Category: pr

National Infant Immunization Week is April 21 – 28

RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) encourage parents and guardians to make sure that children two years and younger are immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases. On-time vaccination is critical to provide protection against these potentially life-threatening diseases. National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is April 21 – 28.

“Our country is witnessing a concerning rise in the number of cases of vaccine-preventable diseases, and there has now been a confirmed case of measles in Virginia, the first of 2025,” said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Director Dr. Elaine Perry. “Infant immunization gives parents and guardians a powerful tool that can help protect one of our most vulnerable populations from serious illness and death.”

The Code of Virginia requires children entering daycare, public and private schools to give proof of vaccination before enrolling in school. These vaccines should be given based on the schedule recommended by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Academy of Family Physicians. Parents and guardians can view the Virginia childhood vaccine schedule on this PDF.

Families without health insurance or who are enrolled in Medicaid can visit rhhd.gov/connect-pc to find pediatric care providers. Families with private insurance may schedule appointments with their child’s pediatrician, a local pharmacy, or one of RHHD’s community partners. For more information, parents and guardians can visit rhhd.gov/childhoodvax.

RHHD offers childhood immunization appointments at its Cary Street,  Henrico East, and Henrico West, clinics. Parents and guardians can call 804-205-3501 to make an appointment. Bilingual-in-Spanish staff is available at all locations.

Virginia Vaccines for Children (VVFC) providers offer free immunizations to children (younger than 19 years of age) who are uninsured or underinsured; Medicaid-eligible or Medicaid-enrolled; and/or American Indian or Alaska Native. Families can search for a VVFC provider near them using rhhd.gov/vfc. 

A 2024 study published in The Lancet looked at the effect of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), which was launched in 1974 to make life-saving vaccines available to all globally. Since 1974, the study found that vaccination has averted 154 million deaths, including 146 million among children younger than 5 years, of whom 101 million averted deaths were infants younger than 1 year. Measles vaccination accounted for 93.7 million lives saved (60.8%) of the 154 million total lives saved over this 50-year period. Measles vaccination was the single greatest driver of lives saved by vaccination, across all years in every region and all World Bank income strata.

National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) is a yearly observance held in April, highlighting the importance of protecting children two years and younger from vaccine-preventable diseases. CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that children stay on track with their well-child appointments and routine vaccinations.

Follow RHHD on Instagram at @richmondcity_hd and Facebook. For more health and safety information, visit rhhd.gov and sign up for RHHD’s monthly newsletter at rhhd.gov/news.

Black Maternal Health Week is April 11 – 17

RICHMOND, Va. —Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) commemorate Black Maternal Health Week April 11-17 by highlighting services for women offered at RHHD clinics, offices, and resource centers.

“Black Maternal Health week gives us an opportunity to live into our public health mission of promoting healthy living and preventing disease,” said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Director of Community Programming Margo Webb. “Through public health data, we know that our Black families are at the highest risk for adverse maternal and child health outcomes. By reflecting on the unique and important historical and cultural aspects of the Black community, we can work together to improve these outcomes.”

RHHD offers the following programs and services that focus on reproductive and maternal and child health.

• Ensuring women have control over reproductive health
  • RHHD offers Family Planning and STI clinical services at its Henrico East, Henrico West, and Cary Street (STI only) clinics, as well select resource centers. All services are offered on a sliding scale based on financial availability. Family Planning visits offer the following services:
    • Gynecological check-ups for women desiring birth control
    • Breast self-exam instruction
    • Pap smears and screening tests for sexually transmitted infections
    • Birth control methods & counseling
  • RHHD also offers HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services at its Henrico East Clinic and Cary Street Clinic. PrEP is a medication that reduces a person’s chances of getting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). PrEP may also be an option to help protect pregnant people and their babies from getting HIV while trying to get pregnant, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding. Virginia residents can contact the RHHD PrEP team at 804-664-2125. 

• Improving access to maternal health
  • The Maternity Navigation team supports expectant parents with pregnancy confirmation, connection to prenatal care, benefits enrollment, and material distribution. Richmond residents seeking Maternity Navigation services can call 804-482-5454. Henrico residents seeking Maternity Navigation services can call 804-501-5520.
• • The Black birthing population continues to experience adverse maternal, child health outcomes. They have an increased risk of severe illness during pregnancy and preterm birth.
  • The Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)  provides nutrition education and healthy foods to improve pregnancy outcomes and enable families to make lifelong healthy eating and lifestyle choices. Virginia residents can apply for WIC support through this online form.
  • RHHD clinical services accept Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. RHHD participates in Virginia Vaccines for Children and Virginia Vaccines for Adults, providing free immunizations to children and adults who are uninsured or underinsured.
  • RHHD connects women to primary care providers that focus on women’s health.

Each year in the United States, hundreds of people die during pregnancy or in the year after. Thousands more have unexpected outcomes of labor and delivery with serious short- or long-term health consequences. More than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable. Recognizing urgent maternal warning signs, providing timely treatment, and delivering respectful, quality care can prevent many pregnancy-related deaths.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as variation in quality healthcare and underlying chronic conditions. Social determinants of health prevent many people from racial and ethnic minority groups from having fair opportunities for economic, physical, and emotional health.

Tips for pregnant women and their families

• Talk to a healthcare provider if anything doesn’t feel right or is concerning.
• Seek immediate care if experiencing any of the urgent maternal warning signs, including severe headache, extreme swelling of hands or face, trouble breathing, heavy vaginal bleeding or discharge, overwhelming tiredness, and more. These symptoms could indicate a potentially life-threatening complication.
• Share recent pregnancy history during each medical care visit for up to one year after delivery.
• Connect with healthcare and social support systems before, during, and after pregnancy.

Follow RHHD on Instagram at @richmondcity_hd for more Black Maternal Health Week content. For more health and safety information, visit rhhd.gov and sign up for RHHD’s monthly newsletter at rhhd.gov/news.

National Public Health Week is April 7 – 13, 2025
RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) celebrate National Public Health Week April 7 – 13 by highlighting public health accomplishments and services. RHHD’s 2024 Annual Report provides community members with updates from its teams that focus on Clinical Services; Community Health; Environmental Health and Safety; Population Health; and more.

“The dedicated public health professionals at Richmond and Henrico Health Districts work tirelessly to protect and improve the health of our communities,” said RHHD Director Elaine Perry, M.D. “We celebrate the accomplishments of the past year and look forward to advancing this important work in the years ahead.”

In 2024, RHHD:

• Received responses from 1,126 Richmond and Henrico Residents who completed the 2024 Community Health Assessment Survey (CHA). Community members can read the full CHA Report online.
• Vaccinated 1,539 students at 60 in-school 7th and 12th grade vaccination events in partnership with Richmond Public Schools and Henrico County Public Schools.
• Provided health services for newcomers from over 14 countries.>
• Reached 9,000 community members through Community Health Workers’ attendance at Outreach and Community Events.
• Directly observed 2,608 tuberculosis treatments.
• Enrolled 50 new PrEP clients. PrEP is a medication that reduces a person’s chances of getting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
• Completed 4,557 food service inspections throughout Richmond and Henrico.
• Distributed 991 Narcan kits (each containing two doses of the opioid overdose reversal medication) at community events and encounters (10/1/23-9/30/2024).
• Conducted 4,362 Family Planning and STI clinic visits.
• Provided 441 COVID-19, flu, and mpox vaccinations at mobile events.

RHHD will be celebrating National Public Health Week on social media and on Well Read, the RHHD blog, at rhhd.gov/blog. Visit rhhd.gov for more health and safety information.

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RICHMOND, Va. —Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) encourages community members to seek preventative care, screening, and/or treatment for tuberculosis (TB). Tuberculosis is a disease caused by germs that are spread from person to person through the air. World TB Day is on March 24.

“Tuberculosis is currently the world’s leading cause of death from an infectious agent,” said Dr. Stephanie Leary, pediatrician and Richmond and Henrico Health Districts public health physician. “Tuberculosis infection and disease is preventable and curable. Today, at the Richmond Henrico Health Districts, we recognize World TB Day while we bring awareness of this disease to our local community.”

TB usually affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body, such as the brain, the kidneys, or the spine. A person with TB can die if they do not get treatment. People with TB disease are most likely to spread the germs to people they spend time with every day, such as family members or coworkers. People who have been around someone who has TB disease should contact their doctor or local health department for tests. RHHD staff can help people determine which TB test they need.

Community members can call 804-482-5500 to schedule an appointment with the RHHD Tuberculosis Program. Community members can visit rhhd.gov for more information on RHHD clinical services, including screenings.

There are two TB-related conditions: active tuberculosis disease and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) or inactive TB. People with active TB disease usually feel sick, have symptoms and can spread TB to others. People with LTBI do not feel sick, do not have symptoms, and cannot spread TB to others. Most people with inactive TB don’t know that they are infected. The RHHD Tuberculosis Program strives to prevent, identify, and treat tuberculosis in both its latent and active forms.

The general symptoms of active TB disease include:

• Feelings of sickness or weakness
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Night sweats

The symptoms of active TB disease of the lungs also include:

• Coughing (especially a cough that won’t go away)
• Chest pain
• Coughing up of blood

Active TB disease can be treated by taking several drugs for 6 to 12 months. It is very important that people who have TB disease take the drugs exactly as prescribed for the entire length of the treatment. People who stop taking the drugs too soon can become sick again. If the drugs are not taken correctly, germs that are still alive in the body may become resistant to those drugs. Treating inactive TB or LTBI prevents the future development of active TB disease. RHHD’s TB outreach workers make sure clients have what they need to stay on track with their medication.

People at higher risk of developing active TB from inactive TB include:

• People with HIV
• Children younger than 5 years of age
• People recently infected with TB bacteria
• People with inadequately treated active TB>
• Anyone who’s immune system is suppressed either from a medical condition or medications that are taking (TNF alpha antagonists, system steroids, etc)
• People with Diabetes
• People with low body weight
• People who are medically underserved

World TB Day is recognized each year on March 24. This annual event commemorates the date in 1882 when Dr. Robert Koch announced his discovery of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacillus that causes TB).

For more health and safety information, visit rhhd.gov and sign up for RHHD’s monthly newsletter at rhhd.gov/news.

RICHMOND, Va. —Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) encourage residents to protect themselves and their families by making preparations for severe weather. March and April are traditionally the most active months for tornadoes in Virginia and Severe Weather Awareness Week is March 10 – 14.

“Unlike hurricanes and snowstorms, other forms of severe weather – like tornadoes and floods – can pop up with only hours of warning” said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Emergency Manager Ed Porner. “While the sky is still blue, it’s a great time to ensure you have an emergency kit, have practiced emergency procedures with your family, and have identified shelter locations in the buildings where you spend the most time.”

RHHD recommends the following tips for preparing for severe weather:

• Locate safe shelters in the places you spend the most time. In each location, find a small room or hallway with no windows, in a basement or first floor. Once you’ve identified your shelter, make sure you communicate that plan with family members or coworkers, so everyone knows where to go when a tornado warning sounds.
• Choose your reliable news source and stay up to date on the weather.
• Consider participating in Virginia’s statewide tornado drill March 11 at 9:45 a.m. More details are available at the National Weather Service website.
  Register for an in-person or online SKYWARN class to learn how to spot and report dangerous storm systems.

RHHD recommends the following tips for staying prepared for emergency situations:

• Store important family documents, such as copies of insurance policies; identification documents; and bank account records, in a waterproof, portable container or make sure they are saved electronically.
• Keep medications in a central location for easy evacuation if needed.
• Prepare a “go-bag: with clothes, toys and toiletries for five days.
• Know, and practice, your safe spaces and exits.
• Identify friends, neighbors, and relatives who might need extra help during an emergency; generate a phone tree or other contact strategy for checking in on them.
• Choose a central spot to reunite with your family if you get separated.
• Update your insurance yearly and consider flood insurance. Most insurance companies do NOT pay for flooding damage through a standard homeowner’s policy.

Visit ready.gov for more emergency preparedness tips. Community members can follow RHHD on Instagram at @richmondcity_hd for updates throughout Severe Weather Awareness week. For more health and safety information, visit rhhd.gov and sign up for RHHD’s monthly newsletter at rhhd.gov/news.

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RICHMOND, Va. —Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) commemorate International Women’s Day on March 8 by highlighting services for women offered at RHHD clinics, offices, and Resource Centers.

“On this International Women’s Day, Richmond and Henrico Health Districts lift up the importance of providing women, mothers, and families with the support they need to live more healthy lives,” said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Director of Community Programming Margo Webb. “Services like Maternity Navigation and WIC connect pregnant women and new mothers to essential resources.”

RHHD offers the following programs and services that focus on women’s health:

Improving access to maternal health

• The Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutrition education and healthy foods to improve pregnancy outcomes and enable families to make lifelong healthy eating and lifestyle choices.
• The Maternity Navigation team supports expectant parents with pregnancy confirmation, care connection, benefits enrollment, and materials distribution.

Increasing awareness about chronic disease management

• As part of the VDH Healthy Hearts Initiative, RHHD Chronic Disease Community Health Workers support community members with hypertensive conditions by providing:
  • Connections to primary care providers
  • Nutrition and exercise education
  • Blood pressure monitoring
• Gender inequality impacts heart attack fatalities.
• People who responded to the 2024 Community Health Assessment identified Chronic Disease as a top concern. The Community Health Improvement Plan Chronic Disease Committee started work in February 2025.

Reducing stigma about mental health

• People who responded to the 2024 Community Health Assessment cited ‘Mental Health Issues’ as a top concern. The Community Health Improvement Plan Committee on Mental Health, including Substance Use Disorder started work in February 2025.

Expanding access to healthcare

• RHHD Resource Centers offer a variety of clinical and community health services in Richmond’s public housing communities and in the Southwood Apartments. All services are available to anyone, and cost is based on a sliding scale. Of those who accessed Resource Center services in 2024, nearly 78% were women.
• RHHD clinical services accept Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance. RHHD also participates in Virginia Vaccines for Children and Virginia Vaccines for Adults, providing free immunizations to children and adults who are uninsured or underinsured.
• RHHD connects women to primary care providers that focus on women’s health.

Ensuring women have control over reproductive health

• National Women and Girls HIV Awareness Day is March 10.
• RHHD offers Family Planning and STI clinical services at its Cary Street and Henrico East clinics, as well select Resource Centers. All services are offered on a sliding scale based on financial availability. Family Planning visits offer the following services:
  • Gynecological check-ups for women desiring birth control
  • Breast self-exam instruction
  • Pap smears and screening tests for sexually transmitted infections
  • Birth control methods & counseling
• RHHD also offers HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) services at its Henrico East Clinic and Cary Street Clinic. PrEP is a medication that reduces a person’s chances of getting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Virginia residents can contact the RHHD PrEP team at 804-664-2125.

Addressing social and economic inequalities

• RHHD Resource Centers provide connection to health, economic, social, and educational resources. Resource Center based Community Health Workers led 108 support groups and classes, including those for women and girls, and distributed 200 car seats to expecting families in 2024.

‘Accelerate Action,’ the theme of International Women’s Day 2025, focuses on the need the importance of taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face, both in personal and professional spheres.

Follow RHHD on Instagram at @richmondcity_hd for more International Women’s Day content. For more health and safety information, visit rhhd.gov and sign up for RHHD’s monthly newsletter at rhhd.gov/news.

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March 3, 2025- The Richmond Health Equity Fund (HEF) is now accepting applications for its 2025 funding cycle. The application period will remain open until March 30, 2025. 

The HEF seeks to fill gaps in funding and resources for vital, innovative, and impactful initiatives that serve the Richmond City community. Richmond-based single organizations and collaboratives providing services in the following health disparity focus areas—along with other emergent health outcomes where Richmond’s populations have disparate burdens—are all eligible to apply:

• Access to healthcare and health education resources
• Chronic disease and underlying health conditions
• Food access and security
• Maternal and child health
• Mental and behavioral health

Applications may be accessed through the REDCap survey platform or by visiting the Richmond and Henrico Public Health Foundation (RHPHF) website: https://rhphf.org/health-equity-fund/. The HEF will host an optional virtual information session for those organizations interested in applying at 12 p.m., Wednesday, March 12. Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) provides updates about the HEF through its monthly newsletter.

Funding decisions are made by RHHD and RHPHF in collaboration with a Community Advisory Committee (CAC). The CAC is a group of local community members with a combination of professional and lived experience with health disparities. The CAC evaluates partner organizations and identifies priority gaps to fill with HEF resources.

In October 2021, Richmond City Council voted to establish the first-ever Health Equity Fund (HEF) in the City of Richmond through an initial investment of $5 million from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. With the support and leadership of City Administration and RHHD, the HEF was established under the RHPHF, the nonprofit arm of RHHD. Since then, the HEF has selected 36 partners for funding that serve Richmond residents experiencing deep health disparities and the longstanding impacts of racism. The HEF has designated $4 million of investments to-date in initiatives that address these historic inequities and will continue to award new projects to support strong, thriving communities across the city.

RICHMOND, Va. —Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) announce the expansion of its pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) program. PrEP is a medication that reduces a person’s chances of getting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

“We can’t forget how far we’ve come with medications and treatments,” said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts PrEP Coordinator Bernard Stackhouse.

“Working in PrEP gives me hope that with a combination of prevention and treatment, we can end the spread of HIV. We have the tools, and we have to get people to use them. Education helps people overcoming barriers that prevent people from taking their medication.”

PrEP is for adults and adolescents without HIV who may be exposed to HIV through sex or injection drug use. PrEP may also be an option to help protect pregnant people and their babies from getting HIV while trying to get pregnant, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding. Pregnant people should talk to their doctor to find out if PrEP is right for them.

RHHD restarted new patient PrEP intake in October 2024 and now offers PrEP services at its Henrico East Clinic and Cary St. Clinic. Virginia residents who want to know if PrEP is right for them should call the RHHD PrEP team at 804-664-2125 and leave a voicemail. The team will return voicemails within two business days. PrEP appointments are available at the following times:

Cary St. Clinic
400 E. Cary St.
Mondays and Wednesdays: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 to 4 p.m.
Fridays: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Henrico East Clinic
1400 N. Laburnum Ave.
Thursdays: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Community members can visit rhhd.gov/sti-hivservices or call 804-205-3501 to learn more about RHHD’s sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services.

Most insurance plans and state Medicaid programs cover PrEP. Financial assistance is available through Medicaid and the Gilead Patient Assistance and Co-pay assistance programs. Patients with no insurance who are not eligible for Medicaid will continue to receive PrEP at no cost (if income requirements are met).

The following RHHD community partners also offer STI testing services:

• Nationz Foundation 804-716-7597
• Minority Health Consortium 804-225-0820
• Health Brigade 804-358-6343 ext. 2145
• CrossOver HealthCare Ministry 804-655-2794

Virginia residents can search for HIV testing providers near them at rhhd.gov/VA-HIV-testing. Virginia and Maryland residents can request a home HIV test by mail through this form: rhhd.gov/HIVhometest. For more information about HIV testing in Virginia, please visit rhhd.gov/VDH-HIV-info. Community members can also visit gettested.cdc.gov to find a testing site anywhere in the U.S.

For more health and safety information, please visit rhhd.gov and sign up for RHHD’s monthly newsletter at rhhd.gov/news.

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RICHMOND, Va. — In order to protect the health of residents and visitors, the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) is issuing a notice that a racoon found in the area around the 8600 block of Chippenham Road has tested positive for rabies.

Richmond Animal Care & Control (RACC) was notified on February 14 that a rabies-vaccinated dog encountered an ill raccoon in the vicinity of the 8600 block of Chippenham Road. The raccoon was collected by RACC and submitted for testing. Results were positive for rabies. The dog received a booster dose of the rabies vaccine. There are NO known exposures to humans or additional animals at this time.

Anyone having information regarding any exposure to this animal (bite, scratch or contact with saliva by open wound or eyes, nose, or mouth) should contact the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Environmental Health Office at 804-205-3912. Exposures also include direct contact between your pet and the rabid animal. After hours, please contact Richmond Animal Care & Control at 804-646-5573.

Steps to prevent the spread of rabies: 
To protect pets and their owners from rabies, Virginia law requires that all dogs and cats four months of age and older be vaccinated for rabies by a licensed veterinarian, and that vaccinations be kept current.

Richmond and Henrico Health Districts remind all community members to follow these important rabies prevention guidelines:

• Do not feed stray animals.
• Avoid wild animals, especially raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks.
• Feed your pets indoors and do not let them wander.
• Teach children to avoid contact with wild animals and pets they are not familiar with.
• Do not handle sick, injured or dead animals.
• Keep wild animals out of homes by capping chimneys with screens and blocking openings in attics, cellars and porches.
• Ensure trash cans have tight fitting lids.

If you are bitten by a wild or stray animal, wash the wound(s) thoroughly with warm soapy water and contact animal control, your healthcare provider or the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts. For more information about rabies, visit: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/animal-contact-human-health/rabies-control/.