NATCHEZ — Childhood immunizations and flu shots are common services available at the Adams County Health Department and county health departments across the state. But those two services are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what the center offers its patients.

The Adams County Health Department, located at 415 U.S. 61 South in Natchez, also offers family planning services, testing for sexually transmitted diseases, early screening programs for children, treatment and screening for high blood pressure and breast and cervical cancer screenings. The office also offers tuberculosis testing, WIC distribution, diabetes control and social work.

The family planning program promotes responsible behavior and healthy mothers through educational services. The program also helps prevent unintended pregnancies and abortions by contraceptive distribution and educational materials.

Children’s services like the early and periodic screening program gives parents and children easy access to health care.

The early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment program provides free health check ups for children under with Medicaid benefits. The program is a wide reaching service that provides medical and nursing care, nutrition and social work.

The EPSDT program is preventative in nature and designed to spot health concerns early in life.

Sandra Scott, chief nurse for Mississippi State Department of Health public health district seven, said some of the department’s services are used widely, but other that are just as helpful are often overlooked. One such program Scott said is the breast and cervical cancer program offered to women.

“The breast and cervical cancer program is something that is fairly new to us. It has probably been in the area only four of five years,” Scott said. “Many people know they can come in and get birth control but are not aware that we offer this to people who have passed their child bearing years.”

The program provides screening and diagnostic mammograms, breast biopsy where needed, colposcopy where if needed and follow up and referral services for abnormal pap smears or mammograms.

Scott also said the services of the county health department extend outside just patient treatment. She said the department’s also focuses on creating and maintaining healthy environments.

The health department is responsible for doing epidemiology for communicable diseases.

“If someone in the county is diagnosed with meningitis or hepatitis A, the health department will get an alert about that,” Scott said. “We do the follow up on that and offer treatment and try to find all the contacts and offer education about the disease.”

The department also does environmental checks on the water supply to ensure that it is safe to drink and does periodic restaurant checks to make sure they are up to standards.

Scott said the services offered to patients at the county health department are one of the largest forms of community service because the office provides as much care as possible to anyone who comes in the door.

“Most of our clients are walk-in clients and it is like that on a daily basis,” Scott said. “What people don’t know about a lot of our clinics is that if you can’t pay, we can see you anyway.

And if we can’t provide that service you need, we will offer you referral help in finding it.”

A full list of services offered in Adams County can be found on the Mississippi State Department of Health Web site at www.healthyms.com or by calling the local health department at 601-445-4601.

The Adams County Health Department is open Monday – Friday.