In an effort to slow the spread of Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), the Berrien County Health Department is altering several program and service operations to help encourage further social distancing. Berrien County has closed County buildings to the public, but we will continue to support critical services for our residents.
Berrien County Health Department buildings’ front doors in Benton Harbor and Niles will be locked beginning Monday, March 23rd. However we will have a team member available to open doors as needed for clients as they arrive for appointments. Services are available by appointment only; walk-ins are no longer being accepted. The Three Oaks office is closed effective Tuesday March 17 until further notice.
The following program operations changes are in effect as of March 23rd:
- The Sexual Health Clinic is only accepting clients via appointment for birth-control supply visits, and Fast-Track STD testing/treatment; walk-ins will no longer be accepted. New patient appointments and annual visits are no longer being offered at this time. Public Health Nurses are available via telephone for questions from clients.
- Immunizations are not being offered in our clinics at this time.
- Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) will continue client appointments via tele-health visits whenever possible and will authorize and/or extend benefits over the phone.
- Water filters/replacement cartridges are still available for Benton Harbor residents to pick-up in office, but all distribution events are canceled. Residents are encouraged to call 1-800-815-5485 (select option #2) to have a filter/cartridge mailed to them.
- All home visiting services (NFP and MI-APPP), family health programs (Triple P and TPIP), and Children’s Special Health Care Services are shifting to tele-health visits/consultations only.
- All Hearing and Vision pre-school screenings are canceled through the end of April.
- Unless otherwise noted, all community coalition meetings, events, classes, and other community gatherings are canceled until further notice.
The public is encouraged to call with further questions about services that are available at this time by appointment only. BCHD staff are working day and night to monitor this evolving situation with COVID-19 and will continue to provide new information to the community as things change. A hotline has been established to answer questions from the public at 1-800-815-5485 and more information can be found at the Berrien County Health Department website at www.bchdmi.org or by following BCHD on social media.