General Information of the Health and Human Services

The Health Department's 21st annual Health Fair was held on October 14th, 1999 at the Richard Rodda Community Center. The fair, entitled Project Find and Senior Health Symposium, was funded by the Teaneck Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse and was cosponsored by Holy Name Hospital. Over 500 seniors participated in the day long event which was highlighted with a Lunch and Learn lecture which focused on the problems of depression and substance abuse. The Holy Name staff provided programs on how to interpret blood test results, nutrition and osteoporosis. Various screenings including a Lipid profile, blood pressure and heart risk assessment were offered. A dermatology screening was provided by Dr. Allen Sapadin. The Police Department's Community Police division provided information on burglary prevention and avoiding scam artists who prey on the elderly.  A major draw at the symposium were influenza and pneumonia immunizations. A total of 471 residents received flu shots and 30 received the pneumonia shots. The next health fair is being planned for October of 2000. Watch the newspapers for the exact date and time.

During the summer of 1999, the Fire Department followed up on the residential properties in each of the four fire districts to ensure compliance with the building and house number ordinance. At the end of 1999, over 85% of Teaneck's residential dwellings had a legible and appropriate house number displayed. A properly placed house number allows all of the Townships emergency services, including the Volunteer Ambulance Corp, to respond more quickly to what could be potentially life threatening situations. Health Department inspectors will continue compliance measures in 2000.

The Code Enforcement Officer routinely patrols all the commercial areas in the Township making sure that litter is removed from sidewalks and that garbage storage areas are maintained. In the summer months overgrown and unmaintained properties become a priority. The Code Enforcement Officer also supervises the "Teen Clean" program participants. Teaneck High School students from the FORUM program cleaned municipal parking lots on Saturday mornings April through June and September through November. During July and August, the students worked with the Public Works Department and painted over graffiti on public buildings, bridges and other Township property.  The program will continue in 2000.

The Health Department continued the coordination of the Teaneck Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse. The Alliance is funded through grant moneys received from the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. The Alliance Committee received $17,500.00 in 1999. The Township matched the amount with 25% cash and 75% in-kind services. The Alliance Committee worked closely with the school system, the D.A.R.E. program and END D.W.I. Key programs were Project Find and the administration of the American Drug & Alcohol Survey at the two middle schools. The results were presented to the Township Council, Board of Education and PTO's at special meetings. The Alliance Committee also provided funding for Project Graduation and for high school students to attend the Teen Institute of the Garden State (TIGS) summer program. Teaneck First Night, a drug and alcohol free New Year's eve event was generously funded in part by the Alliance. Residents or organizations who would like to become involved in the Alliance should call the coordinator at 837-4822.

The Township is entering its ninth year of contracting with Holy Name Hospital for Public Health Nursing Services. The program continues to be a major success. The Teaneck Child Health Conference is the only one in the County to provide evening hours to participants in an effort to accommodate working parents. The evening hours are the third Thursday of the month, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Day hours for the Conference are from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesdays. Visits to the Child Health Conference totaled 205.  The clinic, which provides all aspects of well-child care, administered 302 childhood immunizations. Venous blood lead tests are performed on children participating in the clinic at one and two years of age. A total of 34 children were tested for lead poisoning. The clinic, located at 725 Teaneck Road, is available to Township children between the ages of six weeks and five years. The clinic also provided 139 mandatory immunizations to school age children. Appointments, required for all services of the Child Health Conference, can be made by calling 227-6251.

The Community Health Services clinic, which provides hypertension screening and risk assessment, is also located at 725 Teaneck Road. The clinic, which includes an educational component, recorded 582 visits in 1999, in which 44 referrals were made to private physicians. The clinic is offered twice a week and is the perfect solution for residents who must have their blood pressure checked on a regular basis. Evening hours are available one Monday a month, from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Public Health Nurses from the clinic also monitored blood pressures twice a week at the Teaneck Senior Service Center, located in the Richard Rodda Community Center building. A total of 164 seniors received services in 1999. In 2000 the service will be expanded to three times a week. To receive further information about clinic dates and times, contact the Health Department office at 837-4824 or Holy Name Hospital's Community Health Services at 227-6251. The secretarial staff processed over 2,200 licenses for dog owners, retail food establishment operations, vending machines, dry cleaners and owners of rented homes and lodging houses. Revenues generated from these licenses and other miscellaneous fees totaled $69,291.05. Pet owners licensed 1,562 dogs, and 326 cats by the end of 1999. The licensing period for cats runs from April 1 to March 31 of the following year. Licenses can be renewed during April and May. As with dog licenses, which are renewable in January and February, there is a $ 10 late fee after the renewal period is over. Free rabies immunization vouchers for participating veterinarians are available from the Health Department. Residents took advantage of this program in 1999 by having 240 dogs and 42 cats vaccinated.

Animal Control services are provided through a contract with the Bergen County Animal Shelter. The Shelter responded to 333 requests for service in 1999. The service provides rabies control, rescues sick and injured animals and captures stray dogs and cats. To request the services of the shelter, residents should call the Health Department weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Before and after these hours and on weekends or holidays, calls should be made to the Teaneck Police at 837-2600. Environmental Health and Property Maintenance Code enforcement are priorities with the Health Department. The restaurants and other food establishments come under the close scrutiny of the department inspectors on a regular basis. Food establishments received 258 satisfactory, 42 conditional and 0 unsatisfactory inspections in 1999. The inspection placards are white for satisfactory and yellow for conditional inspections, and are required to be posted at or near the public entrance to the establishment. Inspectors investigated 55 complaints involving food establishments. Establishments in serious violation were issued 13 summonses which resulted in $3,385 in fines. Monthly samples of potentially hazardous foods were collected and analyzed for high bacterial levels.

Consistent property maintenance code enforcement keeps the Township environmentally sound and helps keep property values high. As the primary enforcers of the code, Department inspectors conducted 2,366 inspections in 1999. Violation notices were written, follow-up inspections conducted and summonses issued where necessary. A three year comparison of code enforcement activities follows:

  1997 1998 1999
Total Inspections 2,906 2,336 2,366
Total Notices 1,356 1,125 1,061
    Cases Abated 955 732 708
    Repeat Notices 294 272 251
    Notices Pending 107 121 102
Court Summonses 78 61 78
Fines Collected $2,820 $4,430 $7,060
    Guilty 51 36 40
    Not Guilty 0 0 1
    Dismissed 2 13 16
    Pending 25 12 21

Tenants in multiple family dwellings, rented houses and lodging houses are served by the Department through Certificate of Health inspections. These inspections are required for vacant apartments, single family rented houses and rented rooms. Certificates of Health were issued for 207 apartment units in 1999.

The Social Services Coordinator is a component of the Heath & Human Services Department and as such provides social services and referrals to residents including teen mothers, families having catastrophic illnesses, the frail elderly, senior citizens (who make up over 20% of the township's population), the homeless, case management of certain A.I.D.S. or TB cases, and crisis intervention for the incompetent or mentally ill. The Coordinator works closely with other agencies such as the Center for Food Action, the Agency to Prevent Homelessness, the THS FORUM and the Community Mental Health Centers staff, providing case management and referrals for residents having substance abuse problems or mental illnesses. Additionally, the Coordinator acts as an advocate for Township residents who are or may be eligible for WorkFirst NJ, assists in the "fair hearing" process, and has responsibility for the Shelter and Social Services annexes of the Township's Emergency Operations Plan. For the year 2000, it is anticipated that Social Services will be made available to seniors at the Richard Rodda Center.

Since the transfer of the General Assistance program to the Bergen County Board of Social Services, the Social Service Coordinator continues to act as ombudsman in crisis intervention for all Teaneck residents. Residents who need to apply for Public Assistance (Aid to Families with Dependent Children AFDC, Food Stamps, Medicaid, General Assistance) should contact the Bergen County Board of Social Services located at 216 Route 17 North, Rochelle Park, NJ 07662, Telephone (201) 3684200.

The Social Services Coordinator received private sector assistance from a number of sources in 1999; most notably the help of the African-American Student Organization at Teaneck High School, Woman's Club of Teaneck, American Legion Post #128, New Milford Teaneck Elks Lodge #2290, The Hope Presbyterian Church, and local merchants, residents and supermarkets.

General Information of the Health and Human Services

Wayne A. Fisher: Health Officer
Phone: General Health: 837-4824
Environmental Health: 837-4824
Social Services: 837-4828
Hours: 9:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M.  Monday - Friday
8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.  July and August

The Health & Human Services Department is the agency of municipal government which offers health education programs, conducts countless sanitary inspections and provides preventive services to protect the health and welfare of all the men, women and children who life in Teaneck.

Property Maintenance and Housing Code Enforcement: The prevention of blight and neighborhood deterioration is a top-priority responsibility of the Teaneck Health Department, the chief enforcement agent of property maintenance and housing codes. The enforcement program includes investigation of residential overcrowding, inadequate heat and hot water, insect and rodent infestations, and overgrown and littered properties. Property maintenance is not limited to the appearance of buildings and properties. It also includes the correction of a variety of health and safety hazards.

The code enforcement program includes the annual licensing and inspection of one-family rented dwellings and lodging houses. All vacant apartments, including those in two-family houses, must be inspected before they are reoccupied. The Department makes thousands of inspections a year. Enforcement proceedings include warnings, violation notices, and, if all other means fail, Municipal Court action.

Environmental Health: In an effort to prevent pollution, the Department maintains surveillance of the waterways within the Township by taking periodical samples and testing for levels of organic and inorganic contamination. Potential sources of air pollution are monitored to protect the quality of the air we breathe. Inspectors also respond to noise complaints and survey loud machinery and other stationary noise sources. Service stations are also monitored for compliance with the Township used oil recycling ordinance.

Food Safety: Licensed Environmental Health Specialists perform periodic inspections of all establishments which sell or serve food products to the public. More than 165 establishments including supermarkets, restaurants, grocery stores, hospitals, nursing homes, caterers, itinerant vendors and school cafeterias are inspected. Over 100 food vending machines are also inspected on a yearly basis. Food handler training courses are given by staff personnel to food service managers and their employees. A sampling program for potentially hazardous foods (prepared salads) is conducted monthly for harmful levels of bacteria and mold.

Animal Control:  The Township contracts with the Bergen County Animal Shelter to provide animal control services. Residents may obtain these services by contacting the Teaneck Health Department, Monday through Friday, from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. and through the Teaneck Police Department at all other times. Dog licenses must be obtained in January of each year. A $10 late charge is added to the licensing fee if the license has not been obtained by March 1st. Cat licenses must be obtained during April of each year. A $10 late charge is added to the licensing fee if the license has not been obtained by June 1st. The Department offers free rabies shots for dogs and cats owned by residents, when indicated. The Health Department Inspectors investigate all complaints about animals.

General Inspections: To insure that sanitary conditions are maintained and conditions comply with applicable codes, periodic inspections are made of public institutions, including hospitals, nursing homes, childcare centers and public and private schools including Fairleigh Dickinson University. Throughout the year, public bathing places are monitored weekly to ensure compliance with the state recreational bathing code. Water samples are analyzed for microorganisms and proper water chemistry.

Insect and Rodent Control: The Department administers a pest control contract which includes inspection and outdoor extermination on public lands only. Advice and information will be provided to private homeowners having problems with insects or rodents. The Bergen County Mosquito Commission provides control of areas where mosquitos breed by monitoring and spraying. They can be contacted at 599-6142.

Public Health Nursing:  The Township contracts with Holy Name Hospital for the provision of Public Health Nursing services. Public Health Nurses conduct hypertension/risk assessment clinics on Monday evenings and Friday afternoons. Appointments are not required. Blood pressure and Health counseling and assessment are done twice a week at the Senior Service Center.  The Public Health Nurse also investigates outbreaks of communicable disease.

Adult Immunization: Flu and pneumonia shots are also administered free of charge to Seniors during October at several locations. Watch the newspapers for the time and date.

Maternal and Child Care: The Township administers a Child Health Conference and Immunization Center in conjunction with Holy Name Hospital which is open to Teaneck residents by appointment. A Pediatrician and the Public Health Nursing staff see infants at appropriate intervals throughout the first year of life and periodically during the other preschool years. In addition to routine physical examinations, mothers are provided with nutrition advice and routine child rearing questions are answered. Protective immunizations are administered under State guidelines to prevent Diphtheria, Pertussis (Whooping cough), Tetanus, Polio and Mumps, Measles and Rubella (German measles), Haemophilus Influenza and Hepatitis B. These inoculations are a prerequisite for children entering the Teaneck School system and day care centers. Blood lead, hearing and vision tests are also performed at the appropriate ages. This service is provided to prevent disease and to maintain good health; sick children must be taken elsewhere for medical help. All Teaneck school-age children are also eligible for free immunizations as required for school attendance. Appointments can be made by calling 227-6251. The Public Health Nurse also audits all schools and child care centers in the Township for immunization compliance.

Health Education: Public Health education goes hand-in-hand with preventive medicine. Its purpose is to influence people's attitudes to encourage them to make decisions which will prevent development of self-destructive health habits. The Public Health Educator works with community and school groups to organize and develop programs and services tailored to their requests and needs. Health related literature and reference materials are available at the Health Department office.

Project Find/Senior Health Symposium: This variation of the health fair focuses on Senior Health and wellness. Flu and Pneumonia shots, Lipid profile, cardiac risk assessment and much more are available. Health education seminars are offered on a multitude of topics relevant to Seniors including substance abuse. This event is offered in the fall. Watch the newspapers for the date and time.

Teaneck Municipal Alliance Against Substance Abuse (TMAASA): The Health Department provides fulltime coordination for the volunteer municipal alliance committee. For information about the Alliance or substance abuse issues please call the coordinator at 837-4822.

Social Services/Mental Health:  The Social Services component of the Department directs the Township programs which are designed to assist and provide referrals to the unemployed, the homeless, and those who are emotionally and/or physically disabled.

Residents who need professional help for problems related to marriage, divorce, adolescence, alcoholism, drug abuse, mental illness and suicide are encouraged to contact the Township supported hotline 567-0500, 24 hours a day. Referrals may be made. Fees are determined by ability to pay.

SERVICES

Phone Number:

Environmental Health 837-4824
Social Services 837-4828
Child Health Conference 227-6251
To call an ambulance (24 hours a day) 911, 837-2600
Senior Service Center 837-7130
TMAASA 837-4822
Bergen County Board of Social Services 368-4200

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