City Of Austin | City Of Austin website
City Of Austin | City Of Austin website
AUSTIN, Texas - The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the importance of public health in Austin and Travis County. Austin Public Health (APH) stepped up to the challenge, providing mass vaccination and testing sites to curb the spread of the virus and ensure everyone had the opportunity to get vaccinated. As the pandemic subsided, other critical public health efforts came to the forefront, including food safety, health screenings, and more.
One notable achievement was the opening of the first Trauma Recovery Center in the state of Texas. In collaboration with the African American Youth Harvest Foundation, APH's Office of Violence Prevention established the center in November. It offers evidence-based mental health trauma treatment and wraparound services to survivors of violent crime and their families. Since its launch, the center has already served 96 individuals seeking assistance.
For survivors of violent crime, the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center can be contacted via phone at 844-428-HTRC (4872), email at hello@harvesttrc.org, or in person at 6633 E Hwy 290 #300, Austin, TX 78723.
Another vital initiative is APH's Family Connects program, which supports families of newborns in Austin and Travis County. Through home visits, nurses from Family Connects provide various services, including checking the baby and mother's weights, screening for postpartum depression, offering tips on bath time and changing diapers, and providing information on child care options. In 2023, Family Connects visited over 900 families to deliver these essential services.
If you're interested in Family Connects, you can visit FamilyConnectsATX.org or call 512-972-5096 for more information.
APH's Environmental Health Services Division also plays a crucial role in ensuring a healthy community. Their responsibilities include conducting food inspections to ensure safe practices in establishments that serve food. In the past year, Environmental Health Officers conducted over 10,000 inspections, responded to 400+ citizen food complaints, and investigated 105 cases of foodborne illness. These inspections extend beyond restaurants and include mobile food vendors at local events like SXSW, ACL, and Formula 1. In 2023 alone, officers conducted 1,995 inspections at various events.
While their primary focus is enforcing best practices, the division also supports restaurants by providing resources. Recently, they developed food safety guides in multiple languages, which are shared with restaurants during inspections.
These accomplishments are just a glimpse into the daily public health work carried out by the dedicated employees of APH. To learn more about their efforts in 2023, you can refer to the APH 2023 Year in Review. Looking ahead, APH aims to continue and expand their work, striving to make Austin-Travis County a healthier place for all in 2024.