KEWANEE WEATHER

Health roundup for Jan. 1


By The Kewanee Voice    January 2, 2025

Make your health a priority in the new year

Planning your New Year’s resolutions for 2025? The Henry and Stark County Health Department and their First Choice Healthcare Clinics offer the following Healthy Resolutions Checklist to consider:

  • Get your annual exam
  • Seek Help for behavioral and mental health issues
  • Keep your annual pap test
  • Make sure all in the family are up-to-date on needed immunizations
  • Eat healthy
  • Get exercise
  • Keep/make well baby/well child exams
  • Get an annual fasting blood draw
  • Protect your sexual health

The First Choice Healthcare Clinics may be able to help you with clinic and lab services, mental health clinic services and therapies, PrEP/HIV prevention medications and services, immunizations, women exams and health education and counseling. These services are available at their clinic locations in Kewanee, Colona and Toulon. They also remind area residents that they have grant funds, services and programs to help you keep your 2025 New Year’s resolutions.

The new year can be a great opportunity to start fresh. And New Year’s resolutions can be a powerful tool to give your health a big boost – and improve your whole life.

For more information call the First Choice Healthcare Clinics in Kewanee at 309-852-5272; Colona at 309-792-4011; and Toulon at 309-852-3115 or visit their website at www.henrystarkhealth.com.

First Choice Healthcare Kewanee Clinic to offer ‘certified DOT physicals clinics’

The Henry and Stark County Health Department and their First Choice Healthcare Clinic in Kewanee (110 N. Burr Blvd) announce they will be conducting certified DOT physical clinics every Wednesday in January. Please note appointments, which are necessary, can be made by calling the clinic at 309-852-5272 Kewanee. Appointments will be offered every Wednesday in January from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at each location.

  • The Department of Transportation requires some drivers to get regular physicals to make sure they can drive safely. If any of the following apply to you, you must get a DOT physical and carry a DOT medical certificate when you drive a commercial vehicle:
  • You are paid to operate a motor vehicle that holds nine to 15 passengers; you drive the vehicle more than 75 miles from where you report to work; you operate this vehicle for interstate commerce purposes
  • You operate a motor vehicle with a gross combination weight rating, gross vehicle weight, gross vehicle weight rating, or gross combination weight of at least 10,001 pounds; you operate this vehicle for interstate commerce purposes
  • You transport hazardous materials in certain quantities

First Choice Healthcare notes, “If you want to comply with federal law, a qualified medical examiner must complete your DOT physical form. Their nurse practitioners are certified DOT medical examiners.”

DOT physical participants should expect the examiner to review their health history and ask the participant to list the medications taken on a regular basis. During your DOT physical, the examiner will also do the following:

  • Check your pulse and blood pressure
  • Perform a vision test
  • Observe your general appearance
  • Examine your eyes, throat, mouth, and ears
  • Listen to your heart and lungs
  • Check for spine deformities
  • Perform a neurological exam
  • Press on your abdomen to check for abnormalities
  • Perform a hernia check

In addition, those who are seeing a provider and are on medication for sleep apnea, diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiac, anxiety, ADHD/ADD, depression, other mental health issues and seizures need to obtain a “Clearance Letter” from the provider of care and bring it to their appointment.

For more information call the Kewanee Clinic at (309) 852-5272 or visit their website at www.henrystarkhealth.com.

Monthly CPR classes available

The Henry and Stark County Health Departments and First Choice Healthcare are offering monthly CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) certification classes.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States. That’s why they encourage people to take a CPR certification class. As the American Heart Association states, “Learn to save a life, learn CPR. The life you SAVE could be that of a loved one.”

CPR training will teach participants to recognize and care for breathing and cardiac emergencies in infants, children, and adults. Instruction will also be given on how to recognize emergencies and actions to take, and understanding the role of AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) in the Cardiac Chain of Survival.

CPR Classes are held the fourth Tuesday monthly. The class will be held at the health department offices, 110 N. Burr Blvd., Kewanee, IL. The classes will run from 4 to 6 p.m. The cost of the class is $45 per participant. Payment and registration is due prior to the class date.

There is a set participant “minimum” and “maximum” for classes; so anyone interested should contact the department at 309-852-0197, ext. 231.