The Linn County Public Health Department has been expanding its systems for monitoring and reporting on air quality across the county, including adding an additional location for its portable air quality monitors.
As Linn County’s first-ever health equity program manager, Anne Harris Carter investigates how racism has impacted mental well-being in the community, and how the local health care system can provide culturally informed care and a sense of social belonging to more people.
On a tight budget, or just unsure how much you’ll be riding? There are low-cost options available through three area nonprofit groups.
Linn County may fine property owners who fail to reduce lead hazards to protect vulnerable residents, including those in older owner-occupied homes or those in substandard rental housing where landlords may lack incentives to address these health risks.
This year, new vaccines for COVID-19 and RSV bring hope to reduce the number of cases of severe illness. But as of Aug. 31, only 1 in 5 Iowans are up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
As drifting smoke from ongoing wildfires across Canada create curtains of haze causing unhealthy air quality throughout Iowa and the Midwest, environmental activists and Democratic lawmakers worry local efforts to regulate and improve air quality could be at risk under a state law taking effect Saturday.
Iowa has fared remarkably well compared with all but one neighboring state, even when adjusting for population.
While Iowans are generally highly vaccinated against polio, Linn County public health officials say recent cases in New York, Israel and the UK serve as a reminder and a warning not to forsake vaccines.
The city of Cedar Rapids is again requiring staff and visitors to wear masks or face coverings inside city buildings to curb the spread of COVID-19 as Iowa sees another uptick in cases.
My Care Community is a partnership of dozens of area health care and social service providers that aims to improve residents’ overall well-being through care coordination. The network recently switched to a new platform.
Linn County Public Health is now offering treatment for those with hepatitis C, a liver disease that is growing in prevalence across the state. Officials are seeing a higher prevalence among those who use injection drugs, who often face barriers to care.
Syphilis cases have increased 55 percent between 2020 and 2021 in Iowa, preliminary data from the Iowa Department of Public Health shows. In addition, a spike in congenital syphilis has alarmed public health officials.
Anne Harris Carter has been hired as the first-ever health equity manager at Linn County Public Health. The daughter of Dr. Percy and Lileah Harris, Carter will focus on addressing systematic barriers to health equity, such as racism and poverty, that community members face.
An in-depth analysis of pandemic response commissioned by Linn County Public Health identified the communication gap between state officials and local public health departments as a hindrance to agencies’ COVID-19 response.
Schools end notifications after Linn and Johnson county public health departments announced an end to COVID-19 contact tracing efforts earlier this month.
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