Ebola – Reporting Public Policy

How to protect health, finances during flu season

December 4, 2014 Alicia Balog 0 Comments Ebola, Flu season, Flu shot, Health, Ohio, Portage County Department of Health, portage county health department, Portage County Health Department, Robinson Memorial Hospital

by Alicia Balog As students prepare for both the upcoming winter and finals week, Kent State University and health departments throughout the country recommend preparing for flu season as well. What is the flu? The “seasonal flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses” that usually lasts one to two weeks, according to flu.gov. Flu season, which began in October, typically goes to April or May depending on the year, said Becky Lehman, director of health education and promotion at the Portage County Health Department. Approximately 5 to 20 percent of people get the flu, according to flu.gov, Lehman said despite what people say, a person does not

Ebola Hits Home

October 17, 2014 Jacqueline DeMate 0 Comments Amber Vinson, Ebola, Kent, kent city council, Kent City Council, kent state

The Kent City Council diverged from their normal schedule Wednesday night to address growing concerns in the community after learning that the second nurse to become infected with the ebola virus spent the weekend in Tallmadge with her parents who are Kent State employees. Kent Health Commissioner Jeff Niestadt opened the meeting with a timeline of where Amber Vinson went during the weekend she spent with her mother and step-father Debra and Kelvin Berry. Neistadt presented a timeline of what Vinson did after her parents picked her up from Cleveland Hopkins Airport including a trip to Coming Attractions Bridal Salon in preparation for her wedding. Niestadt also brought in Dr.

Uncategorized

Public Health Officials Speak at Kent City Council

October 17, 2014 Bob Vickers 0 Comments Ebola, Health, Kent, Kent City Council, Kent Health Department, Kent State University, Portage County Department of Health

The Wednesday, October 13 Kent City Council meeting started with Ebola talk. Portage County Health Commissioner, Jeff Neistadt, Director of Kent State University Center for Public Health Preparedness, Dr. Christopher Woolverton, and Medical Director at City of Kent, Dr. Kirk Stiffler, all spoke at the beginning of the meeting. They addressed what information they knew so far, what exactly Ebola is and does, how it can be spread, and any inaccurate rumors that had been floating around. Anchor Intro: The news of Ebola patient, Amber Vinson, staying in Tallmadge took over social media Wednesday. Even City Council got caught up in the story and had public health experts give and

Uncategorized

Kent City Council addresses Ebola before council meeting

October 16, 2014October 17, 2014 Alyssa Flynn 0 Comments City of Kent, city of kent health department, Community, Ebola, Kent City Council, Kent Health Department, Ohio, Ohio ebola, Portage County

Kent City Council met Wednesday night to suspend and adopt a multitude of ordinances from the community development, finance, health and safety and streets side and utilities committees, but before council addressed the agenda, Kent City Health Commissioner Jeff Niestadt reported on the status of Ebola in Ohio. Amber Joy Vinson, a nurse who tended to Thomas Eric Duncan, who died of Ebola on Oct. 8, had been visiting Tallmadge family members in Tallmadge and was there for the majority of her stay. “They spent the evening in Tallmadge, not going any where,” Niestadt said. He also said the she did not go to the Kent State football game, but did go

Uncategorized

Kent City Council addresses Ebola, talks five-year capital plan

October 16, 2014 Mariam Makatsaria 0 Comments City Development, Community, Ebola, Ebola in Portage County, Economy, Kent, kent, kent city council, Kent City Council, Kent Police Station, west main street bridge

Kent City Council met Wednesday to discuss several ordinances on its agenda and address the Ebola scare in Portage County. The meeting began with a moment of prayer for those suffering from the virus globally. Health Commissioner Jeff Neistadt began by tracking the nurse’s steps during her visit to Akron, a process that described as “putting a puzzle together.” “At this point there is no reason to believe that she was in Portage County,” Neistadt said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done here. The biggest thing that we need to consider now is the accuracy of information. There is misinformation.” To address the misinformation, Neistadt talked

Uncategorized

City council meeting starts off with Ebola briefing

October 16, 2014October 16, 2014 Patrick Williams 0 Comments Amber Vinson, dave ruller, Ebola, Jerry Fiala, Kent, kent, kent city council, Kent City Council, kent state

Upon hearing remarks from health officials about the developments in a local Ebola scare, Kent City Council voted Wednesday to purchase property and zone land to accommodate the construction of a new police station for the city. Kent health commissioner Jeff Neistadt and local doctors spoke about Ebola to a full room of people. Amber Vinson, who tested positive for Ebola Wednesday, spent the night in Tallmadge, which is about six miles southwest of Kent, Friday night, Neistadt said. Health officials are performing contact tracing to figure out who Vinson came into contact with, Neistadt said. “It’s a slow process because we have to do all the contact tracing from the individuals who she

Uncategorized

Kent City Council becomes informed on Ebola, passes ordinance to purchase properties on College Avenue

October 15, 2014October 16, 2014 Megan Brown 0 Comments city council, College Avenue, Community, Ebola, Kent, kent, Kent City Council, Kent Health Department, Parking, Portage County Health Department

Kent City Council held a meeting Oct. 15, which took more of an informational turn as the talk of Ebola made headlines in Northeast Ohio. Kent Mayor Jerry Fiala invited Jeff Neistadt, Kent Health Commissioner, to give the council and audience an overview of information about the latest Ebola issue related to Northeast Ohio. “This is kind of putting a puzzle together with various pieces,” Neistadt said. The infected individual, Amber Vinson, arrived in Cleveland’s Hopkins Airport Friday afternoon. Her mother and stepfather picked her up from the airport and returned to Tallmadge. Her parents did attend the Kent State football game on Saturday; she did not. “At this point,

Final project

Ebola virus tied to northeast Ohio

October 15, 2014June 20, 2015 Emily Crilley 0 Comments Community, Ebola, Health, Kent, kent state university, ohio, Summit County

Kent State University Press Conference: Oct. 15, 2014 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today confirmed another case of the Ebola virus in the United States. Two days before the patient, Amber Vinson, was diagnosed, she visited northeast Ohio. TV2’s Emily Crilley attended an emergency press conference held at Kent State University this afternoon. Vinson is a graduate of Kent State University and works as a nurse at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, where she cared for Ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan. Three Kent State employees who are relatives of Vinson’s and had contact with her left campus when they learned of her diagnosis. University officials say these