West Piedmont Health District

Serving the City of Martinsville and the counties of Henry, Franklin, and Patrick

September is National Food Safety Education Month.

A 4-panel photo collage illustrating the 4 Steps to Food Safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill

Each year, there are an estimated 48 million cases, 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths from foodborne illness. This year, during Food Safety Education Month, the emphasis is cross-contamination.

Cross-contamination is the transfer of harmful bacteria to food from other foods, cutting boards, and utensils and it happens when they are not handled properly. This is especially true when handling raw meat, poultry, eggs, and seafood, so keep these foods and their juices away from already cooked or ready-to-eat foods and fresh product.

The goal of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Food Safety program is to ensure the safe handling of food served to the public by working with restaurant operators to reduce the occurrence of risk factors that may cause foodborne illnesses. See how WPHD works on your behalf for food safety.

  Walk-In Flu Clinics at Henry-Martinsville HD.

Schedule in English      Schedule in Spanish

Appointments for Flu Shots may be made at the Franklin County HD (540-484-0292) and Patrick County HD (276 -693-2070) by calling.

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Mpox                 Respiratory Viruses                 Overdose Prevention

Get to Know WPHD

WPHD staff show an award plaque for model practice.

West Piedmont Receives National Award for Model Practice

West Piedmont Health District (WPHD) is among 14 local health departments across the nation, and the only one in Virginia, to be recognized for a Model Practice, by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO). Model Practices are programs demonstrating exemplary and replicable qualities in response to a critical local public health need. WPHD’s initiative, Community Health Workers as Data Collectors Provides Equity in Rural Virginia, garnered the award during the NACCHO annual conference in Detroit on July 25. Read more.

Steve Bailey Earns BEACON Award

Head and torso photo of Steve Bailey.
Steve Bailey has received the VDH 1st Quarter BEACON award winner (Jan – Mar 2024).  BEACON award winners are VDH public health nurses recognized for Breaking Barriers, Empathy, Art of Caring, Community Advocacy, Original Ideas, and Never Ending Diligence.

Verna Burnette, Nurse Manager, Sr. nominated Steve for the award based on his emphatic nature with both patients and staff, and his dedication and commitment to the job. The nomination is forwarded to the state Director of Nursing, and a Beacon Award Committee selects quarterly winners.

Millner Earns CHW certification credential

Profile picture of CHW Karen Millner outside in front of shrubbery

Karen Millner recently earned a certified community health worker credential. She serves Martinsville, Henry Couty and Franklin County through United Way of Henry County/Martinsville, where she began working in 2021, during the height of the COVID pandemic.

“I was drawn to this role because I truly wanted to make a difference and assist with getting the community vaccinated during that time. Now that we have pivoted the pandemic, I get to continue helping those who need other services and resources. I absolutely love what I do at the United Way,” she said. Millner is a native of Martinsville and holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Health.

Communication: It’s All in the Interpretation

An interpreter (standing) translates information from a woker (seated, back to camera) to a client.

Sometimes life delivers just what you need, even if you don’t know you need it. It happened that way for Sayrel Garcia-Zuniga, a Community Health Worker (CHW) with United Way of Henry County-Martinsville. Sayrel serves as an interpreter for the Family Planning department at West Piedmont's Henry-Martinsville Health Department. Read about how she landed the job and what it means to be an interpreter.  Sayrel's story in Spanish.

Two Local CHWs Earn Certification

Lucas Tuning and LaShara Wade at the Rocky Mount Farmer's Market

Lucas Tuning and Lashara Wade recently became certified community health workers, a credential for front-line health workers who, by virtue of their trusted status in the community, serve as an intermediary between health and other services and the community. Both currently serve Franklin County via a partnership between the Virginia Department of Health and United Way of the Roanoke Valley.

Last Updated: September 6, 2024