Know your status? The Southern Nevada Health District and the Gay and Lesbian Center of Southern Nevada offer a monthly Saturday HIV/STD testing clinic. The first clinic for 2015 is 10 a.m. 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 10. The monthly clinic is the first Saturday of each month (excluding holidays) at the Gay and Lesbian Center of Southern Nevada, 401 S. Maryland Parkway. For more information, visit the health district website, www.SNHD.info or contact the Gay and Lesbian Center, (702) 733-9800.

The Southern Nevada Health District’s Office of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma System is receiving reports of emergency departments experiencing heavier than normal patient volumes and is urging the public to reserve the use of these facilities for emergencies only.

The Southern Nevada District Board of Health recently approved a resolution that welcomes and encourages breastfeeding as a benefit to both infants and their mothers. The health district supports the US Surgeon General’s call to support breastfeeding across the country: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calls/breastfeeding/executivesummary.pdf

Just as those New Year's resolutions are starting to wane the Southern Nevada Health District is launching its annual 10-in-10 Challenge, the online program that helps participants both cut and burn more calories. The free program kicks off Monday, Feb. 9 and signups begin Monday, Feb. 2 on the Get Healthy Clark County website, www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org/10in10. The program is also available in Spanish on www.VivaSaludable.org. For more information, log on to www.GetHealthyClarkCounty.org, www.VivaSaludable.org or contact the Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, (702) 759-1270.

Love your heart . . . love your loved ones . . .heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Nevada and across the country. In 2012, more than 5,000 Nevadans died from heart disease. To commemorate American Heart Month, the Southern Nevada Health District’s office of chronic disease prevention & health promotion is joining the national Million Hearts™ campaign to prevent more than one million heart attacks and strokes in the United States.

This Saturday, Feb. 7 marks the annual National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day to encourage African-Americans to learn their HIV status. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), African-Americans accounted for approximately 44 percent of new HIV infections in 2010. The Southern Nevada Health District and its partners will offer free HIV testing at two locations on Saturday, Feb. 7.

The Southern Nevada Health District has closed its North Las Vegas public health center. Services are still conveniently located at the East Las Vegas public health center, 560 N. Nellis Blvd., Ste. E-12, Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For information visit the health district’s website, www.SNHD.info/contact-us.php#eastlasvegas.

The Southern Nevada Health District has identified two additional cases of measles in a young child and an adult in Southern Nevada. Currently, there have been four confirmed cases of measles in Clark County in 2015. These are the first confirmed cases in Clark County since 2011.

The Southern Nevada Health District today has issued a health advisory regarding electronic cigarettes in response to an increase in their use across the United States and in Clark County. The Health District encourages policymakers, health care providers, parents, and e-cigarette users to educate themselves regarding the harmful chemicals in these products and to limit their availability in the community.

If you’re living with HIV . . . . we are here to help you. The Southern Nevada Health District’s Sexual Health Clinic wants you to reconnect with care if you haven’t been working with your health care provider, lost your health insurance or are new to Las Vegas. The Sexual Health Clinic will hold a clinic 10 a.m. -3 p.m., Sat. Feb. 21 at 400 Shadow Lane, Ste. 106. For information, contact (702) 759-0702. Rapid HIV testing and Ryan White educational and counseling services will be available.

The Southern Nevada Health District has identified three additional cases of measles. The cases, in adults under the age of 55, are considered to be the result of transmission from an under-immunized staff member at Emeril's New Orleans Fish House at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino earlier in February. The new cases are two staff members and a patron.

Tuesday, March 10 is the 10th annual observance of National Women and Girls HIV Awareness Day highlighting the impact HIV/AIDS has on women and girls across the country. The Southern Nevada Health District encourages everyone to learn about his or her HIV status. The Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Office on Women’s Health estimates that about one in four people living with HIV in the United States are girls or women over the age of 13. Free HIV testing will be available between 10a.m. and 3 p.m., Saturday, March 7 at the Gay & Lesbian Center of Southern Nevada, 401 S. Maryland Parkway. For additional information and testing locations in the community, contact the health district’s Sexual Health Clinic, (702) 759-0702 or visit www.snhd.info/sexual-health-clinic.

Batteries . . . first aid kit supplies . . . blankets . . . medications . . . Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday, March 8. It’s the perfect opportunity for Southern Nevadans to check their family emergency stockpiles, change batteries in radios and flashlights, replace or rotate food items in the kit, update any family information including medications, or determine what items might be missing. Still don’t have a family kit put together? The Southern Nevada Health District has information about emergency preparedness as well as a calendar to help develop a family kit on its website, www.snhd.info/php

It’s time to kick some butt(s)… Wednesday, March 18 is national Kick Butts Day, a nationwide initiative, sponsored by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids to stop tobacco use by children and young adults.

Each year, it is estimated that there are 20 million new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States. That is more than the entire populations of Hungary, Cuba, The Netherlands, Guatemala or the Czech Republic. April is STD Awareness Month and the Southern Nevada Health District encourages Valley residents to discuss their sexual health with their health care providers and their partners. Information, testing and treatment is available at the health district’s Sexual Health Clinic, 400 Shadow Lane, Ste. 106, (702) 759-0702.

Measles, mumps, pertussis, chickenpox . . .these childhood illnesses are not eradicated. National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW), April 18-25, is an opportunity to remind parents to check their tots’ vaccine status. The Southern Nevada Health District, Immunize Nevada, and the United Way of Southern Nevada have teamed up to present the 4th Passport to Immunizations and Health Fair, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., Saturday, April 18 at the health district’s main public health center, 330 S. Valley View Blvd., at the corner of Meadows Lane. This free event will offer no cost childhood immunizations for Vaccines For Children- eligible toddlers, dental and vision screenings for children, and family resources information. Parents should bring their children’s immunization records.

The Southern Nevada Health District announced its 2015 Public Health Hero, recognition given to individuals or organizations whose efforts positively affect the health and well-being of the community. This year’s Public Health Hero, Rosita Castillo, was honored at today’s Southern Nevada District Board of Health meeting.

The Southern Nevada Health District with the support of community partners, including the UNLV School of Nursing, UNLV School of Community Health Sciences, Dignity Health-St. Rose Dominican, University of Nevada School of Medicine, and United Way of Southern Nevada have launched the Healthy Southern Nevada website. This first-of-its-kind website is a source of community health information and population data available to planners, policy makers, and community members to use as a tool for conducting community assessments, strategic planning and community health improvement and advocacy activities. The website can be found at: www.HealthySouthernNevada.org.

The Southern Nevada Health District and the Regional Trauma Advisory Board (RTAB) launched a new website for the Southern Nevada Trauma System to coincide with National Trauma Awareness Month. In addition to the website, www.SouthernNevadaTraumaSystem.org, its companion Twitter site, @SNVTraumaSystem is also now available.

Fruit, vegetables, physical activity . . . a trifecta for good health. More than 10,000 Clark County School District elementary school children took this information seriously during their participation in the 8th annual Coaches Challenge program. A UNLV head coach will visit each of the five winning classrooms to congratulate the students for their efforts and to encourage them to make healthy choices and to be physically active.

The triple digit temperatures have arrived and the Southern Nevada Health District reminds visitors and residents alike to stay safe and healthy during the summer. The health district reminds parents about the ABCDs of drowning prevention, sun and heat safety, tips to prevent mosquito bites, and information about swimming safely to prevent illness.

The Southern Nevada Health District kicks off its 3rd annual Soda Free Summer Challenge today to encourage children and adults to choose water or other healthier beverages and reduce or eliminate sugary drinks.

The Southern Nevada Health District is reporting the first West Nile positive mosquitoes of 2015, collected in the 89011, 89012, 89027, 89107, 89123, 89128, 89134 and 89146 zip codes. To date, there are no human cases of West Nile virus reported in Clark County

The Southern Nevada Health District recently launched its newest online program, the Road to Diabetes Prevention, a free six-session program to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The program is self-paced and includes optional activities and available resources in the community. While it is open to anyone, the Road to Diabetes Prevention program is recommended for people who could have pre-diabetes.

Step into a local food establishment and one of the first items visible is a health district inspection grade card. An "A" grade is good, a "B" less so. A health district inspector uses specific food safety criteria to review the facility’s food handling practices with demerit scoring related to the risk of foodborne illness (FBI). Simple. Right? Maybe not. The topic of grading and scoring food establishments versus a pass/fail system was debated at the Association of Food & Drug Officials annual conference in June.

National HIV Testing Day is Saturday, June 27. The annual event is an opportunity for everyone to learn his or her HIV status. The Southern Nevada Health District encourages all Southern Nevadans to get tested.

There’s an app for that too! The Southern Nevada Health District has launched its restaurant inspection grade app for smart phones. The health district’s mobile app can be downloaded through the Apple Store for iOS devices: http://apple.co/1HtUdZV or from Google Play for Android by visiting: http://bit.ly/1FUa69Y. For additional information, visit the Southern Nevada Health District website, snhd.info/apps.

Does your 7th grader still need a pertussis booster? Is your kindergartner's shot record up-to-date for school? The Southern Nevada Health District is urging parents to beat the back-to-school rush by bringing their pre-schoolers, kindergartners, and 7th graders for mandatory vaccinations at one of its conveniently located public health centers. For information, contact the health district's immunization clinic, (702) 759-0850 or visit www.SNHD.info.

Due to the increase in rain and flooding activity, the Southern Nevada Health District is recommending that residents in the Laughlin, Nevada region assess the areas surrounding their home for standing water in order to eliminate breeding sources for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can spread potentially serious diseases such as West Nile Virus and West Nile Encephalitis. West Nile Virus positive mosquitoes have been reported in Clark County. To date, no human cases have been reported.

The Southern Nevada Health District offered a preview of its future home today. Its newest public health center will be located at 280 S. Decatur Blvd. The centrally-located facility is currently undergoing renovations to accommodate the health district’s clinics and services with an estimated grand opening in early 2016.

The Southern Nevada Health District Teen Pregnancy Prevention Forum begins this morning at the Springs Preserve, 333 S. Valley View Blvd. The forum is designed to highlight the health district's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program's activities and accomplishments of the last five years.

The most recent edition of "The Perspective," the Southern Nevada Health District's quarterly e-newsletter, is now available on the health district's website, www.SNHD.info. Each issue provides a public health perspective on a particular topic. This edition's theme is Be Cool Hot Topics for Healthy Summer Fun. To view the newsletter, visit http://southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/newsletter/enews/201508/index.html

The Southern Nevada Health District’s vector control program continues to identify West Nile positive mosquitoes throughout Clark County. To date, no human cases of West Nile have been reported. The health district reminds Southern Nevadans that even though school is back in session, the weather is still warm and mosquito activity continues.

Where is the gas shut-off at your house? Do you know how to turn the water off? Is the fuse box above your neighborhood's flood plane? If your family is separated in an emergency, who is the out-of-town contact everyone can call to report in? If an emergency or natural disaster occurred today, are you and your family prepared to be on your own for a few days or weeks?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Poona infections potentially linked to imported cucumbers from Mexico and distributed by Andrews & Williamson Fresh Produce.

Southern Nevada kids can join the POP (Power of Produce) Club at the fresh52 Farmers & Artisan Market starting Sat. Sept. 12 to learn about local farming, participate in tastings and other educational activities as ways to expose them to more fruit and vegetables. Participating kids will receive a voucher they can use at the farmers market to make their own produce choices. The program will run through October or as long supplies last.

The Southern Nevada Health District will offer young men an opportunity to receive reproductive health services at its Men's Health Center located inside its East Las Vegas Public Health Center, 560 N. Nellis Blvd. The center will open Tuesday, Sept. 15. The Men's Health Center will offer services by appointment each Tuesday and Thursday. Clients can call (702) 759-0900 to make an appointment or for more information. All services are confidential and will be offered on a sliding fee scale based on income.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are continuing an investigation of a multistate outbreak of Salmonella Poona infections potentially linked to imported cucumbers from Mexico and distributed by Andrews & Williamson Fresh Produce.

The most recent edition of "The Perspective," the Southern Nevada Health District’s quarterly e-newsletter, is now available on the health district’s website, www.SNHD.info. Each issue provides a public health perspective on a particular topic. This edition’s theme is PreparAThon! 2015 and highlights a variety of emergency preparedness information and resources, visit http://southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/newsletter/enews/201509/index.html

The Southern Nevada Health District is reporting a case of West Nile virus in a male over the age of 50 who has the more serious neuroinvasive form of the illness. This is the first human case of West Nile illness in Clark County in 2015.

The weather is finally cooling off and that means flu season is right around the corner. This year, the Southern Nevada Health District’s flu vaccine clinics will begin Monday, Sept. 21 at all locations.

If an older adult suffers a fall, the resulting injury can mean a loss of independence and a serious impact on quality of life. Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries in older adults; each year, one in three older adults will fall and every 15 seconds, an older adult is seen in an emergency department for a fall-related injury. Falls are preventable and they are not an inevitable part of aging, according to the National Council on Aging.

Have you spent the entire year sticking to your resolution to adapt healthy eating habits, to lose weight, or exercise more during 2015? The holidays are right around the corner but that does not mean you have to ruin a year’s worth of good habits. For the 6th year, the Southern Nevada Health District’s free, web-based program, the Get Healthy Holiday Challenge kicks off Mon., Oct. 12. Participants can get tips to enjoy a stress-free, healthy holiday season.

The Southern Nevada Health District, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the local office of the FBI are requesting information regarding potential patients/victims who may have received unlicensed dental or medical services at a facility located at 4928 E. Monroe Ave., Las Vegas, Nevada 89110.

The Southern Nevada Health District is hosting a graduation for mothers and children graduating from its Nurse-Family Partnership Program today. The ceremony will take place from 1p.m.-4 p.m. at Nevada Partners, 710 W. Lake Mead Blvd., Las Vegas, Nevada, 89030.

Fruit, vegetables, physical activity . . . three keys to good health and the message that more than 10,000 Clark County School District elementary school kids will take to heart in the 9th annual UNLV Coaches Health Challenge. This year’s Challenge kicks off at 9:15 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 13 at McCaw STEAM Academy, 330 Tin Street, Henderson, NV 89015 with Lady Rebels’ basketball coach, Kathy Olivier.

The Southern Nevada Health District encourages the Valley’s Hispanic residents to learn their HIV status and to get tested as part of National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Saturday, Oct. 17.

The switch back to Standard Time this Sunday, Nov. 1 is the perfect opportunity for Southern Nevadans to check their family emergency stockpiles, change batteries in radios, replace expired food items, rotate items in the kit, update family information, determine if there are any items that are missing or start to put a family kit together. The Southern Nevada Health District has information about emergency preparedness as well as a calendar to help develop a family kit on its Emergency Preparedness pages.

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States with approximately 9.8 percent of the population impacted. That translates to about 29.1 million Americans who have diabetes with 8.1 million of them undiagnosed, according to the American Diabetes Association. In Nevada, 9.6 percent of adults have diabetes, according to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS 2013).

The Great American Smokeout debuted in 1976 as an opportunity for smokers to give up the habit for just one day with hope the decision would lead to a permanent change. This year, the American Cancer Society has designated Thursday, Nov. 19 as the Great American Smokeout. The Southern Nevada Health District encourages smokers in the community to participate and to commit to a long-term plan to quit for good.

Thanksgiving is practically here and with it comes the excitement and energy of the holiday season. Whether the bird is big or small there are a few tips to help make the holiday healthy and happy.

The most recent edition of “The Perspective,” the Southern Nevada Health District’s quarterly e-newsletter, is now available on the health district’s website, www.SNHD.info. Each issue provides a public health perspective on a particular topic.

World AIDS Day is Tuesday, Dec. 1. This year’s theme is ”Getting to Zero” – zero deaths, zero discrimination and zero new cases. The Southern Nevada Health District and its community partners encourage everyone to get tested to learn his/her HIV status.

For people with diabetes, self-management is crucial to staying well and keeping the disease in check. The Southern Nevada Health District offers a free, online diabetes self-management program called Care4life, which can be accessed online or via mobile phones.

The Southern Nevada Health District is reporting its first flu-related deaths in Clark County for the 2015-16 season.

The Southern Nevada Health Districts counter for Individual Sewage Disposal Systems (septic), Liquid Waste Haulers, and Mattress Refurbishing clients formerly located at 330 S. Valley View Blvd. has relocated to the district offices at 333 N. Rancho, Suite 450. The counter is open Monday Friday, 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. (Closed 12:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. for lunch.) Appointments are required to submit applications. Please call (702) 759-0660 to schedule an appointment.