The Rx Awareness campaign tells the real stories of people whose lives were torn apart by prescription opioids. The goal of the campaign is to increase awareness that prescription opioids can be addictive and dangerous. The campaign also strives to decrease the number of individuals who use opioids recreationally or overuse them.

When the Prescription Becomes the Problem

Almost 36 percent of all U.S. opioid overdose deaths involve a prescription opioid. Overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have increase by about 5 times since 1999. From 1999 to 2017, more than 200,000 people died from overdoses related to prescription opioids, with more than 17,000 overdose deaths involving prescription opioids occurring in 2017.

Take Action and Help

Whether you are a healthcare provider, first responder, law enforcement officer, public health official, or community member, the opioid epidemic is likely affecting you and your community. No matter who you are, you can take action to end the opioid overdose epidemic ravaging the United States. We all have a role to play on the frontlines of this fight—it starts with addressing prescription opioid misuse, abuse, and overdose.

• Learn more about prescription opioids so you can help those at risk for opioid use disorder and overdose in your community.
• Help those struggling with addiction find the right care and treatment. Anyone who takes prescription opioids can become addicted and help is available if you or someone you know is battling opioid use disorder.
• Spread the word and increase awareness in your community about the risk and dangers of prescription opioids.

State and local health departments and community organizations can also take part in the Rx Awareness campaign and use the tested campaign materials and resources to launch campaigns, support local prevention activities, and raise awareness about the risks of prescription opioids.

Read the Executive Summary for an overview of the campaign [PDF – 5 MB], and learn how to launch the campaign in your local community.

• Source: https://www.cdc.gov/rxawareness/index.html

Reportable Disease Notifications

Physicians, hospitals, and laboratories report communicable diseases as required by 902 KAR 2:020 to the Epidemiology unit of the health department. Qualified health department staff persons provide investigation of the cases and report the communicable diseases to the state office which reports to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Medical Providers, hospitals, or laboratories who are reporting a communicable disease can download and fill out the Kentucky Reportable Disease (EPID 200) Form.

Staff can be reached for reporting or for consultation using the information below:

• During Operating Hours:
  • Phone: 606-337-7046
  • Fax: 606-337-8321
• After Hours:
  • Kentucky Department for Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Health Planning
  • Phone: 1-888-973-7678 or 1-502-564-3418
  • Fax: 1-502-696-3803

Tuberculosis (TB)

Tuberculosis is a disease caused by tiny germs that are put into the air when a person who is sick with TB disease coughs, laughs, sings, or sneezes. Anyone nearby can breathe in these TB germs and get TB infection.

TB will usually affect the lungs of the infected individual, but it can also sometimes affect other parts of the body. When TB is left untreated, the TB infection can turn into TB disease. TB disease can make you very sick.

What can you do?

1. Get a TB skin test at your healthcare provider or your local health department. The skin test allows the doctor to know if you have ever had TB germs in your body. You may be asked a series of questions for screening purposes before given a TB skin test. If your screening questions show that you have not been at risk for TB infection, you may not actually receive the skin test. You will however, receive the completed screening form in case your employer requires a copy to have in your employee file.
2. Return to the office or clinic in 2 to 3 days (48-72 hours) if you received a TB skin test. This is so the health care provider can read your TB skin test.
3. If you have TB infection or TB disease, you will need to take TB medicine as your health care provider says.

For more information on Tuberculosis (TB), click https://www.cdc.gov/tb/

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV). The virus is found in the blood of persons who have this disease and is spread by contact with infected blood.

What increases my risk for Hepatitis C infection?

• Having a blood transfusion or organ transplant before July 1992
• Having been treated for clotting problems with a blood product made before 1987
• Having ever been on long-term kidney dialysis
• Having ever injected street drugs, even once many years ago
• If you are a healthcare worker exposed to blood in the workplace through accidental needle stick injuries
• A baby born to infected mothers
• Hepatitis C can also be spread by sexual intercourse, but this does not occur very often.

Hepatitis C is not spread by:

• Sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses
• Casual contact
• Breastfeeding
• Sneezing
• Food or water
• Coughing
• Hugging or kissing

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable, communicable disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It is usually transmitted person-to-person through the fecal-oral route or consumption of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis A is a self-limited disease that does not result in chronic infection. Most adults with hepatitis A have symptoms, including fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and jaundice, that usually resolve within 2 months of infection; most children less than 6 years of age do not have symptoms or have an unrecognized infection. Antibodies produced in response to hepatitis A infection last for life and protect against reinfection. The best way to prevent hepatitis A infection is to get vaccinated.

How is hepatitis A spread?

Hepatitis A usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. Hepatitis A can also spread from close personal contact with an infected person such as through sex or caring for someone who is ill.

Contamination of food (this can include frozen and undercooked food) by hepatitis A can happen at any point: growing, harvesting, processing, handling, and even after cooking. Contamination of food or water is more likely to occur in countries where hepatitis A is common and in areas where there are poor sanitary conditions or poor personal hygiene. In the United States, chlorination of water kills hepatitis A virus that enters the water supply. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) routinely monitors natural bodies of water used for recreation for fecal contamination so there is no need for monitoring for hepatitis A virus specifically.

Who is at risk for hepatitis A?

Although anyone can get hepatitis A, in the United States, certain groups of people are at higher risk, such as:

• People with direct contact with someone who has hepatitis A
• Travelers to countries where hepatitis A is common
• Men who have sexual contact with men
• People who use drugs, both injection and non-injection drugs
• Household members or caregivers of a recent adoptee from countries where hepatitis A is common
• People with clotting factor disorders, such as hemophilia
• People working with nonhuman primates

For more information on Hepatitis, visit https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis

Contact the Bell County Health Department if you have questions about these or other communicable diseases.

For those looking for Addiction Treatment options, please visit FindHelpNowKY.org.

You can also call: 1-833-8KY-HELP (1-833-859-4357)

Beginning March 1 of 2019, the Bell County Health Department will be offering its Food Handler’s training class as an online internet based course.  The online course content is replacing the current class format that will no longer be given weekly in the conference rooms of the Pineville and Middlesboro Health department offices.  This is a class that is a required annual training for all Bell County employees that work in the food service industry, as well as any newly hired food service worker BEFORE they begin at their place of employment.

The training can be accessed by clicking here.

What is HANDS?

The Health Access Nurturing Development Services (HANDS) program is a voluntary home visitation program for moms, dads and families. We provide information on prenatal care, nutrition, safety and child development, all to help you on your journey to be a successful parent.

Who can participate?

Contact your local health department for more information, but be sure to call soon! Families must be enrolled prenatally or before a child is three months old. All 120 Kentucky Counties can work with first time parents, and now 78 counties can work with families with more than one child.

What can you expect?

Through HANDS, you will receive support, information and activities that will help you and your baby navigate early parenthood together. Our goals are to support healthy child growth and development, ensure safe homes and help parents reach the goals they have for their children and their family.

To get involved, contact your local health department, or visit www.KYHANDS.com to find a HANDS program near you.

Please see:  https://maketheconnection.net/

Please see: https://www.caring.com/medicare/

https://www.mesotheliomahope.com/