RHHD Blog: Well Read

Sunday, May 19, is Hepatitis Testing Day. Hepatitis can be caused by substance use, alcohol, or viruses. Viral hepatitis includes Hepatitis A, B, and C. CDC encourages all adults in the U.S. to get tested for Hepatitis B and C at least once in their lifetimes. RHHD Epidemiologist Senior Louise Lockett Gordon explains why viral hepatitis testing should matter to all... Continue reading→

All known hurricanes since 1851 that have come within 65 nautical miles of Virginia Beach. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) wants you to know that most good hurricane preparation happens before a storm shows up on the forecast. That’s why May brings Hurricane Preparedness Week. NOAA has put together a week of guides to help... Continue reading→

Tuesday, May 7, is National Fentanyl Awareness Day. The observation recognizes the approximately 70,000 Americans who fatally overdosed on fentanyl in 2023. Ahead of May 7, RHHD Substance Use Disorder Coordinator Jasmine Blue shares some important facts about fentanyl: What is fentanyl?    Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid and a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal... Continue reading→

Nicole McCurrach receives her RHHD Nurse of the Year award. Nicole McCurrach and her husband were at the Bryan Park playground with their two daughters—aged five and seven—on a Saturday morning when she told him she wanted to become a nurse. She had worked corporate jobs and spent time at home with the girls. She... Continue reading→

MRC volunteers at work! April 21-27 is National Volunteer Week, and RHHD has reason to celebrate! When we take on community projects, some of our most important teammates are volunteers with the Medical Reserve Corps of Virginia, or MRC. The MRC brings together people from all walks of life to support the educational and emergency response goals of health organizations... Continue reading→

“Health equity work is at my core”: Welcome, Shaleetta Drawbaugh! On April 18, RHHD welcomed Shaleetta Drawbaugh as the new Health Equity Fund Program Officer. The Health Equity Fund (HEF) invests in organizations working to eradicate health disparities throughout our city. Shaleetta has called Richmond home for a long time. She grew up in Southeast Virginia—attending 11... Continue reading→

Louise Lockett Gordon’s 2024 YMCA 10K Training Team! Saturday, April 20, marks the 25th annual running of the Sports Backers’ [http://ukrop’s%20monument%20avenue%2010k/]Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K, one of the largest and most popular 10K runs in the United States. RHHD Epidemiologist Supervisor Louise Lockett Gordon has been coaching with Sports Backers’ YMCA 10K Training Team at the... Continue reading→

Earth Day is Monday, April 22, but events that raise awareness about conservation and remind us of our responsibilities to the environment are going strong all month long. Earth Day is a public health observance, as far as RHHD and our partners like Richmond’s Parks & Rec Department are concerned. “Studies have shown that time spent green spaces and... Continue reading→

STI aware is STI safe: A syphilis explainer The second week in April is National STI Awareness Week. STIs, or sexually transmitted infections, include conditions like chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and HPV. STIs can still feel difficult to talk about in public. They can bring up shame or fear for a lot of people, and there are... Continue reading→

The 2024 County Health Rankings report opens with a thought-provoking finding: “The healthiest counties, where people live long and well, have well-resourced civic infrastructure, including a more accessible information environment (local news outlets, broadband access, and public libraries), compared to counties among the least healthy.” Resources like Richmond Public Library (RPL) and Henrico County Public Library (HCPL) are hubs for education and entertainment.... Continue reading→

  Over the past few months, we’ve highlighted some of the newest Health Equity Fund (HEF) recipients. The HEF—which is administered by the Richmond and Henrico Public Health Foundation and supported by the City of Richmond and RHHD—announced its most recent round of funding last month. Recipients applied for dedicated funding in one of the HEF’s key focus areas, including... Continue reading→

Basketball statisticians know that paying attention to the numbers can help teams spot threats and adjust their defensive strategy. Along those lines, the Virginia Department of Health has observed an increasing number of mpox cases in 2024. In the first three months of 2024, the number of cases across the commonwealth have already surpassed the number of... Continue reading→