The mission of the Polk County Health Center is to promote and protect the health and safety of the people within Polk County through the development and implementation of health services based on assessed needs.
The Health Center offers a variety of programs. You can learn more about these programs by clicking on the links to the left. Our most recent service is the Free Clinic. The Free Clinic is available for those residents who do not have any medical insurance. The clinic is open on Tuesday evenings from 5-7 pm by appointment only. To make an appointment, please call the Health Center.
Health & Nutrition
Every day, Missourians see and hear dozens of messages about
their health. While these messages are often clever and convincing,
they frequently contribute to confusion about healthy behaviors. The
Live Well Message Alliance strives to serve as an accurate source of
health information.
Focusing on the theme Live Like Your Life Depends On It, the alliance
hopes to motivate Missourians to make healthy choices. Research
shows that people who take steps to protect their health can often
avoid or delay the onset of many chronic diseases and live a longer
and healthier life.
Shape Up Polk County is an 8 week physical activity and nutrition campaign. Each week tips and suggestions for activity plans will be available. The program is designed to help teach skills to help people make better food and exercise choices. Participants will set specific goals focusing on physical activity and nutrition. Then report weekly whether they met or did not meet their goals. Those who meet their weekly goals will be put into a weekly drawing for a prize. Those who meet their goals all 8 weeks will be put in a drawing for a grand prize.
The campaign will be broken down so that all participate can meet the goals with confidence. There are three categories: 1) Schools, 2) Businesses and 3) Community Members. Each category will have three levels: 1) Sedentary means a lifestyle that includes only the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life, 2) Moderately active means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life and 3) Vigorous means a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
The campaign kicks off January 1, 2010. Register to participate by emailing or calling 417-326-7250 and ask for Sandra.
