Tag Archives: Ross County Health District

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Ross Health District Hosts Bicycle Rodeo

Presented By Hometown-Motors, Inc.

(Chillicothe) – The Ross County Health District and partners will be hosting a bicycle rodeo on June 27, 2021.

This family friendly event will provide bicycle education for all age groups, teaching how to safely ride a bicycle for both recreation and active transportation. If the bicycle rodeo course is completed, participants will be entered into a raffle to win a free bicycle provided by the CHC program; there will be four bicycles given away.

The first 145 people to register at the day of the event will receive a free helmet provided by the County Parks District and funded through American Pediatrics.

Other partners will be providing giveaways such as coloring books, bicycle equipment, etc. and conducting activities for participants to partake in. For example, the sheriff department will be conducting the fingerprint station for children and the library will be hosting a bicycle themed arts and crafts booth. It is encouraged to bring a bicycle to complete the obstacle course, but it is not necessary.

Date & Location

Sunday, June 27, 2021
1 – 4 PM
Registration is at Yoctangee Park’s Kiwanis Shelter House

Participating Partners

Ross County Creating Healthy Communities Program (CHC) • Ross County Mobility Management Program • Ross County Tobacco Program • Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library • Ross County Sheriff Department • Chillicothe City Police Department • Ross County Parks District • Chillicothe Parks and Recreation Department •Chillicothe Kiwanis Club • Ross County YMCA • Chillicothe McDonald’s • Ross County Home Visiting Program • Ross County Project DAWN • Ross County National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) • Chillicothe Trails

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Area Counties Begin Pfizer Vaccinations for Those 12-15

Presented By Rathkamp Financial

The Ross County Health District COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Clinic at Ohio University-Chillicothe started vaccinating those age 12-15 today (5/13/21), as they continue vaccinations for those older than that age range as well.

A minor receiving the shot must have a parent or guardian present. Ross Health Commissioner Garrett Guillozet says those age 12-17, are currently permitted to receive only the Pfizer two-dose shots, as approved by the Federal Food & Drug Administration.

Vaccinations for all other age groups are permitted to receive Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, although all three varieties might not always be available on a given day at the Ross Health District vaccination site.

Guillozet says they are accepting walk-ins for the vaccinations or you can make an appointment by calling the health district at (740) 779-9652.

Clinic hours at OU-Chillicothe’s Shoemaker Center are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday between 9am-11am and 1pm-3:30pm and Thursday hours are 9am-11am and 1pm-4:45pm.

Pfizer vaccine is now available in Ohio for people ages 12 and up.  This age eligibility expansion is an important part of increasing vaccination rates and protecting our community from COVID-19. 

Highland County’s first dose Pfizer vaccine clinic for those 12 and older is going to be held on May 19 from 3PM to 7PM here at the health department.  Pre-registration is REQUIRED.  We do not normally carry Pfizer vaccine, so we need to be certain how much Pfizer to request for this clinic.  We will not be accepting walk-ins for Pfizer vaccine. 

To register for Highland County’s Pfizer vaccine, visit https://hchdcovidvax.timetap.com/#/ or call 937-393-1941. 

If someone is looking for other Pfizer vaccine options, our two neighboring health departments will be offering Pfizer at other times next week. 

Fayette County Public Health has a clinic on Tuesday from 2PM to 6PM.  Fayette County Public Health online registration can be found at  http://faycohd.org/

Clinton County Health District has clinics on the following dates:

Monday, May 17 from 12PM to 4PM

Tuesday, May 18 from 12PM to 4PM

Wednesday, May 19 from 12PM to 4PM (Southern State Campus in Wilmington)

Thursday, May 20 from 12PM to 6PM

Clinton County Health District online registration can be found at https://bookclintoncovidvax.timetap.com/#/

Please contact Highland County Health Department at 937-393-1941 with any questions.

For vaccination clinics elsewhere, contact the county health department in the county where you live to get information as to what their current schedules are for COVID-19 vaccinations.

You should plan to stay at least 15 minutes following the vaccination, to make sure you do not exhibit any negative reaction to the shot. Make sure the individual receiving the vaccine has a snack and is hydrated before the appointment and had a good night’s rest, the night before.

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Ross Health District Hosting “Pop UP” Events

Presented By Rathkamp Financial

Ross County Health District’s Overdose Prevention Team along with area partners are holding pop up events around the county throughout the summer.

Each event will have access to Community Action peer support services, educational materials, masks and hand sanitizer, free Narcan, sexual health and treatment information, limited HIV and Hep C testing from Equitas Health, and connections to community resources. 

See list of dates and locations below: 

May 27, 2021 | 3 to 5 p.m. Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library Howard S. Young Branch (Frankfort) 

June 3, 2021 | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.Ross County Service Center (JFS) 

June 24, 2021 | 3 to 5 p.m. First Capital Prevention on Main 

July 1, 2021 | 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.Ross County Service Center (JFS) 

July 29, 2021 | 3 to 5 p.m. Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library Paxton Branch  

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Easier Method Introduced For Ross Birth & Death Certificates

Presented By Hometown-Motors, Inc.

(Chillicothe) – Beginning on April 21, 2021, the Ross County Health District (RCHD) in conjunction with Permitium is utilizing VitalDirector for processing, payment, and issuance of birth and death certificates online.

This new, innovative method for vital statistics will speed up turnaround time, ensure a greater level of security, and provide another option for customers who are unable to come to RCHD. For RCHD, this method through VitalDirector will track and organize data quicker and more conveniently. Birth and death certificates are still available in our office for those who are able to come in.

“We have partnered with Permitium to give a fast, easy, affordable and secure way for our community to request certified copies of birth and death certificates without needing to come into our office,” said Garrett Guillozet, RCHD Health Commissioner, “The ordering process with VitalDirector ensures statute compliance, increases security, automates, tracks, organizes, and streamlines vital record ordering in Ross County as well as throughout the State of Ohio.”

Permitium is a leading provider of cloud-based software for Vital Record offices around the United States focused on Extending Government Services to Communities. Permitium has been partnering with innovative Vital Record agencies since 2009 while currently serving over 42 million citizens across the United States.

To utilize this service, please visit rosscountyhealth.org/vital-statistics.

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Congressman Wenstrup Visits OU-Chillicothe Vaccination Clinic

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U.S Representative Brad Wenstrup confers with Garrett Guillozet, Ross County Health Commissioner at the RCHD Vaccination Clinic in Shoemaker Center at Ohio University Chillicothe. Dan Ramey/Litter Media
Click to hear what Rep. Brad Wenstrup had to say during his visit of the RCHD Vaccination Clinic Tuesday March 30, 2021

Ohio Congressman Brad Wenstrup visited the Ross County Health District COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at the Ohio University Chillicothe Shoemaker Center on Tuesday.. 

The 2nd district congressman, who is also a U.S. Army Reserve officer and Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, thanked nurses and members of the Ross County Health District who are working the clinics. 

“At a local level, we’re getting it done and should all be pleased with the results we’re seeing in the number of people coming out to get the vaccine and volunteers helping their community with it,” Wenstrup said. “We adapt and overcome, and it’s been great to see so many people in our district step up and get this done. I think it’s good for every American to get vaccinated if they can, if they’re medically able, it’ll benefit the whole country and community as far as our health.”

“As I’ve visited vaccine clinics, what I’ve noticed is that every location has its own unique quality that fits its community,” Wenstrup added. “I’ve visited clinics like this located in partnering facilities, to vaccine clinics in fairgrounds, each of them representing their community in its own way.”

Approximately 6,000 people have been vaccinated at the Shoemaker Center site since February 1st. Ross County has administered 19,182 total vaccines as of March 29th, which is 25% of the county receiving at least one dose of the vaccine. Of those vaccines, 11,377 have been completed with both doses administered. 

Ross County Health District officials have told Litter Media that most individuals at the Ou-Chillicothe clinic site are getting in and out with their shot within 20 minutes, including the 15-minute observation period after the shot.

The Shoemaker Center has served as a vaccine site since the beginning of February.

U.S Representative Brad Wenstrup confers with Garrett Guillozet, Ross County Health Commissioner at the RCHD Vaccination Clinic in Shoemaker Center at Ohio University Chillicothe. Dan Ramey/Litter Media
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Gov. DeWine Visits Ross Health District COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic At OU-Chillicothe

Presented By Atomic Speedway

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has been visiting COVID-19 vaccination clinics statewide in recent weeks and added Chillicothe to his list, Wednesday afternoon.

His tour took him to the Ross County Health District Vaccination Clinic being hosted by Ohio University-Chillicothe’s Shoemaker Center.

DeWine took the opportunity to speak with workers at the clinic along with individuals who were there to get a vaccination.

One of those getting a shot was kindergarten teacher Kylie Frankel, who graded the experience as an “A”. She also told the governor and his wife Fran that she would be getting married in a couple of months, to which the governor told her by June she should be OK for a traditional wedding setting.

The governor said as of Tuesday’s count, Ross County had administered more than 15,000 vaccinations, which is almost 20% of the county’s population. And that statistic does not count the number of veterans who have received COVID-19 shots at the V.A. Medical Center in Chillicothe, which would add many more to that Ross County total.

When asked about the recently announced plan to create a mass vaccination clinic at Adena Health System, the governor said he hoped to see that opened by March 29th, depending on whether they receive expected shipments of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine.

The Adena clinic is expected to have up to 4,000 vaccine doses per week.

Ross County Health District Commissioner Garrett Guillozet said their Shoemaker Center vaccination clinic averages between 300-500 people per day and up to 1,000 per week, with Wednesday typically being their slowest day.

Guillozet added that they have “plenty of open appointments” for vaccinations the week of March 21st.

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RCHD Ready For New Vaccination Station

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Presented by McDonalds, I’m Lovin’ It!

Ohio University-Chillicothe’s Shoemaker Center will be the mass vaccination site for all Ross County Health District COVID-19 clinics, moving forward, starting February 2nd.

Administrators from the Ross County Health District took Litter Media on a “test run” Monday of their new clinic site at OU-Chillicothe.

Ross County Health District Commissioner Garrett Guillozet says they can get many more people vaccinated in a single days time at Shoemaker Center compared to their health district office.

“At our office on a very busy day, we can accommodate about 100 individuals coming into receive their COVID vaccine. Here at this location with this capacity, we can accommodate between 300-500 people per day, and that’s really over about a five to six hour time period.”

He added that if they receive more doses of the vaccine, they would be able to offer it over a longer period of time each day.

Currently, all vaccinations through the health department are being done through appointment only, which began registration in early January for those age 65 years of age and over. Guillozet says they are working off that original list and not currently taking any additional registrations until they work through many of the 5,000 people they have already registered.

When it is time for those registered to get their shots, they will be notified by a phone call from the the health district concerning the date of your appointment with a follow-up automated call that gives you the location and time of your shot. Eventually when the general public is allowed to get their vaccinations, the clinics will continue at Shoemaker Center with as many as several hundred vaccinations per day, possibly without registrations.

Guillozet says the health district is not charging anything for the COVID-19 vaccinations. “It is entirely free, there is no cost. We are not currently collecting insurance information for insurance billing. Some providers are doing that, but the health district is not doing that at this time”.

Ohio school employees are being vaccinated in February, but Guillozet says the health district will only be vaccinating school personnel from Chillicothe City Schools and Paint Valley Schools. Employees in those two districts will be notified about the specific times and days, scheduled for the week of February 22nd.

The remaining Ross County districts will receive their vaccinations through Wahlgreen’s, who will notify those school administrators concerning the times and dates for their vaccinations the final week of February. 

Beyond the current 1B vaccination schedule, Guillozet says they do not yet have the specifics of the upcoming 1C vaccination categories.

Ross County Health District Commissioner, Garrett Guillozet discusses how the RCHD will dispense the Phase 1B Coronavirus vaccinations at Ohio University- Chillicothe
Upon arrival, those keeping their appointments will enter a screening station.
Clipboards await registrants for the screening process.
The waiting area for the vaccination.
In the foreground, the waiting area for vaccinations. In the middle the vaccination stations and in the background, the observation area. Those receiving vaccinations will be observed for a 15 minute period before being permitted to leave the Shoemake Center.
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RCHD Starting Phase 1B of COVID-19 Vaccination

Presented by McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

(Chillicothe, OH) — The Ross County Health District (RCHD) is currently offering COVID-19 vaccinations to individuals who are eligible in Phase 1A of the state’s COVID- 19 Vaccination Program. This includes those working on the frontlines during the pandemic response, such as EMS personnel and healthcare workers who care for COVID patients. Phase 1B of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program will begin in Ross County on January 19, 2021.

The first tier of Phase 1B includes those 80+ years old of the general population (those not living in assisted living facilities or nursing homes). We have started a registration list and will begin scheduling individuals from that list soon. If you need to register, you can do so on our website.

There are 420,000 individuals in this age range in Ohio. Governor DeWine reported that Ohio is expected to receive 100,000 doses of vaccine per week. This means not everyone age 80+ will be able to get the vaccine in the first week. Our goal is to vaccinate all of those eligible for the vaccine who choose to receive it as quickly as possible. We are working with other providers in the area to distribute the vaccine efficiently, but the number of vaccines distributed to Ross County residents depends on the number of doses the State receives.

According to Governor DeWine, Ohioans 75 years of age and older and those with severe congenital or developmental disorders will be able to receive vaccine starting the week of January 25, 2021. Ohioans 70 years of age and older and all employees of K-12 schools that wish to remain or return to in-person or hybrid models will be able to receive vaccine starting the week of February 1, 2021. Ohioans 65 years of age and older will be able to receive vaccine starting the week of February 8, 2021.

Employees of K-12 schools will receive information on the vaccine and registration from their school administrators. We will open registration for those with severe congenital or developmental disorders closer to the week of January 25.

The list of Ohioans with severe congenital, developmental, or early onset medical disorders includes cerebral palsy; spina bifida; congenital heart disease; type 1 diabetes; inherited metabolic disorders; severe neurological disorders including epilepsy; severe genetic disorders, including Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, and Turner syndrome; severe lung disease, including cystic fibrosis and severe asthma; sickle cell anemia; and alpha and beta thalassemia.

Please be patient as this process will take time. The number of vaccinations RCHD can administer depends heavily on the amount of vaccine received by the State. When a new age range opens, that does not mean every person in previous ranges have been vaccinated as this is a two-dose vaccine. It simply means that vaccine availability to the State is increasing. Please email us at information@ rosscountyhealth.org if you have any questions or read about Ohio’s Phased Approach to COVID- 19 Vaccination here.

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RCHD Announces Mitigation Strategies to get through 2020

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COVID-19 case counts continue to mount in Ross and surrounding counties. In a Zoom Meeting on November 30, 2020, the Ross County Health District shared recommendations on mitigation strategies to slow the the spread through the holidays.

Health Commissioner Garrett Guillozet says the county’s case count has risen to four times the Centers of Disease Control’s definition of high incident rate.

Guillozet’s recommendations are in addition to the Health Order issued by the Ohio Department of Health. They include:

  1. Schools are recommended to cease all extracurricular activities and youth sporting events. This includes school sports, club sports, travel sports, and other school-related activities.
  2. Community festivals, events, and gatherings should be suspended.
  3. Businesses and government offices are strongly advised to have all staff to work from home and implement teleworking, as necessary.
  4. Churches and houses of worship are strongly advised not to meet in person and to use online or “drive-in” options.
  5. Community, governmental, social, and other similar organizational meetings are strongly advised to be held virtually.
  6. All residents are encouraged not to gather with people outside their households.

Also on the call are Kirk Tucker, MD and CCO for Adena Health System. Tucker talks about the impact the pandemic is having on health care workers and the system itself.

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RCHD’s Recommendation to Schools Regarding Sports & Extra Curricular Activities

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November 20th, the Ross County Health District released an open letter cautioning citizens about the amount of new COVID-19 cases reported to the Health District offices (484 since November 1st and over 700 in October) and the deaths of 56 residents due to the coronavirus as a concern for a potential increase in hospitalizations. “We face an uncertain future with a decrease in hospital capacity and limited staffing” stated the letter.

This week, RCHD made a recommendation to the county school districts regarding youth sports and extra curricular activities. In a release (see below) to local schools Wednesday, RCHD recommended “the postponement of winter youth sports games/competitions and extracurricular activities for schools in our jurisdiction. This recommendation is a mitigation strategy aimed at reducing the severity and lowering harm. This is a not a cancellation, but a postponement to help get us through the holiday season.”

Of Ross County’s districts, only Chillicothe City Schools took the RCHD’s recommendation, suspending athletic competitions and extra curricular activities until January 5, 2021.

By placing their seasons on hold, Chillicothe High School and Middle School Athletic Departments have begun rescheduling games. CHS AD Mike Barren told Litter Media Wednesday afternoon he’s rescheduling as many of the games he can, with priority given to the games in the Frontier Athletic Conference. At the varsity level, that means the Boys and Girls Basketball teams will miss the entire first round of FAC play, five games each, plus six non-conference Girls games, four Boys games, ten Bowling matches, six Swim Meets and two Wrestling Meets.

RCHD explained “We certainly understand the impact of our recommendations, but the health district is looking at the totality of the situation. Case counts are just one factor that we must take into consideration when formulating our recommendations. Outpatient visits, emergency department visits, hospital admissions, and Intensive Care Unit bed availability in our region are all reaching critical levels. We do not make this recommendation lightly but do so to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 within our schools and communities.”

The recommendation is effective immediately and will last until January 1, 2021.

“At that time, we will reassess the situation and evaluate the data to determine whether the recommendation shall continue” stated the release. “This is not an order, but a recommendation and it has been made in consultation with our school leaders.”