Although winter is loosening its grip gradually in Idaho, the beginning of the next fiscal year on July 1 will arrive all-too quickly. One of the key annual milestones we work to achieve at that time is submission of our annually-updated five-year strategic plan.

The department’s senior leadership team is working to reset our strategic plan for the next cycle. As we do, we’re continuing to hold weekly accountability meetings to make sure no task is left behind. We take stock of outstanding tasks from our current strategic plan using a red, yellow, green, and blue traffic light system that helps us quickly visualize how far we’ve come.

Out of the original 64 tasks that we published in our current strategic plan, 46 percent are marked blue (completed), 40 percent are green (on track), 4 percent are yellow (a few issues to work out), and 7 percent are red. Tasks marked red mean we’ve hit a major roadblock that we’re figuring out how to work around.

In my April 29 blog post, you can read more about the progress we’ve made on each task in Goal 1, which is to ensure affordable, available healthcare that works.

This goal includes work performed across the Division of Public Health and Division of Medicaid, with support from department-wide colleagues and partners throughout the state. Over the next few weeks, this blog series will focus on the progress we’ve made on every task in Goals 2, 3, and 4.

As we work toward conclusion of one strategic plan cycle and prepare for the next, the department’s leadership and staff are engaged in big-picture thinking and planning to prepare for the challenges ahead. As we do this, we continue to push ourselves to practice collaboration with each other and compassion for those we serve.

What’s more, each time we complete a task from our strategic plan, we take another step toward planning the next task that will help improve the lives of Idahoans.

It is no longer a federal mandate to wear a mask on public transportation and in transportation hubs, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued updated COVID-19 guidance about masks and travel to help people assess their risk for infection so they can take steps to stay healthy.

As the number of COVID-19 cases varies in different parts of Idaho and the nation, it’s a good idea to keep a quality mask handy when you travel, in case you find yourself in a crowded or poorly ventilated area where the risk of getting infected with COVID-19 is higher.

When should I wear a mask in travel and public transportation settings?

Wearing a well-fitting and high-quality mask or respirator is recommended for everyone aged 2 years or older when indoors on public transportation and at transportation hubs. It is especially important to wear a mask:

• When public transportation or transportation hubs are crowded
• In areas that are poorly ventilated, including:
  • Small, enclosed spaces, such as airport jet bridges
  • Public transportation when the ventilation system is off and windows are closed, such as when the engine is turned off on a plane
• During international travel and in transportation hubs with international travelers
• During long-distance domestic travel
• When the COVID-19 Community Level in your area in the United States is high
• If you are at high risk for getting very sick from COVID-19, or if you live with or have social contact with someone at high risk
• If you came into close contact with someone with COVID-19 and are not recommended to quarantine because you are up to date on your COVID-19 vaccines or have recently recovered from COVID-19. Wear a well-fitting mask or respirator around others, including when traveling or using public transportation, until 10 days from the date of your last close contact.
  • Do not travel if you are recommended to quarantine.
  • If you have COVID-19, do not travel until a full 10 days after your symptoms started or the date your positive test was taken if you had no symptoms.

Why are masks still recommended in travel and public transportation but not in other community settings?

• Using public transportation can involve spending long periods of time in areas that may be crowded or poorly ventilated, increasing the chance for exposure to COVID-19.
• People on public transportation may not have the option to avoid being around people who are not wearing masks by getting off a bus or flight or relocating to another area.
• People from countries or US communities with different levels of COVID-19 mix when they travel. Travelers depart to many different locations from a hub, so an exposure could lead to spread across the United States and around the world.

What are other ways I can reduce risk of COVID-19 infection in travel and transportation settings?

• Consider traveling during off-peak times when fewer people travel.
• Open windows to improve ventilation if this is an option.
• Visit Domestic Travel During COVID-19 | CDC and International Travel | CDC for additional ways you can protect yourself and others during travel.
• Before travel, regardless of the destination and your vaccination status, consider getting tested for infection with a viral test as close to the time of departure as possible (no more than 3 days). 
• After domestic travel, regardless of your vaccination status, get tested if your travel involved being in crowded places while not wearing a well-fitting mask or respirator and follow additional guidance if you know you were exposed to a person with COVID-19. Self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms. If you have symptoms, isolate and get tested. 

How do state and local regulations apply to recommendations for masking during travel?

People should continue to follow any rules and recommendations of state, tribal, local, and territorial authorities. The CDC continues to recommend that people remain aware of the disease level in their local areas and act accordingly.

Dr. Christine Hahn is Idaho’s state epidemiologist and the Division of Public Health’s medical director. She is board certified in infectious disease and works in an Idaho tuberculosis clinic twice monthly. She also serves on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and since late February 2020, has been focusing almost solely on responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 resources:

• Photos and more tips about N95 Respirators, Surgical Masks, Face Masks, and Barrier Face Coverings
• Idaho’s Coronavirus website
• CDC COVID-19 website

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

One of the many hats I wear as director of the Department of Health and Welfare is co-chair of the Idaho Behavioral Health Council. The council was established by all three branches of government via a proclamation from the Idaho Supreme Court, a concurrent resolution from the Legislature, and by Gov. Brad Little’s executive order on July 29, 2020, to improve the system of care for Idahoans with behavioral health needs. I co-chair the council with Sara Omundson, administrative director of courts.

The council is unique because it includes members from all three branches of Idaho’s government: executive, judicial, and legislative. It also includes local government and members of the public. Thirteen members have been working since August 2020 with local government, service providers, community partners, and people who use behavioral health services and their families to identify a list of recommendations that will move us all a step closer to making behavioral healthcare more consistently available to all Idahoans.

Behavioral health issues affect many aspects of life in Idaho, including Idaho’s corrections system, judicial system, hospitals, schools, and communities.

It is the council’s vision that adults, children, and their families who live with mental illness and addiction receive the behavioral healthcare services they need, when they need them. Council members believe if this vision is realized, then people in Idaho will have a better quality of life and a lowered risk of involvement with the criminal justice system. It will make Idaho communities healthier and safer.

There’s a lot of work to do to fulfill that vision, but we now have a solid plan. The council worked with community partners to develop and implement a three-year strategic action plan.

The plan addresses the challenges that individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders face in Idaho. It also includes an inventory of current resources, a plan to leverage state and national best practices, and a focus on a consumer-driven approach to design a  cost-efficient, organized system that maximizes resources to care for people with behavioral health conditions in Idaho.

The plan contains 34 recommendations that address infrastructure, promotion, prevention, engagement of people with behavioral health disorders, treatment, and recovery. The council selected nine of the recommendations as priorities for three years, and three have already been implemented.

The council’s next meeting will be at 11 a.m. July 8. For more information about the council, visit https://behavioralhealthcouncil.idaho.gov/

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend.

During the pandemic, many of us postponed or missed important wellness checkups and medical care with our healthcare providers because of the spread of COVID-19. As COVID-19 cases have decreased and normal activities resume, now is a good time to review the vaccines recommended for your children to make sure they are up to date. It's easy to think that serious diseases like measles, mumps, and hepatitis, aren’t a threat to your child. But the truth is, they still exist. Children in the United States can — and do — still get some of these diseases. Vaccines help lower the chance of that happening.

What vaccines should my children receive?

You should talk about needed vaccines with your child’s healthcare provider. A schedule of all the recommended vaccinations for children and young adults ages 18 years and younger is available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/hcp/imz/child-adolescent.html

Where can I get a copy of my child’s immunization record?

A copy of your child's immunization record may be obtained from their primary care provider’s office, the clinic that gave them a vaccine, your local public health district clinic, or any healthcare provider or facility with which they have an established medical relationship.

Where can I get vaccines for my child?

Vaccines are available at many locations across Idaho. They may be available for you and your child at your healthcare provider’s office or your local public health district. Contact your local public health districts or community health center to schedule an appointment for vaccines.  

Is there an out-of-pocket cost for children’s vaccines? 

Routine childhood vaccines are available to Idaho children, under the age of 19 years, at no cost or at a lower cost. The vaccine itself is free through medical providers who participate in Idaho’s Immunization Program, but the provider may charge a fee to your insurance company to give the vaccine. All local public health districts participate in the state vaccine program, as do most pediatricians and family practice physicians.

Are vaccines required for school or childcare facility attendance?

There are specific immunization requirements for students to attend school or childcare in Idaho because some diseases spread quickly in group settings. Highly contagious diseases like whooping cough and measles can spread easily not only at school or childcare, but also at home where there may be babies who are too young for vaccinations. Whooping cough is a concern for babies. You can talk to your doctor about the vaccines your child needs for school or daycare attendance and read more about the school immunization requirements, including registration requirements for records or valid exemptions,  at www.immunizeidahoschools.com and https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/services-programs/children-families/child-and-adolescent-immunization

Dr. Christine Hahn is Idaho’s state epidemiologist and the Division of Public Health’s medical director. She is board certified in infectious disease and works in an Idaho tuberculosis clinic twice monthly. She also serves on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, and since late February 2020, has been focusing almost solely on responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

COVID-19 resources:

• Idaho’s Coronavirus website
• CDC COVID-19 website

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

The Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) uses our strategic plan as a roadmap to define and share who we are as an agency, what our goals are, and how we plan to achieve them. Over the past year, we have worked diligently to follow our roadmap toward our mission of strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Our current strategic plan cycle will end on June 30, and we are currently in the process of developing our next five-year plan.

Each week, the senior leadership team discusses real-time updates about our strategic work. This blog post highlights and celebrates some of the key achievements from the current strategic plan. This week, I will cover the first of our four strategic goals. Today, we’re focusing on our first strategic goal. Throughout May and June, this blog series will continue with a focus on the second, third, and fourth strategic goals.

Making progress toward Strategic Goal 1: Ensure affordable, available healthcare that works

Objective 1.1: Increase the number of National Health Service Corps clinic sites by 12 percent by June 30, 2023.

• Healthcare organizations in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas can apply to become National Health Service Corps sites. These sites are important because they provide a sliding fee scale for patients and loan repayment opportunities for providers. The DHW team reached out to dozens of providers in newly designated Health Professional Shortage Areas in Blaine and Bonneville Counties to encourage them to become National Health Service Corps sites. The team provided education and technical support for new site applications. There are now 23 new site applications underway and the DHW team will continue to support application development through the closing date on May 10, 2022.
• Clinics must be in a designated Health Professional Shortage Area to apply to become a National Health Service Corps site. The team successfully analyzed 100 percent of Idaho’s areas not currently designated and submitted six applications for possible new shortage area designations. While four of the applications were unsuccessful due to the provider to population ratio, new primary care shortage area designations were approved for Blaine and Bonneville Counties.  

Objective 1.2: By July 1, 2023, 50 percent of Medicaid payments will be tied to measurable outcomes of better health and cost-efficient care.

• The Healthy Connections Value Care program performance year successfully went live on Jan. 1, 2022. This trailblazing collaboration between DHW and healthcare providers is designed to ensure that providers are rewarded for providing high-quality, cost-effective healthcare, and Idahoans receive healthcare that makes them healthier. Now, the team is collecting data throughout 2022 to prepare a preliminary report on the new program, which will include performance metrics relating to cost efficiency and quality.
• The Medicaid team is working toward adding the Medicaid Expansion population to the Healthy Connections Value Care program as part of Performance Year 2 of the program.
• The Medicaid team also  worked on contract language for “duals” plans – people enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. The new contract language supports value-based payment strategies that will result in better health and cost-efficient care for people on duals programs. The DHW team worked with healthcare provider partners to agree on contract language, and the new contracts are now in place.
• DHW has recently hired a quality director, who will work with the Medicaid team to set meaningful quality metrics and goals for Medicaid’s value-based, managed care, and fee-for-service programs. Together with the DHW medical director, the quality director will collaborate with many stakeholders to develop an overarching population health and quality strategy.

Objective 1.3: Limit Medicaid spending growth to a defined annual per-member cost increase target through the implementation of cost-containment strategies by July 1, 2025.

• DHW is working to develop a data-driven per member per year cost-containment target. We are also working to modify the Medicaid budget report to track progress toward that target. The Medicaid team will use the target as a benchmark for cost containment activities.
• This cost reduction strategy task has been completed on time. The DHW Medicaid team worked with Blue Cross of Idaho and Molina Healthcare of Idaho to implement new contracts for people enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare. The new 2022 contracts include mutually agreeable contract language and performance measures that are designed to reduce the growth trend by $5 million, year-over-year.
• The Medicaid team has been working on several strategies to limit the use of low-value, medically unnecessary services. The goal is to achieve cost-avoiding savings of $5 million in SFY 2023. The team has worked on several internal initiatives to revise and update clinical policies to manage service provision.

As we reflect on the progress and completion of these tasks and objectives in the first of the department’s four strategic goals, I am filled with gratitude and admiration for the hard work put in every day by DHW staff, and by the countless partners who continue to help us along the way. As we prepare to move our focus toward the next five years, I am confident that we will continue to innovate and collaborate in our work together to serve Idahoans.

You can follow the DHW’s work toward our mission and read more about our Strategic Plan on our website.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend.

Domestic poultry, including chickens and turkeys, infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (also called bird flu) were first detected earlier this month in Idaho, in Gooding, Caribou, and Madison counties. They were likely infected by migrating geese or ducks.

A type of avian influenza, called highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N1), started killing domestic poultry and certain species of wild birds in the United States in mid-January.

It’s extremely rare but still possible for this virus to pass from infected birds to humans. Here are some things to keep in mind now that the virus has been confirmed in Idaho.

What is highly pathogenic avian influenza?

Bird flu is the disease caused by infection with avian influenza viruses. These viruses naturally spread among wild aquatic birds worldwide and can infect domestic poultry and other birds and some animals. Some avian influenza viruses do not cause disease in birds; however, highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses cause severe illness in infected birds. 

Can it make humans sick?

Yes, but only rarely.

Although avian influenza viruses usually do not infect people, there have been some cases of human infection. Human infections with bird flu viruses have occurred most often after unprotected contact with infected birds or surfaces contaminated with the virus. Even so, there have been infections where direct contact with infected birds or their environment could not be verified.

Human infections with bird flu viruses can happen when the virus gets into a person’s eyes, nose, or mouth, or is inhaled. This is possible when virus is in the air (in droplets or possibly dust) and a person breathes it in, or when a person touches something that has virus on it then touches their mouth, eyes, or nose. Infected birds shed virus through their saliva, mucous and feces.

If it’s rare, why is it important to know about it?

It is possible that bird flu viruses could mutate and gain the ability to spread easily between people; therefore, monitoring for human infection and person-to-person spread is extremely important for public health.

What are the symptoms of avian influenza in humans?

Some infected people have had no symptoms. When symptoms were present for others, they ranged from mild illness, such as eye redness or mild flu-like upper respiratory symptoms, to severe illness, including fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches, fatigue, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. Some people have developed pneumonia requiring hospitalization. Less common signs and symptoms include diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or seizures.

What are the signs of illness in birds?

Signs of highly pathogenic avian influenza in domestic poultry include decreased appetite and activity, difficulty breathing, dark combs and wattles, and unexplained deaths.

If you have a backyard flock that is experiencing a sudden increase in illness and death, contact the Idaho State Department of Agriculture at 208-332-8540.

If you come across a sick or dead bird in the wild, avoid touching it and report your findings to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game through its website: https://idfg.idaho.gov/conservation/wildlife-health.

Learn more:

• Bird flu infections in humans (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention): https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-in-humans.htm
• About avian influenza (Idaho Department of Fish and Game): https://idfg.idaho.gov/conservation/wildlife-health/avian-influenza

Leslie Tengelsen, PhD, DVM, is the state public health veterinarian in the Division of Public Health. She has worked for the department since 1998 and focuses on zoonotic disease prevention.

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for daily updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

Making progress toward Strategic Goal 4: Strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in the Department of Health and Welfare

No matter what the weather looks like in Idaho’s ever-changing economic climate, the department is committed to providing services to help Idahoans live their best lives. Our resources – employees, money, and physical assets such as buildings – are the lifeblood necessary to accomplish our mission to strengthen the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans.

One of the strategic initiatives the Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) has been working on over the past two years is improving our financial planning and budget oversight activities. The budget preparation work helps the leadership team answer detailed questions from the Legislature each year. Many budget requests are directly related to the work described in the DHW Strategic Plan.

With the legislative session now finished, there are many areas of work the department has now been given the go-ahead to begin or continue. Below are a few of the highlights from the recently approved budget and how they support the work we do.

Strategic Goal 1: Ensure affordable, available healthcare that works

• Access to funds to develop the Healthy Connections Value Care program. This program will reward Medicaid providers for keeping participants healthy while containing medical costs. This program is estimated to save about $30 million for the state.
• Provider rate increases for many services covered under Medicaid mean that healthcare providers can continue to provide Medicaid services at a rate of payment appropriate for today’s economic climate.
• Funding to develop and build a modernized claims and processing data system called a Medicaid Management Information System. The modernized system will help the Medicaid program improve transparency, efficiency, access, and cost reduction strategies.

Strategic Goal 2: Protect children, youth, and vulnerable adults

• An increase in the monthly reimbursement paid to foster families.
• Funds for additional in-home case workers.
• A targeted change in employee compensation for child welfare workers.
• Additional funding for crisis bed staffing at Southwest Idaho Treatment Center (SWITC).
• Targeted change in employee compensation for SWITC employees.

• Funding for community mental health activities based on Idaho Behavioral Health Council recommendations.
• Funding for the 9-8-8 crisis line, which will provide access to emergency behavioral health services to Idahoans experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

• Community behavioral health clinic startup grants for three certified community behavioral health clinics. These clinics will serve anyone in need of care, including people with serious mental illness, serious emotional disturbance, long-term chronic addiction, mild or moderate mental illness, substance use disorders, and complex health profiles.
• Additional funding for the prevention of substance use disorders.
• Funding for children's psychiatric residential treatment grants.

Strategic Goal 3: Help Idahoans become as healthy and self-sufficient as possible

• Funding to support work to address health disparities in communities around the state. This work includes factors such as poverty, unemployment, education, housing, social support, and the physical environment, and access to care.

Strategic Goal 4: Strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in the Department of Health and Welfare

• Funding for software and IT cloud modernization.
• Funding to modernize the background check system to a web-based check system like those used in 14 other states will improve customer service and program efficiency.

The DHW budget development process is a tool used to work with the Legislature by highlighting the high value and quality of work performed by DHW staff, and to encourage their support and partnership. You can stay updated on developments of these projects and more with each year’s new DHW Strategic Plan.

I hope you have a safe and healthy weekend.

Sexually transmitted infections (STI) are passed from one person to another through sexual activity. They can also be passed from one person to another through intimate physical contact.

They don’t always cause symptoms or may only cause mild symptoms, so it is possible to have an infection and not know it. That is why it is important to get tested if you are sexually active. To find STI testing and free services available near you, visit www.findidahotesting.com.

The most reliable way to avoid an STI is to not have sex. If you are sexually active, or thinking of becoming sexually active, it is important that you take some simple steps to protect your health. STIs are preventable. They also can be treated with medication and some can be cured. If you have sex, know how to protect yourself and your sexual partner from STIs.

TALK: Talk openly and honestly with your partner(s) and your healthcare provider about sexual health and STIs.

Talk with your partner(s) BEFORE having sex. Not sure how? Here are some tips to help you start the conversation.

• “I really care about you. I want to make sure we’re both healthy. Let’s get tested before we have sex. That way we can look out for each other.”
• “Many people who have an STI don’t know it. Why take a chance when we can know for sure?”

Make sure your discussion covers several important ways to make sex safer:

• Talk about when you were last tested for STIs and suggest getting tested together.
• If you know you have an STI (like herpes or HIV), tell your partner.
• Agree to only have sex with each other.
• Agree to use condoms the right way every time you have sex.

Talk with your healthcare provider about your sex life as it relates to your health. This helps your healthcare provider understand what STI tests you should be getting and how often.

Here are a few questions you should expect and be prepared to answer honestly:

• Have you been sexually active in the last year?
• In the past 12 months, how many sexual partners have you had?
• What are you doing to protect yourself from STIs?

Not all medical checkups include STI testing, so don’t assume that you’ve been tested unless you discuss it with your provider. If your provider does not discuss sex or STI testing with you, bring it up. Don’t be shy!

Ask your healthcare provider whether certain vaccines, like the hepatitis B vaccine or the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine are right for you.

TEST: Get tested. It’s the only way to know for sure if you have an STI.

Many STIs don’t cause any symptoms, so you could have one and not know. If you’re having sex, getting tested is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health.

Learn which STI tests CDC recommends for you. Even if you’re pregnant, you can still get an STI.

To find STI testing and free services available near you visit www.findidahotesting.com.  In addition to traditional, in-person visits, other options that may be available include:

• Video or phone appointments with your healthcare provider.
• Urgent care facilities allow walk-in STI testing and treatment appointments.
• At-home collection where you collect your own sample and take or mail it to a lab for testing. (Starting in May, a new at-home collection option will be available to Idaho residents called LetsGetChecked. Visit www.findidahotesting.com to learn more.)

If you’re not comfortable talking with your regular healthcare provider about STIs, find a clinic or local public health district that provides free or low-cost confidential testing.

TREAT: If you test positive for an STI, work with your healthcare provider to get the correct treatment.

Some STIs can be cured with the right medicine, and all STIs are treatable. Make sure your treatment works by doing these things:

• Take all the medication your healthcare provider prescribes, even if you start feeling better or your symptoms go away.
• Don’t share your medication with anyone.
• Avoid having sex again until you and your sex partner(s) have all completed treatment.
• A follow-up STI test may be needed to make sure the treatment worked.
• Your healthcare provider can talk with you about which medications are right for you.

Learn more:

• From DHW: About sexually transmitted diseases: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/health-wellness/diseases-conditions/sexually-transmitted-diseases
• From Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/std/

Kimberly Matulonis-Edgar is the Prevention Programs coordinator of the HIV, STD, and Hepatitis Section in the Division of Public Health. Kimberly has worked for the department since 2015 and focuses on educating the public about sexually transmitted infections.

Follow the Department of Health and Welfare on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for daily updates and information you can trust.

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov. 

In recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month, I am continuing my blog series on the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect.

In Idaho, workers in the child welfare program with the Department of Health and Welfare are focused on protecting and supporting children and families who need help. In the child welfare system, child welfare staff play a critical role by protecting children and youth. The children are dealing with situations that are out of their control, and they need care and understanding.

I asked some of our own child welfare staff what it means to them to protect and support the families and children in Idaho, and below are their responses. (These are comments from real employees, but their identities are protected.)

Region 1 Child Welfare employee:

Raising children takes a village, and many parents within our community do not have the “village” they need to be successful. By working with families that are experiencing generational substance use, abuse, and neglect, we are able to create a change that has a ripple effect in the future as well. We are not just helping the children and parents, but also those that will come after them. It is an honor to work with a vulnerable population and help them become stronger and more empowered.

Region 3 Child Welfare licensing worker:

I chose this work because my parents were foster parents for a couple of years when I first started college. My parents decided to only take in teenagers, and we had two teen boys living in our home at that time. It had its ups and downs, but I saw how much these boys needed structure, stability, and love that my family was able to provide them. They ended up adopting one of them when he was 16 and, he is now 21 and he is a starter for a Division 1 football team. (So cool to see the success story for him!) And, we still have contact with the other one as well, he still calls my mom monthly to talk and keep in touch. I chose this work because I have a personal connection with the foster care system and saw how a good family can make a difference in these kid’s lives.

Region 3 Child Welfare case manager

I chose this work because I enjoy helping others. I love seeing the positive change that families and children make. It means a lot to me to help families and children believe in a brighter future and for me to be a part of that. It’s not always easy. Some families and children don’t realize their full potential or take advantage of the resources/opportunities that are available to them. I continue to do my part and hope that they come to the realization that they are worthy and capable!

Region 6 Child Welfare employee

I think I always knew that I wanted to work as a social worker, just wasn’t sure it was child welfare until a guest speaker talked about it in one of my college classes. I work in child welfare to provide hope for youth and families, to provide them with resources, support, and knowledge at a time when youth and families are most vulnerable. I think the work that is done in child welfare is priceless. The services and support provided to families in need or in crisis is life-changing. We have a great team in Idaho, we do hard things and we do them well, (and) together.

I feel like social work chose me. My mom was a single parent and had to use resources to help provide for our care during some difficult times. Helping professionals were able to connect us with services, and I had positive experiences from people that supported my mom, myself, and my sister. As I got older, I knew I wanted to help people, I just didn't know in what way until I went into social work. Working in child welfare was the perfect fit for me. Helping families and children in the various stages of their life has been rewarding as well as heartbreaking, but the work we do is needed to ensure the health and safety of children and their families. 

I can’t express my appreciation enough for their work, which is difficult and sometimes unappreciated. They are the people who work to protect children, keep families together, and put others first. I am so grateful for their service.

How to report child abuse, neglect, or abandonment

In Idaho, we receive nearly 23,000 reports of child abuse, neglect, and abandonment each year. To report suspected child abuse, neglect, or abandonment call:

• Statewide: 855-552-KIDS (5437)
• Treasure Valley: 208-334-KIDS (5437)
• 2-1-1 or local law enforcement

I hope you all have a safe and healthy weekend.

Idahoans are well-known to be dog lovers – many households have more than one dog, and parks and trails are full of our canine buddies. It’s important to keep in mind that even though our pups are outdoor adventure companions and indoor snuggle-buddies, they are still animals that could lash out if they feel threatened.

Injuries from dog bites are increasing in Idaho, especially among children. Visits to Idaho emergency departments by children for dog bite injuries are trending up. Hospitalizations for dog bite injuries are increasing as well, particularly for boys 5 to 17 years old. Most years, there are about 20 people hospitalized for dog bite injuries in Idaho. In 2020, that number more than doubled to 46.

Dog bite injuries can be severe and may cause mental, emotional, and physical trauma. In the past four years, dog bites have caused more than 165 fractures, 40 partial or complete amputations, and 10 detached ear lobes or lips in Idaho. Dog bites carry a risk of bacterial infection, which can be reduced with prompt medical care. A dog infected with rabies virus can transmit the virus before showing signs of rabies, which is fatal without prompt medical care after a bite.

Dog bite injuries requiring an emergency department visit or hospital stay in Idaho are highest in summer. A bite could come from any dog at any time, but during the summer take extra care to protect yourself and your family from bites.

Steps you can take to protect yourself and your family:

• Remember that any dog can bite. At least 1 in 5 dog bites treated in an Idaho emergency department are from a family dog. Any dog can bite, especially if it is scared, injured, or sick. Read a dog's body language and give it space if it seems stressed. Leave a dog alone when it is eating or sleeping. Make sure your dog is vaccinated against rabies.
• Supervise babies and toddlers around dogs – even if it is the family dog. In Idaho, 3 out of 10 dog bite-related hospitalizations were for children 4 years and younger. Some of these bites occurred when the child and dog were alone together, even for just a minute. A bite can happen quickly, so supervise young children around all dogs, all the time. 
• Prevent dog fights to prevent dog bites. Breaking up dog fights leads to more than 100 emergency department visits a year in Idaho. Dog trainers say there is no safe way to break up a dog fight. Prevent dog fights by reading the dogs' body language and, if possible, separate dogs before they start fighting.
• Approach unfamiliar dogs with caution. Every year in Idaho, more than 90 emergency department visits are to treat patients with bites from stray or unfamiliar dogs. Approach any unfamiliar dogs with caution and contact animal control for assistance if needed. If you are bitten by a dog, you can also contact animal control for help getting the dog's vaccination history.
• Seek medical care early and take care of wounds. Delayed medical care leads to about 65 infections each year in Idaho. The puncture wounds from a bite may be deeper than they appear, and prompt and thorough wound care is needed to avoid infection. Dogs vaccinated against the rabies virus can still carry other germs. Your healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotics, rabies post-exposure treatment, and a tetanus vaccine. The recommended treatment will depend on the injury and the vaccination history of you and the dog.

Learn more:

• Tips for children to prevent dog bites from World Health Organization: https://apps.who.int/rabies/resources/educational_material_children/en/index.html
• How to read dog body language from American Veterinary Medical Association: https://www.avma.org/resources/pet-owners/how-read-dog-body-language

• Rabies information from Idaho Department of Health and Welfare: https://healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/health-wellness/diseases-conditions/rabies

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The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is dedicated to strengthening the health, safety, and independence of Idahoans. Learn more at healthandwelfare.idaho.gov.