Kankakee County Health Department

KCHD, along with the Illinois Department of Public Health, sets standards to license and inspect body art and tanning facilities throughout Kankakee County.

KCHD maternal child health staff provides individual telephone counseling, office visits, and breastfeeding classes for women enrolled in KCHD WIC/ Family Case Management.

KCHD provides testing for lead poisoning in children 6 months to 6 years of age, and at-risk pregnant women. Case management services are provided for any children with elevated lead levels.

The Kankakee County Health Department plays an important role in emergency preparedness for Kankakee County. KCHD coordinates trainings and drills within the organization and with partners throughout the county and state to be prepared for man-made and natural disasters.

Upon request, KCHD staff are available to provide presentations on a variety of topics.

Provides case management services to pregnant women, infants and children. Case management assists pregnant women and young children with obtaining access to prenatal and child care, immunization and screenings. Must be Medicaid eligible.

Inspects and licenses retail food stores and food establishments. Conducts foodborne illness and food service complaint investigations to assure good food handling practices and education for temporary food events, new employees and restaurant staff.

Pregnant women, infants and children enrolled in Family Case Management will be screened for the risk of genetic disorder and referred for genetic counseling as appropriate.

KCHD provides community outreach and education on health topics including teen pregnancy prevention, healthy eating and active living, asthma management, tobacco cessation and prevention, and disease prevention for schools and community organizations. The department also provides health related statistics upon request.

Healthworks of Illinois is a collaborative effort between the Department of Children & Family Services and Health and Family Services (Public Aid) and Public Health. The program provides medical case management to DCFS wards up to age six and interim case management for DCFS wards age six and older.

KCHD provides required and recommended immunizations for all ages, birth to older adults, by appointment. A current immunization record is required for school-aged children. Rabies vaccine is available as indicated for pre/post-exposure. Medicaid and most private insurances are accepted; an income based sliding fee scale is available for those without insurance or under-insured.

Investigation and disease surveillance of reportable communicable disease, including TB and food borne illness. Provides education and prevention services.

KCHD completes Medicaid Presumptive Eligibility (MPE) applications for pregnant women. MPE offers immediate, temporary coverage for outpatient health services to pregnant women who meet income requirements. KCHD refers pregnant women to apply for full Medicaid health insurance coverage. Both MPE and Medicaid are administered by the State of Illinois and administered by the Department of Health & Family Services.

Free training sessions for first responders, community organizations, business owners, and individuals in the administration of Narcan nasal spray, a reversal drug used to save lives in opioid overdoses.

KCHD investigates a variety of complaints including food, solid waste, and health nuisances occurring within rural Kankakee County. For all nuisances occurring within municipality limits, please contact your local city or village.

Pregnancy testing is available by appointment or walk-in. There is a nominal fee or medical insurance is accepted. Women with positive tests receive referrals to prenatal care.

KCHD offers the service of performing well and septic evaluations at existing properties. These services are most often requested when a property transaction (either a sale or a refinancing) is taking place, and in many cases is required by a lender and/or buyer.

KCHD issues septic system permits, conducts inspections to ensure proper installation, evaluates existing systems, conducts dye tests to determine possible failures, evaluates findings, and makes recommendations.

Provides testing for sexually transmitted diseases including gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, and HIV. Appropriate treatment and referrals available. Anonymous testing is available by appointment. Walk-in STD Clinic: Confidential testing for sexually transmitted diseases takes place Tuesdays and Wednesdays 8:30-11:30am and 1:30-3:30pm on a first come, first served basis. The fee is $10.00, which covers testing, doctor's visit (when available), and treatment

Provides mantoux skin-testing and TB screening questionnaire (for young school-aged children) with appropriate follow up to determine diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. TB skin-testing is available by appointment.

The Health Department provides vision and hearing screenings for children in the care of DCFS.

KCHD conducts surveillance operations from early spring to late fall to monitor West Nile virus activity throughout Kankakee County.

Provides nutrition education, health screening and nutritious foods to eligible pregnant women, postpartum and breastfeeding women, their infants, and children to age 5 who have special nutrition and health needs. Provides health and diet assessment. Individual diet/nutrition counseling. Group nutrition education. Health and social service referrals. Coupons for specific nutritious foods.