If anyone is in imminent danger, dial 9-1-1. Additional contacts.
THE TOMPKINS COUNTY Health and Mental Health Departments have integrated to become Tompkins County Whole Health.
OUR MISSION is to build a healthy, equitable community in Tompkins County by addressing the root causes of health disparities and integrating mental, physical and environmental health. (See the About page for more detail.)
Both locations, 201 East Green St. and 55 Brown Rd., serve clients for many Whole Health programs.
Families, Children & Youth
RAISING a family takes a village. TCWH services support the care of children, youth, and their families. Programs provide care and support before, during and after pregnancy, and for children in their growth and development, including immunizations, nutrition education and breastfeeding support, mental health services, speech therapy, and physical therapy.
Adults
Mental health is integral to well-being. TCWH provides mental health services for adults, including counseling, medication assisted therapy or management, and group programs. On-site clinics provide immunizations for uninsured and underinsured adults.
Dial 988 to speak with a counselor 24/7 whenever you or a loved one are in crisis.
Community Programs
Whole Health supports a healthy community for all Tompkins County residents. Our programs bring prevention measures to homes and public places through education and policy. Community health workers go directly to residents and community groups to provide on-going connection and support.
Environmental Health Permits and Guidance
ENVIRONMENTAL Health supports overall community wellness and public safety. The Environmental Health team -inspects and issues operating permits for all food served to the public, public pools and summer camps, public water supplies and residential septic systems, clean indoor air, and tobacco retailers to prevent underage sales. They are on call 24/7, responding to emergency needs such as exposure to rabies or other environmental hazards.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB)
TOMPKINS County Whole Health embraces the County’s vision for continued education and implementation of DEIB initiatives to advance health equity. Our Community Health Improvement Plan identifies health disparities and opportunities to inform programs and services.
Recent Press Releases
Health Alert: E. coli Outbreak Linked to Organic Carrots
(11/19/2024) Tompkins County Whole Health (TCWH) is alerting the community to a recall on multiple sizes and brands of organic whole and baby carrots which were sold at grocery stores in our region (including Wegmans, Trader Joe’s, Tops and GreenStar Food Co-op). The carrots have been linked to an outbreak of E. coli from bagged organic whole and baby carrots supplied by Grimmway Farms. A complete list of all impacted items is available online. If you have a product included in this recall, do not consume; consumers are advised to throw the products away, as washing and cooking will not reduce the risk of E. coli.
To date, 39 cases of E. coli have been reported, with 5 cases reported in New York State, including one from Tompkins County. Of the 39 cases, 15 cases have required hospitalization and 1 death has occurred.
E. coli is a type of bacterial infection that causes a form of food poisoning. Symptoms of an E. coli infection include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever, nausea, and/or vomiting. Symptoms begin anywhere from a few days after consuming contaminated food or up to nine days later. Monitor for symptoms if you may have consumed any of the recalled products. Contact your health care provider if symptoms develop.
For more information about symptoms and precautions, please see our full press release.
Health Alert: Tompkins County Environmental Health Seeks Information About a Dog Bite near the UPS Store in Collegetown, Ithaca
(11/12/2024) TCWH Environmental Health must locate a dog in connection with a dog bite incident.
- Incident date: Monday, November 11, 2024, at approximately 3:15 PM
- Location: Near the UPS Store at 407 College Avenue, Ithaca
- Dog description: A smaller dog with wide shoulders and head, approximately 1.5 feet in length, possibly a beagle mix, with short hair and distinct white/brown/dark brown patches.
- Detail: The dog was with a person who presented as a white male, approximately 6’ tall and approximately 40-50 years old. The person had a beard, and was wearing glasses, a beanie hat and a purple hoodie.
If the dog can be located and observed to be healthy, rabies post-exposure treatment for the person who was bitten will not be necessary. Anyone with information regarding this dog is urged to call Environmental Health at (607) 274-6688, 24/7. Additional info in the full press release.
Health Alert: Local Rise in Whooping Cough & Walking Pneumonia Cases
(11/6/2024) Tompkins County Whole Health (TCWH) is alerting the community to a recent increase in the number of people becoming ill from two different bacterial respiratory illnesses: Pertussis, (commonly known as Whooping Cough), and M. pneumoniae (commonly known as Walking Pneumonia).
Cases are on the rise nationally as well as locally. Tompkins County has had 13 cases of pertussis from January 2024 to the end of October 2024 – this time last year, there were zero local cases. Of the 13 cases of pertussis this year, 7 cases are lab-confirmed, and 6 cases are probable (symptomatic close contacts that were not lab-confirmed). Walking Pneumonia is not tracked in the same way that other illnesses are – the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tracks these cases by reviewing hospital discharge notes. The M. pneumoniae discharge diagnosis data from March 31 through October 5, 2024, show an increase among all age groups across the United States, peaking in August, and remaining high. The increase was notably highest among children.
It is important to recognize the symptoms and take steps to keep yourself and your family protected. Proper hand-washing and covering of coughs and sneezes are simple, important steps to reducing the spread of these and other respiratory illnesses. If you or a family member are experiencing symptoms, please seek medical care from your healthcare provider. Always seek medical care if you or your child are experiencing difficulty breathing.
For more detailed information about both Pertussis and Walking Pneumonia, please see our full press release.
Tompkins County Whole Health Celebrates One-Year Anniversary of the C.A.R.E. Team
(11/4/2024) In August 2023, the C.A.R.E. Team (Crisis Alternative Response and Engagement), a co-response partnership between Tompkins County Whole Health (TCWH) and the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office, was launched as an effort to divert community members from the criminal justice system in response to crisis calls. Since its inception, 247 calls have received the support of the C.A.R.E. Team, directly addressing the emotional or behavioral health crisis needs of community members. The C.A.R.E. Team has reduced unnecessary use of other first responders including ambulances, as well as decreased the number of emergency room visits and hospital admissions.
Staff on the C.A.R.E. Team include specially trained officers along with licensed clinical therapists. Of the calls recorded in the Sheriff’s Office Dashboard, nearly half (45%) resulted in a mental health referral. Only 4% of calls resulted in criminal charges being filed, with 67% of callers being stabilized on-site.
TCWH Licensed Clinical Therapist Rachel Webb stated, “The C.A.R.E. Team has helped reduce hospitalizations, deter from incarceration, and get people into services, saving a lot of community resources and time. We are able to provide an appropriate intervention, especially when mental illness is the primary need.”
Learn more about the C.A.R.E. Team's people, successes, challenges, and benefits to the community in the full press release.
Protect Your Home, Protect the Bats: International Bat Week (October 24-October 31, 2024)
(10/28/2024) Bats provide an important role in pest control and Tompkins County is fortunate to be home to multiple bat species. It is important that we protect the areas where bats live while creating barriers to entry into our homes, as bats can carry the rabies virus. By bat proofing our homes, we can protect ourselves from the potential risk of rabies exposure, while also protecting our local bat populations. Bats can enter buildings through holes or crevices as small as half an inch.
- Community Announcement: Breast Cancer Screening & Early Detection Saves Lives
- National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week: October 20–26, 2024
- Health Alert: Say “Boo” to the Flu! Early Fall Vaccination Recommendations
- Tompkins County Community Mental Health Services Board Holds Panel Discussion, The Intersection of Homelessness and Mental Health, Substance Use Disorders, and Developmental Disabilities
- COVID-19 Update: COVID-19 Vaccines Updated for 2024-2025 Respiratory Illness Season; Contact Pharmacies for Appointments
- Tompkins County Whole Health Releases “COVID-19 Community Resilience Mural” Video, Shares Launch Event Highlights
- Current press releases (2024)
- 2023 PR Archive
Events & Announcements
“Mammo on the Move,” Lourdes Mobile Mammography Van at TCWH
- Wednesday, October 30, 2024
- 10:00 AM–6:00 PM
- Tompkins County Whole Health parking lot, 55 Brown Rd., Ithaca.
- You do not have to be a Lourdes patient. Results sent to the provider of your choice.
- Call 607-798-5723 to schedule an appointment.
- Insured and uninsured women welcome. No referral needed.
- For additional information, including eligibility for Mammo on the Move and steps to lower your risk, please go to our press release.
Click here to see additional job opportunities at Whole Health.
Emergency Services
EMERGENCY AND CRISIS CONTACTS FOR 24-HOUR HELP if you or someone you know feels the need to speak with a mental health professional:
- For life-threatening emergencies, dial 911
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, DIAL 988 (1-800-273-8255)
- Crisis Text Line, text HOME to 741-741.
- Ithaca’s Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service hotline, 1-607-272-1616.
- Veterans Crisis Line, for Veterans and their loved ones, DIAL 9-8-8 then Press 1, or text 838255.
Visit veteranscrisisline.net for online chat and more.
NOTICE: Tompkins County Whole Health makes every effort to post accurate and reliable information. However, it does not guarantee or warrant that the information on this website is complete, accurate, or up-to-date. Tompkins County shall not be liable under any circumstances for any claims or damages arising directly or indirectly from information presented therein. Please contact the program area by phone or the receptionist at 607-274-6600 for more information.
