Tag: blog

Happy Nurse Practitioner Week

Posted on by amberpadilla

Nov. 12-18 marks National Nurse Practitioner Week. Virginia’s Certificate of Recognition acknowledges the state’s 15,000 licensed NPs and praises them for expanding access to high-quality care while building sustained relationships with patients.

At RHHD, we’re proud to work with and celebrate six of these 15,000, whose expertise and commitment improves health in our community every day!

  • Tracey Avery-Geter, NP
  • Allison Gregory, NP
  • Christina Jennings, NP
  • Gabby Paniagua-Stolz, NP
  • Candice Parkins, NP
  • Christy Smith, NP decorative

No Norovirus November: Make food safety a tradition

Posted on by amberpadilla

With Thanksgiving and lots of other holiday events right around the corner, now is the time to cook and eat safely! RHHD Epidemiology Supervisor Louise Lockett Gordon says that our region tends to see increases in norovirus around the holidays and winter months. Upping our food preparation and storage game, and continuing to wash hands and cooking surfaces well, can decrease our chances of illness.

  • Wednesday, Nov. 15, was National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day—not the most fun holiday, but a great opportunity to trash the mayonnaise older than your toddler and the yogurt you were definitely going to eat last month to make space for Thanksgiving groceries and leftovers.
  • The FDA shares a list of food safety tips, including proper refrigeration and storage advice.
  • Just like with any illness, continuing to wash hands properly is key!

And if you’re looking for some opportunities to access holiday groceries or meals around our region, check out this great event list!

RICHMOND DECLARES RACISM A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

On Monday, July 26, Richmond joined more than 200 other localities across the US to declare racism a public health crisis. By unanimous decision, Richmond City Council adopted the declaration and committed not only to acknowledging disparities and injustices but to becoming an actively anti-racist government that centers racial justice work in all aspects of its work. This is a huge step for our city, though the declaration itself is only a symbol that will need to be followed by bold and consistent action in order to create real change. 

Systemic racism in Richmond has taken an enormous toll on the health of Black residents for generations and persists in countless ways today. The Center on Society and Health at VCU found that residents of low-income Black communities in the East End of Richmond have a life expectancy that is 20 years shorter on average than White residents in wealthy West End neighborhoods. Black residents are also at far greater risk of experiencing pregnancy complications and premature birth, chronic disease, housing and food insecurity, asthma, violence, and personal and community trauma, among many other challenges. Recent data also shows that Black residents of Richmond accounted for 62% of the city’s COVID-19 cases, though they make up only 47% of the city’s population. 

These health disparities are primarily caused not by residents’ behavior and choices but by the social determinants of health: the underlying conditions that determine a person’s ability to be healthy and well, such as safe housing and neighborhoods, education and job opportunities, healthcare access and quality, and systemic and overt racism. Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are committed to doing as much as we can to dismantle the systems that help racism, trauma, and health disparities to persist. 

In April, when racism was declared a public health crisis in Virginia, our Director of Health Equity, Jackie Lawrence, outlined some calls to action for RHHD as we deepen our health equity and racial justice work. Here’s what Jackie outlined as the kind of work you can expect from RHHD, and we welcome opportunities to talk and partner with you on the road ahead: 

We will name and respect the collective trauma we continue to experience. We cannot expect ourselves to operate outside of these authentic, very visceral emotions, and our work will get heavier as we move further into confronting racism and systemic injustice in our work. RHHD is working to normalize a culture that encourages staff to take time to process their emotions, whether it is taking a day off or taking 15 minutes to breathe between meetings. We encourage our partners to promote this culture of empathy and self-care within their workplaces as well. 

We will challenge ourselves and each other every day to ask hard questions without being afraid of the conversations and changes that will follow. “What does health and wellness truly mean to me, and to the communities we serve?” “Have I made space to address my own healing so that I can better serve the community?” “How has my position or department upheld the inequities I have read about or experienced?” We will also continue to rely on partners and community members to hold a mirror up for us and help us see when we need to rethink our philosophy or approach. 

We will become the kind of agency that radically imagines, plans, and implements systems changes that can remove obstacles, ensure resilience, and highlight joy in communities of color. Institutional racism has prevented people of color from accessing high-quality, culturally responsive care and resources for generations, and these disparities result in deep harm and trauma, including the increase in gun violence we have seen in recent weeks. This work is difficult, but it is essential, and we are ready to do whatever we can. 

Richmond is the first locality in Virginia to declare racism a public health crisis. Along with the declaration, City Council has committed to reviewing policies through an anti-racist lens; requiring anti-racism training for city officials and employees; and creating a task force to establish a police oversight and accountability board. RHHD is proud to partner in this work and is eager to see how Richmond’s anti-racist efforts continue to expand and evolve following this powerful declaration.

A LACTATION ROOM OF ONE’S OWN

August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month, and the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee focused the first week on “making a difference for working parents.” Without federal or state-guaranteed paid family leave for all workers, parents making a difficult decision to return to work after childbirth also have to deal with the logistical challenges of breastfeeding while separated from their children. The Virginia Department of Health notes that parents with less than three months of maternity leave report ending breastfeeding earlier than those who receive three or more months of leave.

One resource workplaces can and should offer breastfeeding employees is a private, clean, and safe space for expressing breast milk while at work. This year’s Breastfeeding Awareness Month is the first since Congress passed the PUMP (Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers) Act, which expands nursing workers’ right to private lactation spaces and breaks for pumping in almost all workplaces, and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. “Widespread use of these tools will help create an environment where pregnant and postpartum workers can succeed in work and family life balance,” says State WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator Jarene Fleming.

For RHHD, lactation spaces aren’t only a public health recommendation; they’re an important part of our workplace landscape for breastfeeding employees. Small lactation rooms exist at our Cary Street, East Henrico, and West Henrico locations.

Joanna Cirillo is RHHD’s Public Health Nurse Supervisor and mom to Matilda, who will turn one in September. As part of a department funding initiative to make the lactation spaces feel safer and cozier for breastfeeding workers, Joanna spent her final days in the office ahead of maternity leave refreshing the Cary Street room, adding wallpaper to complement the existing milk fridge, warm lighting, and pump cleaning supplies. The most important touch, she says, came from previous employee Stephanie Toney: a bulletin board where nursing parents could post photos of their infants to look at while they pumped (a strategy—like other relaxation techniques—that has proven to increase milk output). Having worked in a maternity clinic previously, she knew that “Such a big transition is so hard, and anything that you or your workplace can do to make the transition back easier and more welcoming [matters]. Obviously, we know breastmilk is good for babies. You will be more productive in a nice space, too—if you’re relaxed and happy and looking at pictures of your baby, it will go better for you.”

While a lactation space should offer privacy and calm for a breastfeeding parent, Joanna says that the room actually helps her feel connected to other moms in the building: “Motherhood is such a unique experience, and you gain so much knowledge and advice from other mothers. When you’re doing anything for the first time, it’s so intimidating, especially a huge thing like birth and then coming back to work. All my other coworkers that had used [the space] had advice: ‘here’s some things that could make it easier, here are some things you can use.” You forget certain parts [of the pump], you have to clean it at work, and it’s all stressful, so it makes it a little bit easier to know you’re all in it together.”

Maybe most importantly, Joanna’s time using the lactation room has helped her reflect on the intersections of her roles as a mom, a colleague, and a public health worker: “Having gone through figuring out breastfeeding, pumping, being a working mom and pumping at work so that my baby gets as much breast milk as they can, it’s so much easier to relate to people when you’ve gone through it yourself. Any public health intervention that we want people to do, having lived experience ourselves just makes it so much easier to say, ‘yep, I remember when I forgot all my pump parts or when baby wouldn’t latch.’ It makes it easier to connect and support people when they’re having problems or help people advocate in their own place of work if they don’t have a safe and clean and private place to pump.”

If you’re a worker currently or soon-to-be breastfeeding, or if you want to support your co-workers returning to work after giving birth, consider the following resources:

  • Rights in the workplace: this fact sheet on the Fair Labor Standards Act (updated to include PUMP) will help you understand who and what is covered, and where to go if a workplace is violating your rights
  • Advocacy support: even knowing you have federally protected rights to things like a clean, private lactation space or breaks to pump, it can feel difficult to talk to a supervisor about what you need. This toolkit on talking to your boss offers suggestions for when and how to have important conversations about workplace accommodations. (In Spanish: Cómo hablar con tu jefe acerca tu extractor de leche materna)
  • Design time! If you have the ability to create or offer input on your workplace’s lactation space, these recommendations will make the room feel friendlier, safer, and more productive for lactating workers.
  • A bigger toolbox: “The whole ethos of being a family-friendly or supportive workplace includes being breastfeeding friendly but extends beyond that,” Joanna says. Helping breastfeeding workers succeed in the workplace might also include other accommodations like schedule changes or uniform modifications. And discussions about how to support workers in the early stages of raising children shouldn’t stop as kids grow.

Joanna knows it can be isolating to feel as if you’re asking for “special treatment” in the workplace, particularly if you’re the only currently pregnant or breastfeeding worker. Remember, she suggests, that “there were people before you and there will be people after you. Even if you don’t know anyone that is going through this exact stage at the same time, there will definitely be people after you who need the service.” When we speak up for the accommodations we need to do our work well, all workers benefit!

Stay tuned as Breastfeeding Awareness Month continues.

HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW (AND WHY YOU SHOULD START NOW)

We get it: life is hectic, especially in the summer, and it’s understandable if preparing for a hurricane-related emergency feels like it doesn’t fit on your to-do list.  But preparing for a hurricane is more manageable than you might think, and making a plan now can help to protect you and your family from serious harm. 

Once you have a plan and some supplies in place, it’s much easier to update them and stay safe year after year. Richmond and Henrico Health Districts have all the info you need to be as prepared as possible for the upcoming hurricane season.

 

When is hurricane season at its peak in Central Virginia?

Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, but the risk of a serious weather event is at its peak in Central Virginia between mid-August and mid-October. 

 

What are the risks for our region?

Central Virginia can experience dangerous flooding, destructive winds, and tornadoes when a hurricane makes landfall. Flooding is the most dangerous risk and can be caused quickly by excessive rainfall. In the high heat of August and September, hurricanes can also cause power outages that expose residents to extreme heat conditions in their own homes. 

 

What are the most important steps to prepare?

Keep your cell phone charged when a hurricane or severe storm is in the forecast.

Consider signing up for Emergency Alerts from the National Weather service.

Put together emergency kits for your home and car.

A supply kit for your home should include:

    • Water – one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days, for drinking and sanitation
    • Food – a three-day supply of non-perishable food
    • First aid supplies and medications
    • Clothing and bedding
    • Tools and emergency supplies
    • Important family documents
    • Masks and hand sanitizer to protect against COVID-19 if you must leave your home

Store your emergency kit in an area where you can get to it quickly.  Put contents in a large, watertight container (e.g. a large plastic garbage can with a lid and wheels) that you can move easily. Make sure everyone in your family knows where to find the emergency kit.

A supply kit for your car should include:

    • Blankets
    • First Aid Kit
    • Jumper cables
    • Cell phone/charger
    • Tool kit
    • Water
    • Canned or dried foods and a can opener
    • Flashlight and extra batteries
    • Masks and hand sanitizer to protect against COVID-19 

The Virginia Department of Health has a helpful supply checklist available for download to help you prepare. 

 

If you haven’t yet, get your COVID vaccine, and plan to take other steps to protect yourself against COVID in an emergency.

During an evacuation or other serious emergency, you may encounter other community members in a shelter, hospital, or other public setting. Vaccination is the best protection against COVID-19, but the CDC has more detailed guidance about how best to protect yourself against COVID-19 if you must leave your home during a weather emergency. 

 

Make a plan for your pets.

The Virginia Department of Health has a disaster supply checklist specifically for pets and other helpful tips on how to make sure your pet stays safe during an emergency. 

 

For more information about how to stay safe during and after a hurricane, Check out these resources:  

PUBLIC HEALTH IMPACTS OF MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION IN VIRGINIA

Public health impacts of marijuana legalization in Virginia

As of July 1, 2021, marijuana is legal for adults ages 21+ in Virginia. Marijuana is the most commonly used drug that is not fully legal across the US. Evidence shows that in other states across the US, marijuana legalization has a positive correlation with both public safety and racial and economic justice. Historically, Black and Brown people are incarcerated at much higher rates for marijuana possession than their White counterparts, despite possessing marijuana at similar rates. Marijuana legalization has the potential to reduce incarceration rates in Black and Brown communities; reduce the whole-family trauma and instability that often results from incarceration; and create an opportunity for police departments to refocus their efforts on preventing violent crime, community policing, and practices that lead to community healing, not community fragmentation.

What is actually legal now? 

It is important to understand that marijuana is now legal in Virginia only in certain contexts and amounts. You can read the full guidelines at cannnabis.virginia.gov. Here’s an overview of what you need to know:

  • Marijuana possession is legal only for adults aged 21 and older. It is still illegal for anyone under 21 to possess or use marijuana.
  • Adults 21+ can possess up to one ounce of marijuana legally. Possessing more than one ounce is illegal and can result in a civil penalty fine. Possessing more than a pound is a felony.
  • Adults can use marijuana in private residences, but the owner of a private residence can restrict marijuana use on their property.
  • Adults can have up to four marijuana plants per household.
  • Adults can share marijuana with each other but cannot sell it or trade it for another good or service.
  • Existing safety measures will remain in place, like prohibiting the use of marijuana while driving or riding in a vehicle or on school grounds.
  • Consuming marijuana or offering it to another person in a public place is still illegal.

If you plan to use marijuana or spend time with people who do, it’s important to understand the laws as well as any policies your employer or landlord may have regarding marijuana use. For helpful real-life tips on how to follow the law when possessing or using marijuana, check out the ACLU of Virginia’s quick guide to legal marijuana use.

 

What do we know about marijuana safety? 

While marijuana is widely used both recreationally and medicinally, we don’t have extensive research on its effects—hopefully, this will change as more states choose to legalize marijuana. However, we do know some side effects that are important to consider:

  • Smoking marijuana can lead to a greater risk of bronchitis, cough, and phlegm production.
  • Smoking marijuana can be carcinogenic (cancer-causing—like cigarettes)
  • Marijuana raises your heart rate. Smoking marijuana has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
  • Heavy use may cause difficulty w/ attention, short-term memory, and anxiety & other mood changes.
  • Heavy marijuana use in a person’s early 20s or teenage years may affect cognitive development long-term given that the brain is not fully formed at this age.
  • Marijuana can be addictive. About 1 in 10 users will become addicted, including 1 in 6 people who begin smoking before adulthood.
  • Second-hand marijuana smoke is a concern for bystanders’ health given that it is carcinogenic and increases the risk of a cough and other respiratory issues.
  • There have been no reported cases of marijuana overdose in Virginia, so overdose is not a known risk.

For adults ages 21+ who choose to use marijuana, there are some things you can do to practice safer marijuana use:

  • Tell your primary care provider about your marijuana use or if you’re interested in starting use for recreational or medicinal purposes.
  • Similar to alcohol and other substances, it’s recommended to avoid using marijuana while you are pregnant.
  • Using marijuana can impair your reaction time and judgment. Do not use marijuana and drive.
  • Avoid exposing others -particularly children- to secondhand smoke.
  • For more information on the health impacts of marijuana use, please visit the CDC’s marijuana info page.

RICHMOND DECLARES RACISM A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS

On July 26, 2021, Richmond joined more than 200 other localities across the US to declare racism a public health crisis. By unanimous decision, Richmond City Council adopted the declaration and committed not only to acknowledging disparities and injustices but to becoming an actively anti-racist government that centers racial justice work in all aspects of its work. This is a huge step for our city, though the declaration itself is only a symbol that will need to be followed by bold and consistent action in order to create real change.

Systemic racism in Richmond has taken an enormous toll on the health of Black residents for generations and persists in countless ways today. The Center on Society and Health at VCU found that residents of low-income Black communities in the East End of Richmond have a life expectancy that is 20 years shorter on average than White residents in wealthy West End neighborhoods. Black residents are also at far greater risk of experiencing pregnancy complications and premature birth, chronic disease, housing and food insecurity, asthma, violence, and personal and community trauma, among many other challenges. Recent data also shows that Black residents of Richmond accounted for 62% of the city’s COVID-19 cases, though they make up only 47% of the city’s population.

These health disparities are primarily caused not by residents’ behavior and choices but by the social determinants of health: the underlying conditions that determine a person’s ability to be healthy and well, such as safe housing and neighborhoods, education and job opportunities, healthcare access and quality, and systemic and overt racism. Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are committed to doing as much as we can to dismantle the systems that help racism, trauma, and health disparities to persist.

In April, when racism was declared a public health crisis in Virginia, our Director of Health Equity, Jackie Lawrence, outlined some calls to action for RHHD as we deepen our health equity and racial justice work. Here’s what Jackie outlined as the kind of work you can expect from RHHD, and we welcome opportunities to talk and partner with you on the road ahead:

We will name and respect the collective trauma we continue to experience. We cannot expect ourselves to operate outside of these authentic, very visceral emotions, and our work will get heavier as we move further into confronting racism and systemic injustice in our work. RHHD is working to normalize a culture that encourages staff to take time to process their emotions, whether it is taking a day off or taking 15 minutes to breathe between meetings. We encourage our partners to promote this culture of empathy and self-care within their workplaces as well.

We will challenge ourselves and each other every day to ask hard questions without being afraid of the conversations and changes that will follow. “What does health and wellness truly mean to me, and to the communities we serve?” “Have I made space to address my own healing so that I can better serve the community?” “How has my position or department upheld the inequities I have read about or experienced?” We will also continue to rely on partners and community members to hold a mirror up for us and help us see when we need to rethink our philosophy or approach.

We will become the kind of agency that radically imagines, plans, and implements systems changes that can remove obstacles, ensure resilience, and highlight joy in communities of color. Institutional racism has prevented people of color from accessing high-quality, culturally responsive care and resources for generations, and these disparities result in deep harm and trauma, including the increase in gun violence we have seen in recent weeks. This work is difficult, but it is essential, and we are ready to do whatever we can.

Richmond is the first locality in Virginia to declare racism a public health crisis. Along with the declaration, City Council has committed to reviewing policies through an anti-racist lens; requiring anti-racism training for city officials and employees; and creating a task force to establish a police oversight and accountability board. RHHD is proud to partner in this work and is eager to see how Richmond’s anti-racist efforts continue to expand and evolve following this powerful declaration.