By Clay Goddard, Southwest Region President for Brightli, parent company of Burrell Behavioral Health. Last week was Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week. Because we all value the health of our children, it is an appropriate time to assess the changing mental health landscape that our young generations are navigating. In…

By Jill Allen, Public Health Nurse and Erica Little, Administrator of Chronic Disease Prevention for Springfield-Greene County Health Mental health is an important aspect of overall maternal health, and it can be impacted by a variety of factors, including trauma. Trauma can take many forms, including physical, emotional, or sexual…

By Lauren Stockam, a Public Health Information Specialist with Springfield-Greene County Health When you need help with your mental health, it’s important to have a place to turn for resources and connections to treatment. In Springfield and Greene County, we are fortunate to have many organizations dedicated to improving mental…

By Ruth Brown, the NEST Partnership Coordinator with Springfield-Greene County Health Every year, the last week of April is dedicated to National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW). This week is an important reminder of the vital role that vaccines play in protecting children from preventable diseases. This year, NIIW is highlighting…

By Molly Boxrud and Amber Greek, Disease Intervention Specialists with Springfield-Greene County Health The landscape of dating and sex has changed significantly in the 21st century. As our technology has evolved, so have the ways people communicate and meet. Dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr allow users to meet…

Katie Town, Director of Health for Springfield-Greene County Health Below is a letter included in the SGCHD 2022 Annual Report published this week. To view the full report, go to Annual Report | Springfield, MO — Official Website (springfieldmo.gov). Much of the last few years has been focused on our…

By Kelsey Conner, Public Health Information Specialist for Springfield-Greene County Health Throughout the years, homelessness has been seen as both an economic and social crisis. However, when you look at chronic homelessness through only a social or economic lens, you miss out on the nuances of what can be both…

By Brenda Schell, Missouri Public Health Analyst at the CDC Foundation Communities across the United States are facing an evolving and complex overdose epidemic, which claimed more than 100,000 lives in 2022. Recent increases in overdose deaths have largely been attributed to illicit fentanyl, which has increasingly been combined with…

By Dr. Nancy Yoon, Chief Medical Officer at Springfield-Greene County Health Before Black History Month was celebrated in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial, Dr. Carter G. Woodson established Black History Week in 1926 to commemorate and celebrate the contributions to our nation made by people of African descent. …