By: Springfield-Greene County Health Suicide Prevention Awareness Week has a long history of shedding light on the crisis of suicide in the U.S. and across the world through education and advocacy. …

By Dr. Nancy Yoon, Chief Medical Officer at Springfield-Greene County Health Aug. 31 marks International Overdose Awareness Day, when people across the globe come together to raise awareness of overdoses, reduce stigma, and acknowledge the grief which lingers in family and friends left behind. It is, unfortunately, a day that…

By Dr. Nancy Yoon, Chief Medical Officer at Springfield-Greene County Health When pollen season begins in the spring, an estimated 60 million people per year in the U.S. begin having the telltale signs of pollen allergies: sneezing, runny nose, watery, itchy eyes and congestion. …

By Mary Ellison, Springfield-Greene County WIC Coordinator August is National Breastfeeding Month. This month is celebrated world-wide to recognize the health benefits for the breastfeeding diad as well as the social and economical impact the choice to breastfeed provides. The Springfield-Greene County Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program joins this celebration. Many new parents may face challenges…

By Stephanie Woehl, Communicable Disease Prevention Coordinator The start of the 2022–23 school year is upon us, which means homework, field trips, and, unfortunately, a higher chance of illness. …

By Dr. Nancy Yoon, Chief Medical Officer at Springfield-Greene County Health Vaccines represent one of the greatest success stories in public health, as we’ve talked about before on Healthy Ozarks. Vaccines cause the body’s immune system to create antibodies to fight off infection from bacteria, viruses and other organisms that…

By Springfield-Greene County Health You may have heard someone use the phrase “self-care” once or twice. Whether it’s used to explain that extra pastry in the morning or buying a new pair of shoes, self-care, put simply, is taking care of oneself. While the surface-level meaning of self-care can include…

By: Dr. Nancy Yoon, Springfield-Greene County Health Diabetes is just one of several health conditions impacting the Springfield community right now, but its prevalence in our community exceeds state, regional, and national percentages. At 11%, diabetes is a public health concern in our community. Approximately 37 million U.S. adults currently…

By: Dr. Nancy Yoon at Springfield-Greene County Health Early Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Awareness Month kicked off June 1 to shed a light on the disease and other types of dementia impacting people around the country. Alzheimer’s is a disease which affects the mind and causes…