Community, Health and Fitness, Park Forest

Park Forest Health Department to Celebrate 65 Years with April 25 Open House


Park Forest, IL–(ENEWSPF)–April 22, 2017. The Park Forest Health Department Nurses Plus will celebrate its 65th year anniversary with an open house on Tuesday, April 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will celebrate the history and accomplishments of the department over the years, and will highlight its services. Free blood pressure screenings will also be available for attendees.

“This celebration will highlight the services available to Park Forest residents and surrounding communities. Our role in public health is to educate and empower the patient with information.  You cannot prevent illnesses if you’re not informed,” Margaret Lewis, Interim Director of Public Health for the Park Forest Health Department, said.

The Park Forest Health Department, a municipally-operated service, formed in 1952. The department provides healthcare services to residents of Park Forest and over 20 other south suburban communities including Beecher, Chicago Heights, Country Club Hills, Crete, East Hazel Crest, Flossmoor, Ford Heights, Frankfort, Glenwood, Homewood, Lynwood, Matteson, Mokena, Monee, Olympia Fields, Park Forest, Peotone, Richton Park, South Chicago Heights, Steger, Tinley Park, and University Park.

The Park Forest Health Department is organized into five clinical service areas:

  • Environmental Health – This service area is responsible for food safety inspections and consultations to the Park Forest businesses and groups that serve food in the community. The Health Department staff collaborates with other village departments on housing safety issues for residents.
  • Home Health (Nurses Plus Home Healthcare of Park Forest) – This service area provides skilled nursing care and other therapies in the patient’s home during recuperation. Bath and personal hygiene care, medication management, and well-being checkups are examples of available services.
  • Mother, Child and Family Health – This service area currently provides school physical clinics, immunization, screening, and health education for children.
  • Senior Health – This service area provides targeted monthly health screening services and consultation to Rich Township seniors. Consultation, maintenance, and prevention services are provided to all area older people. The department maintains nursing offices at Garden House, Victory Centre, and Cedar Ridge Apartments.
  • Adult Health – This service area immunizes people over the age of 18, delivers a variety of preventative health education seminars, and provides screening clinics that target undeserved south suburban residents.

“The Park Forest Health Department has a reputation as a source of professional and accurate information and is seen as an integral part of serving the general public,” Lewis said.

Park Forest’s Board of Trustees serve as the Board of Health for the organization. The Park Forest Health Department believes in providing services at the lowest possible cost. Services are funded by insurance reimbursements, private contributions and grants, service fees, and tax support.

The Park Forest Health Department Nurses Plus is located in the lower level of Park Forest’s Village Hall, 350 Victory Drive, and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More information on the Park Forest Health Department Nurses Plus is available at villageofparkforest.com/health.

Source: http://villageofparkforest.com


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