At the Columbia County Department of Health, we care about our community. We provide many important programs and services to help everyone live the most active, healthy life possible. Check our calendar for upcoming clinics or choose a topic to learn more about the programs most beneficial to you.
Download the Columbia County Health Department mobile app: https://apps.myocv.com/share/
The Communicable Disease program conducts the following important activities to help stop the spread of disease in the community:
The program follows New York State law for reportable diseases.
Our STD clinics are held every Wednesday from 9 AM – 10 AM at our office (325 Columbia St, Suite 100, Hudson, NY 12534). At these clinics, our providers can test and provide medication or appropriate referrals for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) including syphilis, HIV, chlamydia, and gonorrhea. These services are free and confidential. Walk-ins and appointments are accepted. Please call our office for more information: (518) 828-3358.
The Columbia County Department of Health provides nursing services through its Licensed Home Care Services Agency (LHCSA). A Registered Professional Nurse can visit individuals in the community to provide services for:
Lead poisoning is a condition caused by the swallowing or inhaling of lead. Some sources for this can be lead-based paint or pipes found in older residences or buildings, and any other lead-containing materials including contaminated dust or fumes. Young children face the greatest risks from lead because their bodies absorb lead more easily, and because they are more apt to put things into their mouths.
You can stay safe around lead! Wash the lead out! Keep your home clean. Dust and dirt in and around your home may contain lead. Lead is harmful for adults, children and even unborn babies. In babies and children, it can cause permanent learning and behavior problems, slowed growth, hearing problems, kidney problems, damage to nervous system and brain and even death.
Lead can be found in some hobby & craft supplies. It can be found in costume or play jewelry, painted and metal toys. Food or drinks stored in leaded glassware or lead-glazed pottery may contain lead as well as water from old lead pipes. Some folk remedies can contain lead such as: Greta, Azarcon, Ghasard and Ba-baw-san. Some candies, especially those from countries that do not regulate lead, can contain lead. Paint, paint chips or paint dust in homes built before 1978 is a major source of lead exposure for children in the United States. Chipping and peeling paint from old tubs and sinks. Lead from emissions for cars which burned lead gasoline rests in the soil of yards, playgrounds, or gardens near busy streets and highways.
Eat enough healthy foods especially foods high in iron and calcium. Avoid fried and high fat foods! The body easily absorbs lead when you eat high fat foods. Wash your hands often and carefully after playing outside, before eating and before sleeping. Get your children tested, especially at age 1 and 2! Even children who seem healthy can have high levels of lead in their bodies.
The new rule…..The EPA is requiring that contractors be Lead-Safe Certified! Contractors include: renovators, electricians, HVAC specialists, plumbers, painters and maintenance staff who disrupt more than 6 square feet of lead paint. If you live in an apartment or condominium, it is your right to insist on a Lead-Safe Certified Contractor! To find a contractor who is Lead-Safe Certified near you, visit EPA Get Lead Safe or call 1-800-424-LEAD.
Pediatricians who see children between the ages of six months and six years of age should conduct universal lead screenings. Testing is recommended at age 1 and 2.
The Columbia County Department of Health provides lead screenings by appointment for children under age 6 who have no medical insurance. An environmental assessment for lead in a structure can be performed by this department when elevated blood levels have been demonstrated for occupants.
Timely immunizations are one of the most important ways for you to protect yourself and others from serious diseases and infections. If you are a parent, the New York State Department of Health, the CDC, and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend that you keep your children up-to-date with the recommended vaccination schedule. It is also important for adults to be sure that they’ve received all the vaccinations recommended for adults.
Please see the videos and resources below to learn more about the importance of immunizations.
Our immunization clinics are held every Tuesday from 1 PM – 4 PM and select Tuesdays from 4 PM – 6 PM (by appointment only) at our office (325 Columbia St, Suite 100, Hudson, NY 12534). At these clinics, routine child, adolescent and adult immunizations are offered. Please contact our office for appointments or for more information: 518-828-3358.
We accept and participate with the following insurance plans:
The Columbia County Department of Health offers programs and services to assist families during pregnancy, after the baby’s birth, and during the childhood years. Our goal is to provide education, assessments, and health care to help promote the healthiest possible start for your child’s life. Home visits are available by a nurse trained in mother, baby, and child care. Available services include:
Children with special health care needs are those from birth to age 21 years who require health care or related services beyond the regular well care and preventive measures to keep children healthy.
These may include children who have or are suspected of having a serious chronic, physical, developmental, or emotional condition. Healthy children and adolescents that have developed special needs due to illness or an accident also may require additional health care.
The Columbia County Department of Health’s Children with Special Health Care Needs – CSHCN – is a program designed to provide information and guidance to families with a special needs child.
A registered nurse is on staff to offer assistance with access to appropriate specialty care. Resource information and group support for a child’s particular condition is provided. The nurse may also assist with organizing your child’s medical history and records, help find transportation for medical appointments, and obtain translation services in Spanish or other languages. Families can be linked with community-based agencies and service providers such as:
CSHCN will provide services for children who meet criteria covered under Special Health Care Needs, whose families meet income eligibility for this program, and whose child is not eligible for Medicaid or insurance through Child Health Plus. For insured children or those enrolled in Child Health Plus, the program may pay for services for which insurance denies coverage.
This program offered by Columbia County Department of Health assists families in paying medical bills for children with severe chronic illness and disabilities between birth and 21 years of age who live in NYS and meet medical and financial eligibility requirements.
PHCP assists uninsured or underinsured families. Parents of children without insurance just need to apply to Medicaid and Child Health Plus before applying for the program. Medicaid recipients are not eligible. Child Health Plus insurance clients may be eligible for services that are not covered. The private insurance must be billed before the PHCP makes payment and documentation of private insurance refusal must be presented. The PHCP is the payer of last resort. An example of an item not covered by many insurances would be a hearing aid.
The Migrant Farm Worker Health Program provides the following services to migrant and seasonal farm workers:
