Each year during the month of April, the American Public Health Association brings together communities across the United States to observe National Public Health Week (NPHW). NPHW gives us a time to recognize the contributions of public health in our community's health and wellbeing. The vital role that public health plays in our lives became more evident during the pandemic. Your Victoria County Public Health Department (VCPHD) took center stage locally, providing the public with necessary information to protect and prevent serious illness.

We want to build on that public awareness and connect with the Victoria community in ways beyond COVID-19. This year's NPHW theme is "Centering and Celebrating Cultures in Health". Creating a sense of belonging, being a part of our community, and fostering connections supports our health and the quality of our lives. VCPHD is proud to champion this theme all year by serving our residents with the programs, services, and events necessary for a healthy thriving community.

We realized post pandemic that the public may not be aware of the numerous resources and services we provide. Today I want to share a snapshot of those programs. The Victoria County Public Health Department is probably most known for our immunization clinic, the WIC (Women, Infant, and Children) program, and our food establishment permits and inspections. We offer so much more than that!

VCPHD also includes Be Well Victoria, Public Health Emergency Preparedness program (PHEP), Epidemiology, Health Disparities program, HIV/AIDs Resource Program (HARP), Texas Healthy Communities, and Texas Home Visiting. Each of these programs includes a team dedicated to improving the health and social factors of those in the Victoria community.

The Be Well Victoria program works towards creating sustainable community-led solutions to improve the resiliency, mental health, and overall well-being of our residents. Our Public Health Emergency Preparedness program (PHEP) works with the community to prepare, prevent, and respond to potential natural and man-made public health emergencies. Epidemiology is responsible for the surveillance of notifiable conditions, investigating outbreaks of infectious disease and risk factors in a variety of facilities, as well as collecting data to detect possible adverse public health events related to infectious disease.

Our Health Disparities program focuses on determining community factors associated with health disparities, providing accurate, evidence-based information on COVID-19 and Influenza vaccines, and creating a community-led intervention plan for those who are disproportionately impacted by health disparities. The HIV/AIDS Resource Program (HARP) provides clinical and social services for persons living with HIV in our community. They also strive to educate the public on HIV prevention and risk factors. Texas Healthy Communities works to promote public health practices proven to reduce factors for chronic disease and provides educational programing on several public health indicators. Lastly, our Texas Home Visiting program offers a variety of free services to the public that includes two evidence-based early childhood home visiting programs (Parents as Teachers and Family Connects). They also offer free car seat installations and inspections to educate parents and caregivers on how to properly install your child's car seat at every stage.

Your Victoria County Public Health Department staff works tirelessly to educate and empower our community to lead healthy happy lives via these amazing programs. Celebrating National Public Health Week reiterates VCPHD's commitment to public health. We encourage our residents to connect with us through one of our services, programs, or at a community event. By supporting and staying engaged with one another we can make our community healthier, safer and stronger!

Connect with us on Facebook at: facebook.com/victoriacountypublichealth for additional information on our programs and upcoming events.

- Sarah Cann is the Public Relations & Special Projects Director for the Victoria County Public Health Department. She has been with VCPHD since 2021.