Thank you public health employees, first responders, health care workers and all other heroes for your diligence and dedication during the COVID-19 crisis.

The AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and
Communities certificate for Collier County.

Through a collaboration between DOH-Collier and the Leadership Coalition on Aging (LCA), Collier County has been officially accepted as part of the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities, a program providing the county with access to national and global research, best practices and planning models. Collier is now joining Florida and many other cities and counties in the state who have received this designation. Next steps include developing and implementing an action plan that will ensure Collier County becomes a truly age-friendly place to live.

Brittany Perkins, Area 2B Minority AIDS Coordinator and
Calandra Walker, Prevention Training Consultant staff
a welcome and education table at Leon Arms Apartments
to connect and engage with residents who may lack
HIV/AIDS information.

On December 1st, 2020, Big Bend Cares partnered with Florida Department of Health – Leon for a World AIDS Day outreach at Leon Arms Apartments. Frontline health workers provided snacks, musical entertainment and free giveaways, including free men and women haircuts, retail gift cards and picnic chairs. Residents also received OraQuick: In-Home HIV Test and Scott Tissue, HIV prevention education, such as condoms, brochures and promotional items. The event provided education, resources and encouragement to 85 adults and youth residents at the Leon Arms Apartments.

Florida Department of Health – Miami-Dade employees and volunteers load fresh produce, milk and poultry into the trunk of a vehicle during the Bounty of Health event.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, local communities are facing some of the hardest challenges to date. With public health issues such as loss of income and food insecurity on the rise, care and resources have become difficult to access. In response, The Office of Community Health and Planning hosted the Bounty of Health two-day event. The first day was an hour-long virtual health education session where organizations throughout Miami-Dade County provided 5-minute videos on a variety of health topics. The second day event was a drive-thru food and health resource distribution. Over 300 families in the West Perrine community were provided with fresh foods, healthy beverages, health educational materials and information about local resources.

Amy McCandless, nursing doctoral student
who worked with DOH-Volusia to evaluate
the effectiveness in reducing hep A rates
through community outreaches.

Amy McCandless, BS, BSN, RN, Family Nurse Practitioner doctoral student UCF College of Nursing, worked with DOH-Volusia to study the effectiveness of the hepatitis A vaccination and outreach activities in Volusia County. Her study aimed to evaluate DOH-Volusia’s current outreach practices and the effectiveness of vaccination of people at risk. High-risk groups were identified as the homeless and those incarcerated. Data indicated those vaccinated within the community were directly correlated with the number of declining cases. Outreach intervention can produce results and protection for high-risk individuals within a community to prevent and reduce the spread of hepatitis A.