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

Participants at the free COVID-19 walk-up site

A team from the U.S. Digital Service traveled from Washington D.C. to Tallahassee for an up close and personal look at a community COVID-19 testing site that the Leon County Health Department helped to organize.

On June 1, 2020, the three-member team met the department's Health Officer, Claudia Blackburn, as well as leadership from Florida A & M University and Bond Community Health Center, Inc., at Bragg Memorial Stadium to explain their team’s mission.

Since the free COVID-19 walk-up site opened in late April, more than 8,000 people have been tested for coronavirus infection.

The U.S. Digital Service team is researching the data reporting and surveillance challenges and successes at the state and local level. This research will be used to make technology and policy recommendations.

The goal is to find short-term and longer-term methods to help state and local health departments get more timely, complete and accurate data to use for public health surveillance and reporting.

DOH-Putnam's Donna Lynn, Susan Lane and two Region 3 IMT RNs set up for testing

DOH-Putnam, in partnership with the Putnam County Emergency Management, Putnam County Sheriff Office and Putnam Farmworker Career Development Program, hosted a COVID-19 testing event on Saturday, June 13, 2020. COVID-19 education, masks and testing were provided to 48 community members. The event partners extend a special “thank you” to Aza Health for the use of their space to conduct the event and to the two participating Region 3 Incident Management Team (IMT) RNs. Thanks go out also to the dedicated Putnam Farmworker Career Development Program youth and volunteers that came out to help translate and register citizens.

From DOH-Gadsden, Michelle Fedrick, Public Information Officer and Hannah Barnes, Senior Community Health Nutritionist Supervisor, take part in a health talks recording

Since January 2020, in partnership with Southerland Enterprises Video, DOH-Gadsden has delivered talks on various health topics, with program highlights being showcased on the local government access channel. To date, the department has aired approximately nine recordings which include: 1.) Introduction to FDOH-Gadsden, 2.) Through With Chew Week, 3.) Departmental Efforts for COVID-19, 4.) Heart Health Plus Program, 5.) Environmental Health Program, 6.) Diabetes Prevention Program, 7.) Women, Infants and Children Program, 8.) Breast & Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program and 9.) Asthma Program. These recordings educate the public about programs and services available to assist the community, what DOH-Gadsden does beyond clinical services and current initiatives.