Public Health Services

The Public Health Department offers the following Maternal and Child Health Services.

Prenatal visits

During prenatal visits, your Public Health Nurse will discuss:
Normal body changes during pregnancy
Nutritional needs during pregnancy
Healthy choices for you during pregnancy
Referrals for other available services

Postpartum Visits
Visits with a Public Health Nurse after you deliver your baby are available whether or not you saw a nurse during pregnancy. Topics include:
Normal body changes after pregnancy
Breastfeeding support
Family planning and birth control methods that are best for you
Information on infant development, weight and measurement
Parenting techniques
Car seat safety
Sleep safety
Referrals for other available services

Well-Child Services
Public Health Nurses are available to visit you during regularly scheduled appointments. Topics covered during these visits include:

• Baby’s height, weight and development
• Feeding your baby (breastfeeding, bottle feeding, starting solids)
• Sleep habits
• How to play with your baby and activities that stimulate development
• Referrals for other available services

Family Planning
Individual or group education sessions about family planning methods are available. Whether you are trying to prevent or promote pregnancy, it may be beneficial for you to meet with Public Health Nurse. Information about birth control methods, good physical health before and during pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases is available.

Breastfeeding Counseling
Babies are born ready to breastfeed. Public Health Nurses who are specifically trained in lactation counseling offer education and support during the prenatal and postpartum period to help mothers get a good start on nursing. One on One Childbirth education, and Family Spirit education.

Home Safety
The Public Health staff is available to perform home safety checks for families with children or for Elders. A limited number of safety items may be available following the home safety check. Instruction on how to use this equipment will be provided, although the nursing staff cannot install the equipment for families.

Parenting Education
Children do not come with an instruction book, and parenting can be challenging. Public Health staff will meet with parents to provide age-specific parenting education, explain developmental stages that children go through, and discuss alternative ways to discipline children.

Family Spirit
The Family Spirit Program is an evidence-based and culturally tailored home-visiting intervention delivered by Native American paraprofessionals as a core strategy to support young Native parents from pregnancy to 3 years post-partum. Parents gain knowledge and skills to achieve optimum development for their preschool- age children across the domains of physical, cognitive, social-emotional, language learning, and self-help. The Family Spirit Program consists of 63 lessons to be taught from pregnancy up to the child’s 3rd birthday. This in- home parent training and support program has been designed, implemented, and rigorously evaluated by the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health in partnership with the Navajo, White Mountain Apache, and San Carlos Apache Tribes since 1995.

Specialized nursing care is provided by Public Health Nurses in the home to assist with medication management, wound care, dressing changes, post-operative care, etc.

The Public Health Nurses are Registered Nurses who provide medical care to the client as ordered by the client’s physician. The Registered Nurse may also assign a Licensed Practical Nurse or Home Health Aide to assist in the care of the client. For further information please call the Home Health Coordinators in your District.

Home Health Aides/Elder Care Aides provide personal care (hair washing, showers, nail care, etc…), visiting, light housekeeping, and other services for clients with medical or health problems. Aides may also monitor vital signs and provide basic health services as assigned by a Registered Nurse. Contact the Home Health Coordinator for more information on services and eligibility requirements.

The Public Health staff is available to perform home safety checks for families with children or for Elders. A limited number of safety items may be available following the home safety check. Instruction on how to use this equipment will be provided, although the nursing staff cannot install the equipment for families.

Community Health Representatives (CHR’s) provide transportation for individuals to medical, dental and optical appointments only after all other resources are exhausted. Appointments should be confirmed with the CHR’s schedule to assure that clients arrive on time to their appointments. No one under the age of 18 will be transported without a parent. All persons being transported are required to wear a seatbelt at all times. There is a strict two-day prior notice for scheduled appointments. Same-day transports or transports not scheduled two days prior to appointment are by availability only. Contact the Lead CHR for more information on services and eligibility requirements.

Community Health Representatives (CHR’s) deliver medical prescriptions to homebound Elders who have no other means of obtaining their medication. Deliveries are scheduled for two days per week and require prior authorization from the CHR and pharmacy. CHR’s will not deliver any medications that require a co-pay that has not been paid in advance. Contact the Lead CHR for more information on services and eligibility requirements.

The Minnesota Department of Health funds a Tribal Tobacco grant to the MLBO with the goal of assisting tribal communities to advance commercial tobacco-free policies and aid in smoking cessation. The grant offers tobacco education, provides traditional tobacco information, and works to support informal commercial tobacco use policies throughout the MLBO communities. As part of this, the grant coordinates and funds signage, supplies, and other items for use at MLBO events and government buildings. The grant coordinator also works to create and advocate formal commercial tobacco use policy for the entire MLBO. To find out more about how the Tribal Tobacco grant can provide services or supplies, contact Colleen McKinney.

Colleen McKinney
SHIP and Tribal Tobacco Grant Coordinator
Email

320-362-4705

The Statewide Health Improvement Partnership provides a grant through the Minnesota Department of Health, focused on encouraging healthy tribal communities. The SHIP grant is involved in developing activities or projects that work to encourage healthy activity, reduce obesity and diabetes, and discourage commercial tobacco use as well as other behaviors that are hazardous to the health of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe community members. To find out more about how the SHIP grant can provide services or supplies, contact Colleen McKinney.

Colleen McKinney
SHIP and Tribal Tobacco Grant Coordinator
Email

320-362-4705

Communicable Disease Follow-up
Through this program, a Public Health Nurse contacts clients who have been diagnosed with a communicable disease to assure they have received the proper course of medication and to prevent further health problems.

Medication Management and Setup
This service is available to Elders on the Public Health Nursing caseload who must take medications. A Registered Nurse and Licensed Practical Nurse can help you categorize your medications, clarify dosages and frequency of medication, and help set up a medication management system for a one-to-two week time period.

Home Care staff work cell phone numbers:

Lisa Blahosky- Olivarez-Public Health Director
320-362-0423

Nicole Narveson RN-Home Care Coordinator
320-362-4100

Jennifer Cross RN-Public Health Nurse
320-630-4926

Kim Schiller RN-Public Health Nurse
320-362-0889

Dee Kulhanek LPN-Clinic/Home Care
218-768-5322

Donna Sutton RN- WIC Nurse/Home Care
320-630-2443

Carol Demars HHA-Public Health/Home Care
320-362-4353

Mya Schroeder HHA-Public Health/Home Care
320-362-4088

Crystal Roeschlein RN-MCH Coordinator
320-362-1710

Renee Bayerle-Family Spirit Home Visitor
320-362-4988

Kathy Nelson-Family Spirit Home Visitor
320-630-2468