A Letter From Our Director
Greetings from the Director’s Office,
It’s hard to believe, but it’s already back-to-school season. While you are checking off your back-to-school lists, please make sure you schedule your child’s back-to-school primary health care visits and keep up with their routine immunizations.
August is National Immunization Awareness Month. Vaccines are thoroughly tested for safety and effectiveness before they are available to the public. Vaccines protect people of all ages from various diseases – which can cause severe illness and even death.
Sadly, disinformation about vaccines negatively impacts their acceptance – and we are seeing the results of the disinformation with the re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases like polio, measles, and whooping cough.
I encourage you to get the facts. Check out the information from the Vaccine Education Center and learn about which vaccines are recommended for you and your family (Vaccines at Every Life Stage fact sheet).
Enjoy the last few weeks of summer and good luck to all students, parents, and educators as you return to school.
Be curious, have fun, and learn something new!
As always – please be safe and be kind,
Dr. Debra Bogen
Director, Allegheny County Health Department
Welcome to our newest Live Well Allegheny Partner!
This month we are welcoming one new Live Well Allegheny Community Partner.
Hebron Community Center is a non-profit organization that is in the Penn Hills community operating out of Hebron Church’s Barclay Building. Their mission is to provide a safe space for the local Penn Hills community. Their vision is to promote healthy and thriving communities that can come together to provide activities, programs, and events. They also offer community fitness classes, open gym, and other educational programs for the community. For more information or to get involved check out their website here.
Live Well Allegheny Story
Allegheny County Health Department Promotes Programs at the Health and Safety Fair
The county held its annual Health and Safety Fair on Wednesday, July 20, in the Courthouse courtyard in Pittsburgh. The fair is held to promote health and safety for county employees and is a good way to connect individuals with various county services.
Programs in attendance from the Health Department included the Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention, Vector Control, STD/HIV Prevention and Overdose Prevention.
Each program provided resources to help promote their individual programs and better the health and well-being of attendees. Attendees were given tick kits from Vector Control, Narcan from the Overdose Prevention, condoms from STD/HIV Prevention, education about car seat safety from Injury Prevention and healthy eating tips with MyPlate giveaways from the Chronic Disease Program.
Live Well Partner Resources
American Lung Association: Tobacco Basics
Do you want to learn more about tobacco? The American Lung Association’s Tobacco Basics is a free one-hour online course, including five learning models, designed to lay a foundation of understanding about the use of tobacco in the U.S. Register for the program here.
Live Well, Be Well
2022 Live Well Speaker Series September Event: Overdose Prevention Program
Join us for the September Live Well Allegheny Learning Collaborative Virtual Speaker Series on Tuesday, September 13, from 10-11 a.m. In honor of Recovery Month, the speaker will be Stacie Brown from our Overdose Prevention Program. Questions for the speaker can be sent to Victoria.baker@alleghenycounty.us. Please email questions no later than August 31. To sign up visit: https://form.jotform.com/kohlid/LWACollaborativeSession6
Health Observances
National Immunization Awareness Month
August is National Immunization Awareness Month. This month highlights the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. Use the Toolkit for Reaching Parents and Patients to help spread awareness.
Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
This month highlights the importance of protecting children’s vision. Use the MyHealthfinder resource to learn how to protect your kid’s eye health and determine how often you should schedule their eye appointments.
National Breastfeeding Month
August is National Breastfeeding Month which promotes the benefits of breastfeeding. August 25-31 is Black Breastfeeding week – a time to highlight lactation support built on racial equity, cultural empowerment, and community engagement. Get involved by sharing the MyHealthfinder resource on breastfeeding, along with tips for eating healthy while breastfeeding.
Back to School Mental Health
Going back to school can be stressful for children and adolescents. Focusing on mental health is more important than ever during this time. Throughout the month of August, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) will share resources for children, adolescents, parents, educators, and mental health providers about coping with the challenges of returning to school. Get shareable resources here.
Your Healthiest Self: Wellness Toolkits
Looking for a way to be your healthiest self? Your relationships, your emotions, your surroundings, and other aspects of your life impact your overall health. Take a look at the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Wellness Toolkits to find ways to improve your well-being.
