Vital Signs: During National Public Health Week, think about benefits of prevention

Americans are now living 20 years longer than their grandparents' generation, thanks largely to the work of public health. Every day, millions of Virginians go about their business unaware of their local health departments, because public health focuses on preventing health problems before they occur.

Thomas Jefferson Health District (TJHD) health departments provide a variety of services for residents in Charlottesville and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa and Nelson counties. You can be confident that your local public health department, as your partner in health, is working diligently to prevent disease, promote health, and protect the environment in the following ways.

Health clinic services and disease prevention

TJHD promotes health for everyone. Health departments provide immunizations, including those required and recommended for children, to prevent disease outbreaks and save lives. You can get vaccinated against influenza ("flu"), pneumonia, tetanus and other vaccine-preventable diseases at your local health department. TJHD staff members investigate, treat and help to control other diseases that spread person to person, including tuberculosis, sexually transmitted diseases and the flu.

People can receive help with timing their pregnancies or preventing unwanted pregnancies at Family Planning clinics. Sexual Health clinics provide testing and treatment for common sexually transmitted infections. People at high-risk for HIV also can receive PrEP, a prevention medication, at no cost through the health department.

The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program provides valuable access to nutrition education, breastfeeding counseling, support services and referrals, and food vouchers for low-income pregnant women, mothers, infants, and children. These services increase the likelihood of positive pregnancy outcomes, and proper growth and development of infants and children. TJHD also provides infant safe sleep education, which includes free cribs, and car seats at no cost for qualified families.

Environmental health protection

TJHD helps protect the environment and prevent disease through safe disposal of sewage and provision of safe drinking water for homes and businesses not served by a public water and sewer system. Trained environmental health specialists ensure safe food preparation in foodservice establishments, including schools. They also inspect facilities that serve the public - such as summer camps, hotels, day care centers and migrant labor camps - to monitor and reinforce proper sanitation practices. Lastly, they work with the public to prevent and control the spread of rabies and diseases spread through blood-feeding insects, such as mosquitoes and ticks.

Emergency preparedness and response

To prepare for and reduce the potential impact of large-scale health events or natural and manmade disasters (such as severe weather or the flu), TJHD develops and practices emergency response plans with area agencies and routinely educates the public about preparing for such situations.

The health department encourages everyone to prepare for emergencies by doing simple, yet very important, things like creating emergency kits (also known as "go-kits" or "go-bags") with items such as water, food, flashlights and a battery-powered radio.

Community health assessment and improvement plans

TJHD also works closely with more than 100 community agencies and 10 coalitions to evaluate and improve the overall health of our community through a process called MAPP2Health. The 2016 MAPP2Health report outlines the top four priority areas for improving health outcomes in the district. Reports, progress updates and data are available on the TJHD website.

These are just some examples of what your health department is doing to support our community's health and wellness. This week - Monday through Friday - is National Public Health Week, but the health department's work is never done. For more information about what your local health department does for you, visit TJHD.org or TJHD's Facebook page at facebook.com/TJHealth.

Kathryn W. Goodman is communications and public relations lead for the Thomas Jefferson Health District.

VITAL SIGNS

This column, which promotes community health, is sponsored by Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, Region Ten Community Services Board, Thomas Jefferson Health District and the University of Virginia Health System.