Herkimer County HealthNet has been collaborating with the Village of Ilion on numerous projects that address health and safety issues for its citizens. Through the Local IMPACT grant from NYS Department of Health, HCHN provided the Village of Ilion with funding to repaint more than sixty village crosswalks and pedestrian signals.
According to Elyse Enea Bellows, program coordinator at HCHN, “Pedestrians are one of the most-at-risk groups of roadway users. Providing the paint will help to ensure that the crosswalks are freshly marked and easily visible to all users.”
In addition to the improved crosswalks, HCHN has also provided Tick Awareness Signage for the Village to erect in six community parks. The Village of Ilion is taking an active role in educating and protecting park visitors from Lyme and other tick-borne diseases by placing signs that include information on how to avoid tick bites, and the various deer tick sizes to enable park goers to identify a tick should they encounter one. The tick information signs were installed to coincide with the time when ticks are most active, which is from late spring to early autumn.
“We are happy to partner with Herkimer County HealthNet to address health and safety issues for our citizens and look forward to working with them in the future,” said Mayor Terry Leonard.
Development and implementation of these projects is supported by Local IMPACT, the NYSDOH program on Initiatives for Multi-Sector Public Health Action. The Local IMPACT initiative supports the statewide goals of improving population health, transforming health care delivery and reducing health disparities. Herkimer County HealthNet partners with HealtheConnections to implement Local IMPACT within Herkimer County.
The Mission of the Herkimer County HealthNet is to improve the health and well-being of individuals who live, work, play, and learn in Herkimer County. For more information on programs addressing key issues affecting population health, contact Elyse Enea Bellows, Program Coordinator at Herkimer County HealthNet, 315-867-1552 or eenea@herkimercounty.org.