World AIDS Day 2023
Friday, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day, a global day of remembrance. UNAIDS founded World AIDS Day in 1988 as the first international day for global health. Each year, UNAIDS brings agencies, governments, and organizations together around a campaign theme. The 2023 theme is “Let Communities Lead.” The theme emphasizes “person-centered public health services” and calls for foregrounding... Continue reading→
RHHD and RPS: A winning team!
The dropping temperatures mean that winter sports have arrived! While student athletes are embarking on basketball, indoor track, wrestling, and cheer seasons, RHHD is celebrating one of our own: sports physicals season. Community Health Nurse Manager Amy Popovich notes that Virginia requires middle- and high-school-aged students to have a sports physical before participating in sporting competitions,... Continue reading→
A BEACON of public health
RRHD’s own Virginia Slattum was the recent recipient of VDH’s third quarter BEACON award. Her award letter shares the following: “As a BEACON award winner, your efforts have exemplified Breaking Barriers, Empathy, Art of Caring, Community Advocacy, Original Ideas, and Never Ending Diligence. You are a great example for VDH nurses across the state.” Congratulations to Virginia on this well-deserved honor! Continue reading→
Happy Nurse Practitioner Week
Nov. 12-18 marks National Nurse Practitioner Week. Virginia’s Certificate of Recognition acknowledges the state’s 15,000 licensed NPs and praises them for expanding access to high-quality care while building sustained relationships with patients. At RHHD, we’re proud to work with and celebrate six of these 15,000, whose expertise and commitment improves health in our community every day! Tracey Avery-Geter,... Continue reading→
No Norovirus November: Make food safety a tradition
With Thanksgiving and lots of other holiday events right around the corner, now is the time to cook and eat safely! RHHD Epidemiology Supervisor Louise Lockett Gordon says that our region tends to see increases in norovirus around the holidays and winter months. Upping our food preparation and storage game, and continuing to wash hands and cooking... Continue reading→
Vaccines for all: RHHD fosters creative partnerships to reach residents
We’re officially in fall and winter virus season, and for the first time, vaccines and treatments are available for all three major viruses—flu, COVID-19, and RSV. RHHD’s Public Health Nurse Supervisor, Joanna Cirillo, is making sure that as many residents as possible have access. “Most of my thinking is focused on how we keep up... Continue reading→
WIC heads to RCH
Attention, expectant parents and parents of little ones: the WIC program is changing offices. Monday, Nov. 6 is WIC’s last day in the 400 E. Cary St. Office. They’ll be open for business on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at Richmond Community Hospital. The move is designed to meet growing participation on the East End. Here’s the new contact... Continue reading→
Help monitor vaccine safety with V-safe
CDC has just made V-safe available to adults 60 years and older who have received the RSV vaccine. The service, which began to monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in 2020, will send regular check-ins through text or email. These confidential check-ins will ask how you’re feeling after your vaccination. Registering for and responding to these check-ins will help the CDC... Continue reading→
It’s open enrollment season!
Nov. 1 marked the start of the 2024 Affordable Care Act open enrollment season. This year for the first time, Virginia is using its own Insurance Marketplace. Virginia residents will need to visit that site to enroll. The Virginia Marketplace provides information about translation services and contact options. Enroll by Jan. 15 for coverage in 2024! Continue reading→
Conocimientos básicos en salud organizacional en el lugar de trabajo: trabajadores comunitarios de la salud, educación y asociaciones
En RHHD, los trabajadores comunitarios de la salud están ideando formas creativas para enseñar sobre salud en sus iniciativas educativas y de divulgación. Los trabajadores comunitarios de la salud trabajan en centros de recursos de RHHD o con grupos que tienen necesidades de salud únicas. Algunos trabajadores comunitarios de la salud multilingües trabajan en comunidades... Continue reading→
Firefighter Cody’s smoke detector tips
Daylight Saving Time ends on Sunday, Nov. 5. While you’re changing your clocks, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission also encourages you to test your smoke detector and replace the batteries for smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms. In addition to CPSC’s advice, Firefighter Cody offers the following tips: Place smoke detectors on the ceiling because smoke rises. Position your detectors... Continue reading→
Organizational health literacy at work: Community Health Workers, education, and partnership
Across RHHD, Community Health Workers—or CHWs—are coming up with creative ways to build health literacy into their education and outreach efforts. CHWs work in RHHD’s resource centers or with groups who have unique health needs. Some multilingual CHWs work in communities where English is not a first or even second language. When these CHWs create community programs, even if... Continue reading→