily COVID 19 briefings.”
To view the latest video, in which London discuses both the use of the term “COVID-19” virus instead of “coronavirus,” visit here.
According to the county website, here are some of the latest news and developments:
COVID-19 is caused by a new respiratory virus. In December 2019, the virus began circulating in humans. Health experts are concerned because little is known about this new virus and it has the potential to cause severe illness and pneumonia.
At this time, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Michigan. Information about the number of persons under investigation (PUIs) and specimens tested is updated daily at Michigan.gov/coronavirus. Also available are the total number of people who may have been exposed to the virus who are referred to local public health for monitoring or assessment.
Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure to the virus, and they include: fever, cough and shortness of breath Reported illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to severe illness and death.
Health experts are still learning about how this new coronavirus spreads. Other coronaviruses spread from an infected person to others through the air by coughing and sneezing; close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands; touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
The same steps you would take to prevent spread of flu and the common cold twill also help prevent coronavirus disease, including: wash your hands with soap and water, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or upper sleeve when coughing or sneezing, avoid contact with people who are sick, and stay home if you are sick and contact your healthcare provider.
This CDC’s laboratory test kit for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is being shipped to laboratories which the CDC has designated as qualified, including U.S. state and local public health laboratories, Department of Defense (DOD) laboratories and select international laboratories.
For complete information from the Kent County Health Department on the local news dealing with the COVID 19 virus, visit here.
With all the national and local news swirling about measles making a comeback in the United States, SNN spoke to the Kent County Health Department for some facts. Steve Kelso, marketing and communications manager for the Kent County Health Department, has one important tip.
“Get vaccinated,” Kelso said. “A lot of people think that measles is a harmless childhood disease. It is not. It can be deadly. I think a lot of people living today have never seen the impact of measles, diphtheria or polio and we tend to think of them as yesterday types of issues.”
From January 1 to June 6 this year, 1,022 individual cases of measles were confirmed in 28 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the greatest number of cases reported in the United States since 1994. Measles was declared eliminated in 2000.
Yet there were 44 confirmed cases in Michigan this year, all on the east side, mainly in Oakland County.
There are currently no cases in Kent County, but in early spring there was a visitor for a short period of time who was later diagnosed with measles. Exposure chances here were minimal. Those who may have come in contact with this visitor were notified.
“Some people are excluded (from vaccinations), some have legitimate medical contraindications, but almost everyone should be vaccinated,” Kelso said.
Mary Wisinski, immunization program supervisor for the Health Department, explained, “People who can’t get vaccinated due to illness or disease may have a more severe case of the disease. It is important to vaccinate those around them to protect the vulnerable from getting sick.”
Wisinski said if a child has a true medical condition that prevents him or her from getting a vaccination, the parents would need a medical waiver from the physician to meet Michigan school requirements. Any other reason means parents would need a waiver from the Health Department, which requires them to meet with a staff person to learn about vaccinations and voice their concerns. More information on non-medical waivers.
School Preparedness
Although measles cases were contained to the East side of the state, how should schools prepare in Kent County for the fall?
“Schools need to be aware of the vaccination status of all their students,” Wisinski said. “In the event of a vaccine-preventable disease in the school, the health department works with the individual school to verify the case, help with a parent letter if needed, and give advice about exclusion.
“Teachers and parents both want information on vaccine schedules, vaccine safety and signs and symptoms of the disease. Parents can get their questions answered from their health-care provider or the local Health Department.
“We work with schools to send information out to parents about vaccines during kindergarten roundup and end-of-the-year communications.”
Wisinski advised parents to make appointments for necessary vaccines sooner rather than later.
MMR Vaccine
The best protection against measles, according to the Health Department, is the MMR vaccine. This vaccine gives long-lasting protection against all strains of measles. For the best protection, a child needs two doses of MMR:
The first dose at 12 through 15 months of age
The second dose at 4 through 6 years
Infants traveling internationally should receive one dose if they are 6-11 months of age.
The Kent County Health Department has the MMR vaccine available at all four of its clinic locations, by appointment only. For more info, call 616-632-7200 or contact your primary healthcare provider.
Visit AccessKent for more local and Michigan information.
The Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA) today announced results of its drinking water/well testing of 28 private residences as showing non-detect levels for the presence of PFOA and PFOS, the polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) compounds for which the State of Michigan has established criteria.
Property owners have been informed of the non-detect results, and the Airport has also shared results with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ), the Kent County Health Department (KCHD), and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).
The non-detect levels are established by State of Michigan cleanup criteria for groundwater, as protection for drinking water. The State of Michigan’s criteria for groundwater applies to two particular compounds, PFOA and PFOS, and is set at 70 parts per trillion (ppt) combined (https://www.michigan.gov/pfasresponse).
Of the 44 property owners contacted for drinking water/well testing, 28 participated, with all 28 of the wells tested showing non-detect levels for PFOA, PFOS, and 10 other compounds. (see attached results table). One property showed low detectable presences for two PFAS compounds, PFHxA (5.45 ppt) and PFBS (6.43 ppt); but these compounds are not part of the State of Michigan cleanup criteria for groundwater, and MDHHS officials (in concurrence with MDEQ and KCHD) have confirmed that these low-level results do not pose any health concerns.
Based on these findings, the Airport will now focus on continuing its multi-step evaluation process, including completion of its property site analysis and related report to the MDEQ.
“We applaud the Airport’s efforts in going above and beyond the requirements to conduct off-site residential testing, and based on the data and related results, we concur there is no need to continue additional residential testing at this time,” explained Adam London, RS, MPA, Administrative Health Officer, KCHD.
The non-detect private drinking water/well testing results follow GFIA’s June 15, 2018 news that the Airport groundwater results for the presence of PFAS on airport property fall below the State of Michigan PFAS health advisory level and cleanup criteria.
Although the Airport’s groundwater results were below health advisory levels, the Airport went beyond regulatory requirements by conducting off-site groundwater testing of private drinking water wells in the area that is located northeast of the Airport’s property – the direction of groundwater flow indicated by GFIA’s investigation.
“We pride ourselves on being good neighbors and doing what is in the community’s best interest,” said Jim Gill, A.A.E., IAP, Gerald R. Ford International Airport President & CEO. “We appreciate all of the cooperation and support of the dozens of private property owners we have worked with in this additional testing phase. We also appreciate the continued partnership with the MDEQ, MDHHS, and KCHD in keeping residents informed and working with us in our testing process.”
“Learning about PFAS and its impacts has become an evolving national conversation, taking place at airports, military bases and other facilities across the country,” said Gill. “Our commitment to environmental stewardship and our community has always been part of the Airport’s foundation and that commitment continues to guide our work moving forward.”
On the latest episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus”, Kyle Caldwell, executive director of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University, talks with host Ken Norris about the VoiceKent survey. (WKTV)
By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org
On the latest episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus”, WKTV’s new public affairs show, we bring to the public a discussion on the VoiceKent survey plans with Kyle Caldwell, executive director of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University.
The VoiceKent survey of Kent County critical public health concerns is a joint effort of the Kent County Health Department and the Johnson Center for Philanthropy.
In the discussion, which will air twice a week on WKTV channels starting this week and running through Aug. 13, Caldwell details the importance of the survey and the innovative ways it seeks public opinion from communities not often having their voices heard.
“We (at the Johnson Center) make sure we go into venerable communities, places were people would normally not respond to a survey because they don’t normally get connected with services or programs or organizations,” Caldwell told WKTV. “So we work with non-profit partners to go into communities and get people to respond to the survey. Now we are going to go county-wide with our partnership with the Kent County Health Department.”
The survey, which collects responses through October, connects demographics with the opinions, attitudes and perceptions of Kent County residents on topics such as employment, education, racism and discrimination, ability to meet basic needs, access to health care and neighborhood safety. The data gathered from the survey will help create a baseline for conversations on these important community issues.
“WKTV Journal: In Focus” will start airing on Tuesday, Aug. 1, and the program will air on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at 6:30 p.m., on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel.
Also on the latest episode of “WKTV Journal: In Focus” is a discussion with the leaders of Exalta Health, a healthcare provider serving some of the most underserved of our community, and a member of the Kentwood Police Department detailing a crime-reporting website.
VoiceGR, Grand Rapids’ community survey, is expanding to become countywide thanks to a new partnership between the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University and the Kent County Health Department (KCHD). As VoiceKent, the survey will gather critical public health information from all areas of Kent County’s more than 600,000 residents.
The larger data collection area means that more valuable information will be available to community partners and nonprofits seeking to learn about the needs of Kent County’s many diverse communities beyond the Grand Rapids area.
“This partnership with the Kent County Health Department allows us to expand the data-collection area of the survey and explore public health with greater depth, as well as increase the usefulness of the survey within our community,” said Jodi Petersen, director of the Johnson Center’s Community Research Institute (CRI) which conducts the survey each year. “This year’s survey results will build upon previous years’ data and provide access to more information for local stakeholders to inform their decision making.”
The survey, which collects responses from June-October, connects demographics with the opinions, attitudes and perceptions of Kent County residents on topics such as employment, education, racism and discrimination, ability to meet basic needs, access to health care and neighborhood safety. The data gathered from the survey will help create a baseline for conversations on these important community issues.
“This is a large, community-wide effort that will involve the participation of many Kent County agencies,” said Chelsey Saari, public health programs supervisor for the Kent County Health Department. “The KCHD and Healthy Kent are excited to partner with the Johnson Center on this project.”
By partnering with the Kent County Health Department and Healthy Kent, the Johnson Center hopes to increase the number of collected responses to more than 6,000.
Survey results will be released in spring 2018 and will help neighborhood associations, schools, nonprofits, funders, local government and businesses better plan their programming.
The survey is available online at www.VoiceKent.org and is open to all residents who live, work, or do business in Kent County.
The survey, originally called the Greater Grand Rapids Community Survey, began in 2001 as a phone survey to the owners of 500 randomly selected landline telephone numbers in the city of Grand Rapids. The methodology was revised in 2013, and the survey, renamed VoiceGR, grew to collect responses from more than 3,000 Grand Rapids area residents through a combination of paper and online surveys.
Healthy Kent is a collaborative effort to identify and address public health issues with the goal of improving community health through community action.
The 2014 tornado left serve damage in Wyoming’s Ideal Park.
Do you have a plan if you had to leave your home for days – even weeks – due to a disaster? The Kent County Preparedness Collaborative is offering a free fun and educational expo focused on keeping homes and families safe. The event will be held Thursday, April 20, from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. at The DeltaPlex, 2500 Turner Ave NW in Walker.
Presentations include hands-on safety activities, the Fire Safety Trailer from the Grand Rapids Fire Department, Walker Fire Department with their ladder truck, American Red Cross presenting Disney’s Pillowcase Project, safety for people with disabilities, a Shelter Simulation, free refreshments, giveaways and much more. WOTV’s Maranda will hold a safety demonstration with Operation Save a Life.
“Kent County has experienced many emergency situations and severe weather over the past few years,” said Kent County Emergency Management Coordinator Jack Stewart. “We saw tornadoes in Grandville, Wyoming and Grand Rapids last year, in Kentwood and Grand Rapids in 2014, and massive flooding in 2013. House fires and accidents are regular occurrences. How you respond in those initial moments and having a plan for what you would do next will make a difference, help you avoid serious injury and recover more quickly from an emergency or disaster.”
The Kent County Preparedness Collaborative is made of the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Kent County/Grand Rapids Emergency Management, Kent County’s Sheriff Department and Health Department, Grand Rapids’ Police and Fire Departments, Walker Fire Department, Kent ISD, Consumers Energy, Operation Save a Life and others.
“We hope that those who attend the event will gain information and learn ideas on how to be more prepared for emergencies and disasters that they may face at home or in their communities,” said Leslie Montgomery-Bean of American Red Cross.
“Operation: Safe and Secure is an ideal way for families to have fun and learn at the same time,” said Karla Black Emergency Preparedness Coordinator of the Kent County Health Department. “Our involvement is just another way we collaborate with the many wonderful community partners who are dedicated to the safety and well-being of our families across the County.”
