The Malheur County Health Department has completed our construction updates. Starting May 20th, please use the main entrance that faces SW 11th Avenue. Signs will be posted.
Thank you for your patience during the last few months of updates, we look forward to seeing you in our beautiful, updated space.
El Departamento de Salud de Malheur ha terminado de actualizar la construcción. A partir del 20 de mayo, utilice la entrada principal que dé a SW 11th Avenue. Se colorarán letreros.
Gracias por su paciencia durante los últimos meses de actualizaciones, esperamos verlo en nuestro hermoso y actualizado espacio.
We apologize that incorrect information was shared in a recent post on the H5N1 bird flu situation in dairy cows. The post has been removed and our communicable disease team will post an update as soon as possible. Thank you!
It’s National Infant Immunization Week! We want to use this opportunity to highlight the importance of protecting infants and young children from vaccine-preventable diseases. Learn more about the importance of keeping your children healthy with immunizations below and call our clinic at 541-889-7279 to schedule an appointment to stay up to date on all vaccines for your family.
COVID-19 has caused many disruptions in families’ lives – and in some cases, it has meant that children have missed or delayed their wellness checkups and vaccination, which are a critical part of ensuring children stay healthy. CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that children stay on track with their well-child appointments and routine vaccinations.
Most parents choose the safe, proven protection of vaccines. Giving babies the recommended vaccinations by age two is the best way to protect them from serious childhood diseases, like whooping cough (pertussis) and measles.
Vaccines are among the most successful and cost-effective public health tools available for preventing disease and death. Vaccines help protect both individuals and communities by preventing and reducing the spread of infectious diseases.
Vaccination is a shared responsibility. Families, healthcare professionals, and public health officials must work together to help protect the entire community.
Vaccines are safe. The U.S. has a long-standing vaccine safety system that ensures vaccines are as safe as possible. As new information and science become available, vaccine recommendations are monitored, updated, and improved.
Trust in vaccines is built through millions of conversations between parents, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and community members. NIIW provides an opportunity to encourage vaccine conversations at all community levels.
The Annual Investment in Caregivers Conference is coming up Saturday, April 27th at FRCC (676 SW 5th Ave, Ontario). Registration is available at Eventbrite. Contact Sarah Poe, MCHD Director and one of the conference keynote speakers, if you need a scholarship at sarah.poe@malheurco.org or 541-823-3227.
Join us for a day of learning and connection! This year’s theme is Safety & Belonging.
Featuring sessions for every caregiver, exhibitor booths and plenty of networking, the Caregiver Conference is for people who care for others. Workshop materials, a continental breakfast and lunch are all included with registration. Scholarships, Spanish interpretation of select workshops, CEUs, and PDUs are available.
This event is hosted by Lifeways, one of our community partners in our effort to prevent overdose and save lives. For more information about fentanyl from our Peer Recovery Mentors and to get free overdose reversal medications and harm reduction supplies including fentanyl test strips, visit the Malheur County Health Department at 1108 SW 4th Street in Ontario or call us at 541-889-7279.
The Malheur County Health Department is making some changes to the office inside our main entrance over the next couple weeks. Starting Wednesday, March 13th, please use the west entrance for all appointments and walk-ins. The west entrance is the door previously used by the WIC program, closest to the TVCC baseball fields. We expect to reopen the main entrance by March 27th. Signs will be posted outside each door. Thanks for your understanding!
March is Women’s History & Appreciation Month is an annual observance to highlight the vision and achievements of powerful women who have strengthened our nation and opened doors of opportunity wider for all of us. Treasure Valley Community College is excited to be hosting two women-led events on March 12, 2024 in celebration of the observance. Join the Multicultural Diversity Center and Associated Student Government for a workshop on “How to Become a First Gen Investor with Luzy King” at 12:00 pm in Weese 108 at the TVCC campus. Then later that day, return for a discussion panel with Luzy King, Dr. Dana Young, Tara Dominick, Cathy Yasuda, Janet Calderón, and Quetzel Gutierrez at 6:00 pm in Weese 110. The event is free and open to all.
The Women, Infants, Children (WIC) Program is a public health nutrition program that serves low-income pregnant, breastfeeding and postpartum women, and children up to the age of five.
The vison of the Oregon WIC program is to ensure optimal nutrition and lifelong health for every Oregon family. We provide families with access to healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding guidance, free health screenings and referrals to other health services.
To apply for services just call or text us at (541) 889- 7279.
We support families by offering:
Pregnancy and breastfeeding guidance
Nutritious foods
Nutrition-focused counseling
Free health screenings
Connections to resources
To be eligible, you must:
Live in Oregon.
Be a pregnant, postpartum or breastfeeding woman, an infant or a child under 5 years old.
Have a household income less than 185% of the federal poverty limit. (Individuals who can prove Fully eligible for Medicaid/Oregon Health Plan, TANF, SNAP/Food Stamps or FDPIR are automatically income eligible for WIC.)
Once a year we provide access to the Oregon Farm Direct Nutrition Program which is a state administered, federal nutrition program serving families enrolled in WIC and income-eligible seniors. Farm Direct participants receive additional benefits to spend on fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables from authorized farmers within our community.
Minimizing Barriers and Providing Equitable Care
We strive to maintain a welcoming and trauma-informed work environment that reflects and supports the racial and ethnic diversity of our participants, partners and community.
Provide nutritious foods to help minimize food insecurity for our most vulnerable and at-risk populations
Minimizes barriers to services by offering remote options when available
Use of Electronic Bank Transfer (eBT) cards for easier shopping and reduced stigma of services
Provide hand off referrals to other available services within the community
Services and materials are available in languages of our population served and ability to provide interpreted services and translated materials for non-English speaking families
Program Goals:
Increase number of families served in Malheur County.
Increase the number of infants exclusively breastfed for 6 months.
Maintain children on the program from infancy through age 5 to optimize health outcomes.
Provide families with education and resources to spend all their FDNP vouchers before the end of the annual WIC Farmers Market season.
More than 8,000 people in Oregon die of tobacco-related diseases every year, and one in four of those deaths are caused by cardiovascular disease. That’s because nicotine raises blood pressure, and the carbon monoxide from cigarette smoke lowers the amount of oxygen your blood can carry. And for nonsmokers, exposure to secondhand smoke has immediate harmful effects on the heart and blood vessels and can cause heart disease and stroke.
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched its annual Tips® campaign, sharing the stories of real people (such as Tammy, above) impacted by serious long-term health effects from smoking and secondhand smoke exposure.
Learn more about smoking and heart disease here.
Resources to quit smoking:
Oregon Tobacco Quit Line offers free tips, information, one-on-one counseling and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to any person in Oregon over age 13, regardless of income or insurance status. Coaches will help you build a plan and get free nicotine gum or the patch. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669) 24/7, text “READY” to 34191 or get started online. They offer coaching in many languages and special services for youth, pregnant people, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Native Quit Line is a free 24/7 service that draws on Indigenous values and provides resources, coaching and support to help American Indians and Alaska Natives quit commercial tobacco. Call 800-QUIT-NOW and press 7.
This is Quitting is a texting program for youth and their parents that helps youth quit vaping e-cigarettes.
Quitting tobacco is difficult, but you don’t have to go through it alone! What works for one person may not work for another. Find help to quit your way through OHA’s Smokefree Oregon program.
Malheur County Health Department 