The employees of the Covington County Health Department work closely with the community to prewerve and protect the public's health, to provide caring, quality services and serve the people of Covington County by assuring conditions in which they can be healthy.

Cancer Detection
     Breast Examinations and self-examination instruction
     Referral for mammograms (if age appropriate)
     Pap smears
     Help in finding treatment
     For more information, call (334) 222-1175

Child Health
Health care for individuals from birth to age 21 is offered through
the Well-Child and ESPDT (Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment) programs
For more information, call (334) 222-1175

Family Planning
     Birth control information, medical exams, contraceptives and
        supplies
     Medical family planning methods, counseling and education
     Toll-free family planning and information referral line-INFO
        CONNECTION 1-800-228-0469
     For more information, call (334) 222-1175

HIV Aids
     Confidentail testing and counseling available at all County Health
        Departments
     HIV Prevention Community Planning Groups in every area of
        the State
     Regional Direct Care Consortia for planning of services in all
        local areas
     For persons with HIV disease, case management, labotatory
        services, referrals to medical services and assistance with
        purchasing medications
     Alabama HIV/AIDS Hotline in 1-800-228-0469, a toll-free source
        information and referrals
     For more information, call (334) 222-1175

Home Care Services
Skilled nursing and personal care services are available statewide.
Physical, speech, occupational, respiratory and infusion therapy, and
medical social work services are available in some counties. A sliding fee scale is available for the medically indigent.
Other services available in some counties include personal care aide, skilled and unskilled respite and homemaker services.
Medicaid waiver benefits and all third payers (except Medicare) are
accepted for these services.
HIV patients are eligible to receive the following services through the
Ryan White Home Care Program: skilled nursing, home health aide, personal aide, homemaker and unskilled respite services.
For home care referral information, contact your doctor's office. Call
your local County Health Department at (334) 222-5970 or
1-800-405-8141 for more information about home care services.

Immunization
Childhood vaccines: All vaccines required for daycare, Head Start, and
school attendance are administered at the County Health Department. An up-to-date Alabama Certificate of Immunization (blue slip) is required for entry into these institutions and is available at the County Health Department.
Adult vaccines: Routine booster doses of some vaccines are available at the County Health Department. Pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine is available, in addition to influenza vaccine administered during the influenza season.
International travel: Vaccines needed for travel outside the United States are available at only a few county health departments.
Please call (334) 222-1175 to locate a clinic near you.

Nutrition Services
WIC-A supplemental nutrition program that provides assessment,
education, and nutritious foods free to limited income pregnant,
breastfeeding and postpartum women, infants and children up to age 5 who are at a nutritional risk.
Nutritionists are available in select counties to provide nutrition counseling.
For more information, please call (334) 222-1175.

Nursing Services
Public health nurses provide many of the health care services available form county health departments throughout Alabama.
Nursing assessments, skilled nursing care, laboratory testing, immuniztions, counseling, education and referral are some of the services provided.
Nurses are available to provide health education, screenings, and
community programs as staffing size and schedules permit.
For more information, please call (334) 222-1175.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Confidential testing, treatment, counseling and epidemiological
investigations for most sexually transmitted diseases.
For more information, please call (334) 222-1175.

Social Work Services
Licensed public health social workers provide case management/care
coordination for family planning, child health, HIV/AIDS, home health and E/D Waiver patients. Case management/care coordination services consist psychosocial assessment, development of an individualized service plan, linking the patient with needed services and resources, patient advocacy and evaluation of service delivery.
For more information, please call (334) 222-1175.

Tuberculosis
Testing, medication, physician services, hospitalization, epidemiological investigations and laboratory services.
For more information, please call (334) 222-1175.

Birth and Death Certificates
Certified copies of all Alabama birth, death, marriage, and divorce
certificates may be obtained in any county health department in Alabama on a while-you-wait basis, regardless of where in the state the event occured.
To order copies of these records by mail, you may contact the Center for Health Statistics, P. O. Box 5625, Montgomery, AL 36103-5625. Their telephone number is 334-206-5418, or you may visit www.adph.org and click on Fast Find, then Vital Records.
The price of certified copies is $12.00 for the first copy and $4.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.
For more information, please call (334) 222-1175.

Alabama Medicaid Agency
The Alabama Medicaid Agency certifies individuals for the following programs:

     Pregnant Women and Children Program - pregnant women and
     children under the age of 19 in families who have income below
     certain limits may be eligible for Medicaid.

     Medicaid for Low Income Families - Households with related children
     under age 19 living in the home may be eligible for Medicaid if the
     household has very low income.

     Plan First Program - Women who are 19 through 44 years of age
     and whose income is below a certain limit may be eligible for family
     planning services only from Medicaid.

     Breast and Cervical Cancer Program - Women who are under age 65
     who have been screened through the Centers for Disease Control
     and Prevention's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection
     Program may be eligible for this program. You may call
     1-877-252-3324 or (334) 222-1175 for information about this
     program.

How to apply: Applications for the Pregnant and Children Program and
Children Program and the Plan First Program may be obtained by contacting a Medicaid Eligibilty Worker. To talk with a Medicaid employee in Covington County, you may call the Covington County Health Department at (334) 222-1175, estension 349 or 350, or you may call the Medicaid Information Line at 1-800-362-1504. You may alsoobtain applications, general information, or apply online at www.medicaid.alabama.gov.

Elderly and Disabled Medicaid Waiver Program - Alabama Department of Health
The Elderly and Disabled (E/D) Wiaver Program offers an alternative to nursing home care for many individuals in Alabama who are aged of have a disability. E/D Waiver Services enable people to choose home care rather than going into a nursing home. Services are provided through the E/D Waiver Program and are paid for by Medicaid for those who qualify.

Eligibility - To be eligible, a person must meet the same medical criteria as someone who would be eligible for nursing home care and must have full Medicaid benefits. The E/D Waiver Program is available statewide to individuals of any age who meet the medical and financial eligibility requirements. The number of individuals who can be served at one time by the program is limited. However, you may be placed on a waiting list for possible referrals until a slot becomes available.

Services:
     Homemaker - help with day to day household tasks
     Personal Care - assistance with personal hygiene needs
     Respite Care - care provided in the individual's home to give the
        primary caregiver a period of relief
     Companion Service - offers assistance, socialization and supervision
        to adults who live alone
     Adult Day Health - care away from the individual's home for part of
        the day in a facility approved to provide social activities and
        health care
     Home Delivered Meals - frozen meals are delivered on a weekly
        basis to the client's home to assist in obtaining nutritional needs
     Case Management - assistance for other medical, social, or
        educational services

Any individual wishing to receive more information should contact the local Health Department. In Covington County, please call (334) 222-5970. Referrals are received from individuals, hospitals, nursing homes, physicians, and community members on behalf of persons who may be eligible for the program.

Environmental Health Services

Food and Lodging (334) 222-1585, ext. 340
Inspect/regulate food establishments (restaurants, retail food stores, food processors, school lunchrooms and temporary food service events)
Inspect/regulate lodging estalishments (hotels/motels, camps and jails)
Review plans for new establishments and assist owners with permitting
Complaint investigation

Body Art (334) 222-1585, ext. 340
Inspect/regulate tattooing and body piercing facilities
Review plans for new facilities and assist owners with permits
Complaint investigation

Onsite Sewage Disposal (334) 222-1585, ext. 341
Regulate permitting, installation and repair of onsite sewage disposal systems
Regulate subdivision, mobile home park and recreational facility
development that utilize onsite sewage disposal
Review applications for new and repair of sewage disposal systems and assist poperty owners with permitting
Complaint investigation

Solid Waste Program (334) 222-1585, ext 343
Regulate county solid waste collection program
Inspect/regulate transfer stations and collection vehicles
Review applications for exemptions and exceptions from service and
maintain roster of eligible persons
Inestigate and abate illegal dumps
Complaint investigations

Community Sanitation (334) 222-1585, ext. 343
Investigate animal bites and require confinement of biting animals for rabies observation
Coordinate shipment of dead biting animals to public health laboratory for rabies testing
Provide public with information concerning disease vectors such as bats, rodents, birds, fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks
Arboviral surveillance program (bird testing for West Nile Virus)
Provide public with indoor air quality information (asbestos, formaldehyde, mold and mildew removal)
Review plans for new and extensions of cemeteries and aassist property owners with approval process
Investigate communicable disease outbreaks
Complaint investigation

Private Water Well Testing (334) 222-1585, ext. 342
Provide the public with sterile bottles and laboratory analysis
Assist the public with water odor. color, and taste issues
Complaint investigation

Disaster Response        (334) 222-1585, ext. 339
Respond to natural and man-made disasters