Saved by the Belt- Danielle Deschenes

Only a few days after the Thanksgiving holiday, Danielle Deschenes and her two children, Alexis Logan and Michael, had a lot to be thankful for—wearing their seatbelts.

On Saturday November 28, 2009, Deschenes loaded her children into their SUV Ford Explorer and headed up north to Havre to pick up a friend from the train station. When the truck she began to pass on the Old Highway put its blinker on, she thought to herself, You have to be kidding me. Just 20 miles outside of Havre, the truck, which was pulling a horse trailer, turned into her lane just as she sped up to pass it. Going 80 miles per hour, Deschenes swerved to miss him and severely overcorrected her car. In hindsight, she says she should have just headed into the ditch. Instead, she heard the car’s axle snap and Deschenes and the children flipped four times.

“I never lost consciousness,” Deschenes says. “I was awake the whole time. I closed my eyes and held on and I could hear my kids in the backseat screaming the whole time.”

When they finally stopped rolling, Deschenes’ first thought was to make sure her children were okay. The smell of gas was overpowering and she claims she’s seen too many movies where people blow up at the site. Deschenes managed to remain calm and helped her seven-year-old son and five-year-old daughter crawl out the back window. The kids kept pointing out that Deschenes’ hands were all bloody and scratched from the broken glass, but she says she was focused on getting out of the vehicle. It wasn’t until later that she would learn she hit her head, bruised her arm and walked away with a black eye. All of it though, is better than the alternative.

“I still can’t believe we walked away from it,” Deschenes says.

Danielle, Alexis Logan and Michael Deschenes were all chosen as the Safe Kids Montana and City-County Health Department’s Saved by the Belt award recipients. They will receive a one-year membership to AAA services and will continue to wear their seat belts.

Through With Chew Week

Four months after the successful implementation of Montana’s Clean Indoor Air Act, Montanans may think spit tobacco is a safe alternative to smoking, but nothing could be further from the truth. The Cascade City-County Health Department, in collaboration with Great Falls Public Schools, will be presenting Through With Chew: Tougher Than Tobacco on Tuesday, February 16th, from 10:50 – 1:30 at Great Falls High School and on Thursday, February 18^th, at 10:50 – 12:30, at Charles M Russell High School.  

“Debilitating nicotine addiction can result from use of other products besides cigarettes,” says Teddy Nault, Tobacco Prevention Specialist of the City-County Health Department.  “Additionally, spit tobacco can deliver up to five times more nicotine than a cigarette, making it especially addictive.” Spit tobacco contains 28 different cancer-causing substances in addition to nicotine, and users are 50 times more likely to develop oral cancer than nonusers. One in three people diagnosed with oral cancer die from it.

“Great Falls’ Tougher Than Tobacco event during Through With Chew Week draw attention to the many health problems that result when individuals believe that spit tobacco is a safe alternative to smoking,” says Teddy Nault. “We do not want the tobacco industry to keep Montanans addicted to nicotine, no matter how it’s delivered.”

The Montana Tobacco Quit Line offers free services tailored for spit tobacco users who want to quit, including cessation coaching, help developing individual quit plans, and nicotine replacement therapy. Quit Line participants are 7 to 10 times more likely to quit than those who attempt quitting alone. Calls are toll-free at 1-800-QUIT-NOW (784-8669).

Share Your Hugs, Not Your Bugs!

The CCHD will be at the Holiday Village Mall on Saturday, February 13th from 10am-2pm to provide FREE H1N1 vaccinations. This is the perfect opportunity to protect yourself and your family. Children ages 9 and under need a second booster dose at least 28 days after their first dose.

If you have any questions, you can call Kate Marone at 452-0881 x314.

Children’s Dental Health Month

Did you know that the health of your child’s baby teeth set the tone for the health of their adult teeth?  “Although many parents believe baby teeth are temporary and unimportant, they actually play an important role in your child’s developing mouth,” says Dr. Huhn, dentist for CCHD’s dental clinic.

The dental clinic at the City-County Health Department in Great Falls is reserving time throughout February for children under the age of 18 in observance of Children’s Dental Health Month.  Appointments will be specifically for dental screenings and fluoride treatments.

The American Dental Association sponsors the annual awareness month to remind parents about the importance of children’s oral health.  Developing good habits early on and scheduling regular dental visits can really get kids on the right track for a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

The CCHD Dental Clinic has reserved 32 appointments in the month of February to assess children’s dental health.  Appointment days will be February 10th, 12th, 19th and 24th between the hours of 3pm and 5pm.  The appointments will be given on a first come, first served basis and all normal fees apply.  Medicaid and Healthy Montana Kids are accepted.

Interested patients may call the City-County Health Department’s Dental Clinic at 791-9267 for an appointment.  The CCHD Dental Clinic routinely provides dental care to children with Medicaid and Healthy Montana Kids, so make an appointment today!

Flu Vaccination Week- Update

The Cascade City-County Health Department will provide H1N1 flu vaccine to all ages, every day next week from 12-3pm in the lobby of the Health Department.  This special and convenient opportunity is in observance of National Flu Vaccination Week throughout January 10-16.  Additionally, the Health Department will be at the schools in Vaughn, Fort Shaw and Simms on Wednesday, January 13^th to vaccinate students, teachers and community members.

The CDC estimates that between April and November, 2009, 47 million people in the US were infected with the 2009 H1N1 flu, more than 200,000 people were hospitalized and almost 10,000 people died.  “The flu is unpredictable and we don’t know the likelihood of another wave of the H1N1 strain, but we do know that vaccination is the most important step to protect yourself and your family”, says Kate Marone, spokesperson for CCHD. 

The Health Department is providing the vaccine free of charge.  Those interested in being vaccinated can also check with their healthcare provider who may have it available.  Individuals who believe they are immune from having the flu earlier this fall are still encouraged to be vaccinated unless they have a laboratory confirmed case of H1N1 flu. 

The Health Department vaccinated 4,300 students in Cascade County through their in-school clinic program throughout December.  Additional school clinics  will be scheduled to provide second booster doses to children under 10 years old- more information will be available soon.

Vaughn, Fort Shaw and Simms residents interested in Wednesday’s clinics should contact their local school.  For any other questions, please visit www.cchdmt.org or call the Health Department at 454-6950.

H1N1 Flu Update- Dec. 11

The Cascade City-County Health Department will hold one more H1N1 flu shot clinic on Friday, December 18th from 12pm – 3pm at the MT ExpoPark.  Based on vaccine availability and demand from the community, the Health Department will vaccinate anyone and everyone who wishes to be vaccinated.

Where & When Will the Vaccine Be Available?

The City-County Health Department will be offering the injectable and nasal vaccine to everyone on Friday, December 18th from 12pm-3pm at the Trades & Industries Building at MT ExpoPark. The vaccine will be provided at no cost.   Please watch www.cchdmt.org or call the Flu Hotline at 877-701-8555 (TOLL FREE) for more information and updates.

School Clinics

The Health Department will continue with all scheduled school clinics during the week of December 14th.  Monday: Meadowlark and Sacajawea; Tuesday: Paris Gibson, East Middle School and Whittier; Wednesday: North Middle School and CM Russell High; Thursday: Great Falls High.

School H1N1 Flu Clinics- Tentative Schedule

The City-County Health Department continues to provide H1N1 injections at all schools throughout Cascade County.  Great Falls Public School clinics will be held between December 8 and December 17.  Please see below for our tentative schedule- this schedule is subject to change based on staffing and vaccine availability. 

Tuesday, December 8: Chief Joseph, Lewis & Clark, Longfellow

Wednesday, December 9: Morningside, Loy, Mountain View

Thursday, December 10: Roosevelt, Lincoln, Riverview

Friday, December 11: West, Valley View, Sunnyside

Monday, December 14: Meadowlark, Sacajawea

Tuesday, December 15: Paris Gibson, East Middle School, Whittier

Wednesday, December 16: North Middle, CM Russell High

Thursday, December 17: Great Falls High

Please contact your child’s school with any questions about H1N1 clinics in the schools.

Seasonal Flu Vaccine Now Available at CCHD

CCHD has received approximately 1,000 doses of seasonal flu vaccine. Individuals are able to come to the Health Department during our open immunization hours to receive the vaccine. The cost is $25 for adults and $14 for children- insurances will be accepted.

Immunization Hours:
Tuesdays: 830-1130 am
Wednesday: 830-1130 am and 1-430 pm
Thursdays: 830-1130 am and 1-430 pm
Fridays: 830-1130 am and 1-430 pm

H1N1 Flu Update- November 25

The Cascade City-County Health Department will hold another H1N1 flu shot clinic on Thursday, December 3rd from 3pm-6pm.  Based on vaccine availability and demand from the community, the Health Department is expanding its eligibility requirements to include all high risk target groups as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control. 

 Who Is Eligible?

- Anyone 6 months — 24 years old

- Caregivers of infants under 6 months old

- Pregnant Women

- Healthcare & Emergency Medical Service Workers

- Anyone 25—64 years old w/ long term health conditions

 Where & When Will the Vaccine Be Available?

The City-County Health Department will be offering the injectable vaccine to the above eligible populations on: Thursday, December 3rd from 3pm-6pm at the Exhibition Hall at MT ExpoPark. The vaccine will be provided at no cost.  No nasal spray vaccine will be available at this clinic.  Please watch www.cchdmt.org or call the Flu Hotline at 877-701-8555 (TOLL FREE) for more information and updates.

H1N1 Update- November 18

The Cascade City-County Health Department will have over 1,000 doses of nasal spray H1N1 vaccine available at a clinic on Monday, November 23rd. Based on vaccine availability and demand from the community, the Health Department is expanding its eligibility requirements to be vaccinated for H1N1.

The CDC guidelines outline the highest priority populations based on their risk for having complications from the flu virus. “We are transitioning into a broader category of those populations and can now vaccinate healthy individuals ages 2—24. This clinic targets these people based on their risk level and the type of vaccine that we’re receiving. We understand many people outside of these high risk groups are eager to be vaccinated, and we hope to provide it for them as soon as we can,” says Kate Marone, spokesperson for CCHD.

Children ages 9 and under who have already received their first dose will be able to receive their second dose at a clinic scheduled for December 3rd (time & location to be announced). Those children need to wait a minimum of one month before receiving their second dose.

Who Is Eligible?

 Healthy Individuals between the ages of 2 and 24.

Where & When Will the Vaccine Be Available?

The City-County Health Department will be offering the nasal spray vaccine to the above eligible populations on:

 Monday, November 23rd from 4pm-6pm at the Exhibition Hall at MT ExpoPark

 The nasal spray vaccine will be provided at no cost. No injections available at this clinic.