Staff recognized during Public Health Week

Published 11:00 am Monday, April 4, 2022

VALDOSTA – Georgia Department of Public Health’s South Heath District wants to recognize the hard work of its public health staff this National Public Health Week.

South Health District serves 10 counties throughout South Georgia: Ben Hill, Berrien, Brooks, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Tift and Turner, health officials said in a statement.

Within each of these counties, our health departments, environmental health staff and various other programs “work diligently each day to keep their communities healthy and safe,” they added.

“Our goal as a district is to be engrained in the communities we serve,” said Dr. William Grow, district health director. “Our staff are your neighbors, friends and family. They are an active part of their community and work each day to be a face you recognize and trust. Our county and programmatic staff are the backbone of our organization.”

The day-to-day work of public health is wide ranging. Health departments offer vaccinations, family planning services, STI testing, child health screening and forms and other services, health officials said. 

“Across SHD there are dedicated public health programs to serve a variety of populations including pregnant women, babies, adolescents, children with developmental delays, older women concerned about breast and cervical cancer, at-risk children and children with chronic diseases,” health officials said. “Environmental health staff provide all 10 counties with food service inspections, land use services, tourist and public pool inspections, and even a rabies control program.”

South Health District also has programs focusing on HIV prevention, infectious diseases, opioid prevention, oral health, emergency preparedness, etc.

National Public Health Week 2022 is recognized April 4-10. This year’s theme is “Public Health Is Where You Are.”

During National Public Health Week, the American Public Health Association assigns each day a theme that recognizes the work of public health. The 2022 themes include Racism, A Public Health Crisis; Public Health Workforce, Essential to our Future; Community, Collaboration and Resilience; World Health Day, Health is a Human Right; Accessibility, Closing the Health Equity Gap; Climate Change, Taking Action for Equity; and Mental Wellness: Redefining the Meaning of Health.

“This National Public Health Week, please join us in saying ‘thank you’ to our staff for all they do to serve their communities,” Grow said. “They are what make our district great, and we cannot express enough how much we appreciate their hard work.”

To learn more about the services that public health provides within your community visit www.southhealthdistrict.com.