DOH-Baker held a no-cost Flu POD drive thru on November 6, 2018 from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. “The event was a complete success!” said Jordan Duncan, DOH-Baker’s Senior Community Nurse. “The turnout of people ready to get their flu shots exceeded our expectations.” In just two hours, the team vaccinated 72 clients in the DOH-Baker’s parking lot as they drove through three stations (triage, vaccine and observation stations). The clients were extremely thankful and shared with staff how innovative and convenient it was for them to get vaccinated this way.

Priority 2 of DOH-Seminole’s 2017–2020 CHIP is chronic diseases and conditions. The goal is to increase the percentage of Seminole County residents at a healthy weight by encouraging good nutrition and physical activity. On October 26, 2018 the DOH-Seminole, in collaboration with reThink Your Commute, hosted the first Bike-to-Work Day. Seminole County Sheriff’s Department Motorcycle Deputies escorted community partners and DOH-employees from Seminole County’s MetroPlan Orlando and Seminole County Government along a 3-mile route to the office location at 400 West Airport Boulevard in Sanford. In preparation, reThink Your Commute gave free helmets and proper fitting assessments to participating cyclists, and Old Towne Cyclery provided free bike tune-ups.

DOH-Volusia has begun taking a leading role in developing the next Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) for Volusia County. The agency is working in collaboration with governmental and nongovernmental partners. Once the CHNA is completed in the spring, it will serve as the basis for the Community Health Improvement Plan, which identifies priority issues, develops and implements strategies for action and establishes accountability to ensure measurable improvement. The county's current Community Health Improvement Plan runs through 2019 and is online at volusiahealth.com/planning.

The DOH-Okaloosa’s Improving Infant Mortality Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) group launched a Recipe for a Healthy Baby program that includes four simple “ingredients,”: breastfeed your baby, safe sleep for baby, never shake a baby and quit [nicotine] for baby. The group engages others through tabling events and crib displays where they distribute marketing materials. Healthy Start of Okaloosa and Walton Counties purchased Dr. John Hutton’s book, “Sleep Baby, Safe and Snug”, supplying county birthing facilities with enough for every new mother. Similarly, church nurseries and child care centers received them from DOH-Okaloosa. Together, they are working toward healthier babies in Okaloosa County.

Space Coast Health Foundation, in conjunction with DOH-Brevard and other community partners, offers Dental Days throughout the year where uninsured adults may receive free dental screenings, X-rays, extractions and oral education. Oral health is important because problems in your mouth can affect the rest of your body. Oral health can contribute to endocarditis, cardiovascular disease, premature birth or low birthweight. DOH-Brevard employees, Dr. Kevin Hachmeister, Shauna Christian, Amanda Rivera, Yanira Batista, Marlen Tutterrow, Yulia Matthews, and Jennifer Mata, participated in events held in February and October. Together, they provided care to 69 patients.

DOH-Monroe and 30 community partners recently completed a Local Public Health Assessment and Forces of Change Assessment. Both are part of the Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships initiative to identify the community’s health priorities. Together with health status, these assessments will guide development of Monroe County’s new Community Health Improvement Plan and focus efforts community-wide on health improvement activities.

Infant Mortality is a priority in Manatee County’s Community Health Improvement Plan, with Black infant mortality rates five times higher than white. To address these disparities, Manatee County recently hosted a highly-successful inaugural Community Baby Shower. Community partners from the Zero to Five Coalition provided education to pregnant women and new mothers about infant safe-sleep, breastfeeding support and nutrition, tobacco/nicotine use prevention, and health literacy.