Public Health promotes healthy behaviors. Public Health Nurses and Public Health Nutritionists promote breastfeeding through the St. Croix County Breastfeeding Coalition. This breastfeeding tent is at the St. Croix County fair every summer.

Public Health has an important role in protecting people from human health hazards and communicable disease. For example, Public Health is continuously planning to diminish the overall cases of communicable diseases, such as pandemic influenza.  Public Health measures, such as social distancing, can be effective in protecting people from communicable disease.  Public Health works with local, state, and national partners to protect the public from human health hazards and communicable diseases. 

What can you do?  People can take common-sense steps today to protect others from getting ill by decreasing the spread of germs such as: people should cover their coughs and sneezes and wash their hands frequently; if you are sick, you should stay away from others as much as possible -- stay home if possible; practice good health habits, such as eating a balanced diet and getting enough rest; discuss your own health concerns with your doctor or other health  care provider.

Essential Services  St. Croix County Health provides Essential Public Health Services.  The Essential Services are a working definition of public health and a guiding framework for the responsibilities of the public health department such as: Monitor health status to identify community health problems; identify, investigate, control, and prevent health problems and environmental health hazards in the community; educate the public about current and emerging health issues; promote community partnerships to identify and solve health problems; create policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts; enforce laws and regulations that protect health and insure safety; link people to needed health services; assure a diverse, adequate, and competent workforce to support the public health system; evaluate effectiveness, accessibility and quality of personal and population-based health services; conduct research to seek new insights and innovative solutions to health problems ; assure access to primary health care for all; foster the understanding and promotion of social and economic conditions that support good health

System Priorities linked to the Wisconsin State Health Plan are:

System (Infrastructure) Priorities includes integrated electronic data and information systems; community health improvement processes and plans; coordination of state and local public health system partnerships; sufficient, competent workforce; equitable, adequate, and stable financing.