Monmouth County Health Department Offering Free Flu Shots For Kids on Monday, February 5

The Monmouth County Health Department is offering free flu shots for children aged six months to 17 years on Monday February 5 from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., according to Freeholder Patrick Impreveduto.

The clinic will be held at the County Health Department, located at 3435 Route 9 North in Freehold.

Shots are free for residents of the health department’s member towns,  Aberdeen, Allentown, Asbury Park, Atlantic Highlands, Avon, Belmar, Bradley Beach, Eatontown, Englishtown, Farmingdale, Hazlet, Holmdel, Howell, Keansburg, Keyport, Lake Como, Manasquan, Marlboro, Matawan, Millstone, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Oceanport, Ocean Grove, Roosevelt, Shrewsbury Township and Union Beach.  Monmouth County children of non-member towns may receive the seasonal influenza vaccine for $15. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tips for beating the heat

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden and the Monmouth County Health Department are offering residents and visitors the following tips for staying healthy during the heat wave that we are experiencing this week:

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Monmouth County offering free measles vaccine

The Monmouth County Health Department will offer a free measles vaccine clinic for Monmouth County residents on Wednesday, Feb. 18 from 9 a.m. to noon at their office located at 3435 Highway 9, Freehold.

Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. It spreads through the air through coughing and sneezing. Measles starts with a fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and sore throat, and is followed by a rash that spreads all over the body. About three out of 10 people who get measles will develop one or more complications including pneumonia, ear infections, or diarrhea. Complications are more common in adults and young children.

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A Case For Keeping The John L. Montgomery Care Center County Owned

By Jennifer Gregory, CTRS

I am writing this letter in response to the countless articles written by the Asbury Park Press, their editorials, the treatment of Monmouth County Employees and the family Members of the Monmouth County Care Centers.  I am an 18 years employee of Monmouth County and I work at the John L. Montgomery Care Center in Freehold, NJ.  We are a long term Care facility that takes care of Monmouth County’s most vulnerable young citizens. There are 62 residents under the age of 59.  Currently, our youngest resident is just 17 years old.  I mention the age of our population because several of your articles have pointed out how many empty Medicaid beds are available in other private Monmouth County Nursing Homes that our residents could easily be transferred to, should Freeholder Curley succeed in Closing, Selling, or Privatizing the John L. Montgomery Care Center.  These “typical” other private nursing homes are perfectly fine for your average geriatric residents but are not suitable alternatives for residents of John L. Montgomery.  Our residents are in their teens, twenties, thirties, and forties, who are not grandparents or your elderly parents but they are your children, your brothers, and your sisters…  They are not looking to reflect on their lives but looking to live their lives to the fullest with the possibility of new experiences, friendships, and futures.  That is what Monmouth County provides its citizens with at the 5 Star Rated John L. Montgomery Care Center.

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ObamaCare puts Monmouth County’s nursing homes in peril

UPDATE: August, 27, Curley pulls nursing home sale resolution

Freeholder John Curley called this morning to say that he has pulled his resolution to sell the Monmouth County owned nursing homes from this week’s agenda. County CFO Craig Marshall is on vacation.  Curley wants Marshall available to address all of the financial concerns regarding the proposed sale. Curley expects to reintroduce the resolution in September.

Reductions in Medicaid payments for long term care under the Affordable Care Act have led to increasing deficits at Monmouth County’s two government owned nursing homes.

The John L. Montgomery Care Center in Freehold and the Geraldine L. Thompson Care Center in Wall are owned and operated by Monmouth County’s government. Property tax payers have been subsidizing the long term care of the elderly, disabled and infirm residing in these facilities for decades.  From 2007 through 2013 the cumulative deficit funded by Monmouth property tax payers was about $40 million.  Despite cost cutting measures and union givebacks, the combined deficit this year is on track to exceed $13 million plus the cost of repairs and capital improvements required to keep the facilities in compliance with state and federal regulations, due to cutbacks in the amount that Medicaid pays for patient care under ObamaCare.  98% of the patients at Montgomery and Thompson are insured by Medicaid.

Freeholder John Curley has been pushing his colleagues on the all Republican Board of Chosen Freeholders to sell the nursing homes for years.  Every time the issue gets traction or public attention, patients in wheelchairs  and staff members of the nursing facilities show up at Freeholder meetings and plead with the Freeholders not to sell the facilities.  The patients’ stories are heart wrenching. The declarations of love for their patients by the staff members are moving.

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36 Mumps Cases Being Investigated, Most Still Tied To D’Jais

The number of cases of mumps being investigated by the Monmouth County Health Department has jumped from 27 to 36.  One case has been confirmed, according to a statement by the department.

“Individuals are continuing to come forward to report mumps-like symptoms,” County public health coordinator Michael Meddis said. “The median age of the individuals under investigation is 26. With the exception of one pre-school aged child, all of the individuals are adults and 39 percent of the cases involve females.”

The cases under investigation include individuals who have or had mumps-like symptoms as early as August 3. As in previous updates, most of the individuals under investigation have either been patrons or employees of D’Jais Bar and Grill in Belmar.

D’Jais voluntarily closed its doors to patrons last week. The Health Department provided cleaning and sanitizing recommendations to D’Jais management.

On Sunday, County Health Department nurses immunized 32 D’Jais employees with the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine. Several D’Jais employees submitted immunization records that were evaluated for age appropriate MMR immunization.

“If you believe that you may have been exposed to someone who has experienced mumps like symptoms, call the Monmouth County Health Department,” said Meddis. “Our public health nurses can answer your questions and evaluate your need for additional follow-up.”

The Monmouth County Health Department continues to ask that anyone who is experiencing swelling of salivary glands along with fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite should seek medical attention and call the Health Department at 732-431-7456.

Of the cases under investigation, individuals in Monmouth County are from Asbury Park, Belmar, Colts Neck, Farmingdale, Howell, Keyport, Long Branch, Matawan, Middletown, Neptune City, Tinton Falls and Wall. Individuals who reported hometowns from outside the county are from the New Jersey towns of Brick, Ogdensburg, Emerson, Fairfield, Jackson, Lawrenceville, Monmouth Junction, Point Pleasant, Saddle Brook, Waldrick, Warren, Whippany and Woodbridge. Individuals who reported out of state hometowns are from New York City, Philadelphia, Straussberg, PA and Port Saint Lucie, FL.

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Mumps Closes D’Jais For The Weekend

D’Jais, the popular Belmar bar suspected of being ground zero for a Monmouth County mumps outbreak, is closing voluntarily for the weekend to clean and sanitize what might be left on the virus, according to a statement by the Monmouth County Health Department.

With the exception of one pre-school aged child, all of the individuals are adults. The median age of the individuals under investigation is 27. Most of the individuals have either been patrons or employees of D’Jais Bar and Grill in Belmar.

“The staff and management and ownership of D’Jais have all been very cooperative and most helpful in advancing this investigation,” said Monmouth County Administrator Teri O’Connor. “Additionally, the Borough of Belmar continues to assist as we work our way through this public health issue.”

D’Jais has voluntarily closed its doors to patrons for the coming weekend. D’Jais has received and carried out cleaning and sanitizing recommendations from the Health Department.

The Health Department has confirmed one case of mumps. 26 other cases of patients with mumps-like symptoms are under investigation.

The Health Department asks that anyone with symptoms of the swelling of salivary glands along with fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite to seek medical attention and call the Health Department at 732-431-7456.

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Mumps Outbreak Traced To D’Jais in Belmar

UPDATE, 9/6/13 D’Jais is closed voluntarily for the weekend

The Monmouth County Health Department is investigating 22 cases probable cases of mumps in the county, 15 of which have come forward since yesterday, according to a statement issued by County Public Health Coordinator Michael Meddis.

“Since yesterday, an additional 15 individuals with mumps-like symptoms have come forward,” County public health coordinator Michael Meddis said. “The medical professionals advised these individuals to be on bed rest, increase their fluid intake and take steps to reduce their fever.”

 

Twenty-one of the individuals are adults and most of them have been either a patron at or an employee of D’Jais in Belmar in the last several weeks. The one youth is of pre-school age.

 

Individuals in Monmouth County are from Asbury Park, Belmar, Farmingdale, Howell (4), Keyport, Long Branch (3), Neptune City, Tinton Falls and Wall. Individuals who reported hometowns from outside the county are from the New Jersey towns of Woodbridge, Saddle Brook, Ogdensburg, Emerson, Lawrenceville, Point Pleasant (2) and Port Saint Lucie, Florida.

 

The Monmouth County Health Department asks that if you are experiencing the swelling of salivary glands along with fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness and loss of appetite you should seek medical attention and call the Health Department at 732-431-7456.

 

Meddis added that the investigation is continuing as new cases are presented and to determine the source of transmission and identify close personal contacts.

 

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