	Barton County Health Department/ Home Health Agency 1301 E. 12th St./ Lamar, Mo. 64759 Phone: 1-417-682-3363 Serving Barton County and Surrounding Areas Since 1966

Be PREPARED for Spring Storms!

For Tornado Shelter Safety Information from Missouri State Emergency Management Agency Click Here

Flash Flooding Safety

April is National Public Health Week

The theme for April 2012 is "A Healthier America Begins TODAY"

Daily Themes

Active Living and Healthy Eating

Promote healthy choices in your communities, such as bike lanes and farmer’s markets. Learn more >

Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs

Identify alcohol and drug use disorders early to reduce high-risk alcohol and drug consumption. Learn more >

Communicable Diseases

Encourage proper hand-washing and food preparation habits. Learn more >

Reproductive and Sexual Health

Practice safe sex, encourage responsible contraception behavior and promote access to preventive health services. Learn more >

Mental and Emotional Well-Being

Refer people with signs of depression and suicidal thinking to appropriate resources and help centers. Learn more >

Refrigerated Food and Power Outages: When to Save and When to Throw Out

Adapted from Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency (USDA).

Is food in the refrigerator safe during a power outage? It should be safe as long as power is out no more than 4 hours. Keep the door closed as much as possible. Discard any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and leftovers) that have been above 40 °F for over 2 hours.

Never taste food to determine its safety! You can’t rely on appearance or odor todetermine whether food is safe.

Note: Always discard any items in the refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat juices.

For more information about food safety during a power outage click here.

Missouri Foundation For Health - Reel Stories 2011 Film Series, "A Quitter's Fight". Click Here to see the story of a Lamar woman's fight to quit smoking.