What is Public Health
The American Public Health Association defines public health as “promoting and protecting the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play.” We take that to heart. Public health focuses on preventing people from getting sick or hurt, which is why we put so much effort into our immunization program and focus on areas like car seat safety, lead poisoning prevention, and fall prevention. We also provide community education on a variety of prevention topics whether at events, through our Facebook page, or in the media.
Public Health is also about promoting healthy lifestyles. That’s why this website also has a Healthy Living section with information about healthy eating and where to be active in Henry County. We also promote preventive cancer screenings, parent support programs, and offer STI/HIV testing.
Public Health works to ensure everyone has access to the resources they need to thrive. We do this by making sure people know what resources are out there with our Community Service Directory and through the different Resources pages on this website, including Behavioral Health, Food, Healthcare Access, and Safe Medication Disposal options. Through our CARE LINKS program, staff will even assist you in finding services, making contacts, and completing paperwork.
Public health works at the community level, while health care works at the individual level. We care about you as individuals, but we work on solutions that can impact the broader community. One way we do this is through leading our countywide wellness coalition Healthy Henry County Communities (HHCC).