BRHD Closed July 4

BRHD offices and clinics will be closed on Tuesday, July 4 in observance of Independence Day. We will resume normal operations at 8:00 AM on Wednesday, July 5. 

Enjoy the holiday and continue reading for a few tips on ensuring it is a safe and healthy one! 

Celebrate the Holiday Safety

As we gear up for Independence Day, many of us are planning to cookout. Amidst all the celebrations, there are a few things we can do to make sure our holiday is a healthy one:

• Separate - When shopping, pick up meat, chicken and other poultry, and seafood last, right before checkout. Separate them from other food in your shopping cart and grocery bags.  
• Chill - Keep meat, poultry, and seafood refrigerated until you’re ready to grill. Also, use a cooler when transporting. 
• Thaw & Marinate - Thaw food safely in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave. Always marinate food in the refrigerator no matter what kind of marinade you’re using. Never thaw or marinate on the counter. 
• Clean - Wash your hands with soap before and after handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Wash work surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water before and after cooking. 
• Don’t Cross-Contaminate - Throw out marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat. Use clean utensils and a clean plate to remove cooked meat from the grill. Do not place cooked meat back on a plate that held raw meat. 
• Cook - Use a food thermometer to ensure meat is cooked hot enough to kill harmful germs. 
• Refrigerate - Divide leftovers into small portions and place in covered, shallow containers. Put in freezer or fridge within 2 hours of cooking. 

Learn even more tips for healthy grilling at your next cookout by visiting the United States Department of Agriculture’s cookout safety website. 

Food Safety Class at Yancey Community Center

BRHD’s Environmental Health (EH) team is offering a free food safety class and discussion at Yancey Community Center on July 13th from 6:00 – 7:00 PM for anyone in Albemarle community. The food protection team will discuss key aspects of safe food handling related to: 

• Proper food temperatures 
• Good hand washing 
• Cleaning and sanitizing food contact equipment 
• Cross-contamination prevention 
• Proper cooling of cooked foods 
• Food handler health 

Most food-borne illness outbreaks happen when we make common mistakes. These mistakes are easily avoidable. 

Remember: Bacteria and viruses are opportunists. Proper planning and knowledge can keep them out of your food! There will be an opportunity for questions and interactions during the presentation, as well as light refreshments afterwards. Spots are limited; first come, first served. If you’d like to pre-register, call Willie Mae Gray at 434-270-3216. We hope to see you there!

Summer Won’t Last Forever: Plan for Back

to School Now!

Calling all households with rising 7th and 12th graders: Does your teen have their required school immunizations?

To begin the school year, rising 7th graders are required to have Tdap, HPV, and Meningococcal vaccines. Rising 12th graders are required to have Meningococcal vaccines. If your child still needs one or any of the above vaccines, we’ve got you covered! 

BRHD will be hosting Back to School Immunization Clinics for rising 7th and 12th graders at the following locations and times:  

• Charlottesville/Albemarle Health Department 
• Friday, August 11 | 8:30 – 11:30 AM 
• Monday, August 14 | 8:30 – 11:30 AM, 2:00 – 5:30 PM 
• Friday, August 18 | 1:00 – 4:00 PM 
• Monday, August 21 | 8:30 – 11:30 AM, 1:00 – 4:00 PM 
• Tuesday, August 22 | 8:30 – 11:30 AM, 2:00 – 5:30 PM 
• Fluvanna County Health Department 
• Friday, August 4 | 8:30 – 11:30 AM, 1:00 – 4:00 PM 
• Monday, August 7 | 8:30 – 11:30 AM, 2:00 – 5:30 PM 
• Greene County Health Department 
• Monday, July 24 | 8:30 – 11:30 AM, 2:00 – 5:30 PM 
• Monday, July 31 | 8:30 – 11:30 AM, 2:00 – 5:30 PM 
• Louisa County Health Department 
• Friday July 28 | 8:30 – 11:30 AM, 1:00 – 4:00 PM 
• Tuesday, August 8 | 8:30 – 11:30 AM, 2:00 – 5:30 PM 
• Nelson County Health Department 
• Thursday, August 10 | 2:00 – 5:30 PM 
• Yancey Community Health Center 
• Thursday, August 3 | 2:00 – 5:30 PM 

These clinics are walk-in only; no appointments are available. Please bring a copy of your insurance card or Medicaid if applicable- uninsured students are still welcome. Minors must be accompanied by a consenting adult ages 18+. Call your local health department with any questions.

Progress Update:

Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP)

In April, we introduced the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), a three-year action plan to address the recommendations from the 2022 MAPP2Health Report. This month, we posted the CHIP report that gives more details into the policy targets, goals, and objectives that community partners will undertake until 2025. 

Our CHIP partners are working to reduce health disparities in four main areas: Transportation, the Healthcare Workforce, Digital Access + Literacy, and Mental + Behavioral Health. There are some exciting initiatives underway! For example: 

• A Transportation workgroup is exploring how better to include community voices in transit decision-making. 
• A Healthcare Workforce team is developing a program to train medical interpreters, which will improve patient experiences thanks to high quality interpretation services. 
• A Digital Access & Literacy workgroup is working to expand telehealth services in rural areas and close the digital divide.  
• A Mental & Behavioral Health workgroup is training community members and health workers to be Peer Recovery Support Specialists - not only to support community members, but to support the healthcare workforce. 

Now, it’s your turn to join the CHIP! Follow CHIP progress on the BRHD website. You can also reach out to Jen Fleisher to join us in the fall for a community meeting complete with CHIP updates and success stories!