National Public Health Week, April 1-7, 2024

Published on April 01, 2024

'Protecting, Connecting and Thriving: We Are All Public Health' with an illustration of a diverse group of people smiling and making celebratory gestures. The NPHW logo is below, with a design of vines around.

The Wyandotte County Public Health Department (WYCO PHD) is celebrating National Public Health Week!  This year’s theme for the week is “Protecting, Connecting and Thriving: We Are All Public Health.” Public health is more than just health care and more than just the work of a health department. It includes working together to create safe, interconnected, healthy communities for everyone. Partner organizations, other local government departments, neighborhood leaders, and community members all contribute to the health of our community as a whole. 

National Public Health Week is an annual observance during the first full week of April, organized by the American Public Health Association. Learn more at: https://www.nphw.org/ 

National Public Health Week Daily Themes

Monday: Civic Engagement

Voting and other forms of civic engagement shape our community and how it allocates resources to support our opportunity for healthy lives. And studies show better public health outcomes in states where more people vote.

Tuesday: Healthy Neighborhoods

Where we live, work and play can have a huge effect on our health. Let’s build healthy neighborhoods with safe places to live that provide everyone with the opportunity for healthy lives.

Ways to get involved: 

 

Wednesday: Climate Change

Climate change is a pressing threat to human health. One of the ways our community feels the effects of climate change is through an increase in extreme heat. Climate change, combined with the “urban heat island effect,” means heat and humidity put our community members at risk each year. In summer of 2023, we partnered with Johnson County on a heat mapping project to better understand how heat islands affect our counties.

Learn more about the heat map project and results

 

Thursday: New Tools and Innovations

Today’s technology makes it easier than ever to access public health data. It’s important to use this data to shape the work we do as a community to improve health in Wyandotte County.  

Explore health data sources: 

 

Friday: Reproductive and Sexual Health

Access to reproductive and sexual health services is important. The Wyandotte County Public Health Department provides a variety of services at low cost, with or without health insurance. We accept walk-ins on Fridays, 8:30am – 3:30pm, at 619 Ann Ave, Kansas City, KS 66101. You can also make appointments Monday – Thursday, 8:30am – 5:00pm, by calling (913) 573-8855. 

Our reproductive and sexual health services include: 

  • Birth control, including long-acting birth control options
  • Well woman exams, including cervical cancer screenings
  • Sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment
  • Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication for HIV prevention 
  • Free condoms available Monday – Friday at 619 Ann Ave in KCK

 

Saturday: Emergency Preparedness

Emergency preparedness can protect you and your loved ones. Have a plan & emergency supplies and practice what to do. Go to https://www.ready.gov for tips on making a plan, building an emergency kit, and preparing for extreme weather, power outages, and more.

 

Sunday: Future of Public Health

As we look ahead at the next several years, we will be working with community partners on health issues identified by people in Wyandotte County and ensuring that we continue to provide essential public health services. Together, let’s make sure every person has access to the support and care they need for a healthier life. 

Here are a few highlights on our upcoming work and ways to get engaged: 

  • We are preparing to launch the next Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), a five-year plan with these focus areas: jobs and education, health care access, safe and affordable housing, violence prevention, and behavioral health (including mental health and substance use).   
  • The Health Department is developing its next Strategic Plan to guide the work of the department. 
  • We are maintaining our public health accreditation status with the latest guidance from the Public Health Accreditation Board. 
  • We ask that partners and community members help continue to break down stigma around mental health and substance use. If you or someone you know is going through a difficult time and needs support, you can reach the national suicide and crisis lifeline: call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also contact Wyandot Behavioral Health Network’s 24/7 crisis line by calling (913) 788-4200. 
  • As we look to the future, it is also important to understand the history of public health. Watch this documentary series, “The Invisible Shield,” which you can stream through PBS: https://www.theinvisibleshieldseries.com/  

 


Learn about WYCO PHD 

The Wyandotte County Public Health Department is an accredited local health department dedicated to protecting and improving health in Wyandotte County. Learn more about our work below:

Health services

WYCO PHD offers health services to prevent and treat health conditions. Services include: 

  • Reproductive and sexual health services 
  • Immunizations 
  • Laboratory services 
  • Services for pregnant people and families with young children, such as the WIC program, home visiting, teen pregnancy case management, and the Happy Bottoms diaper program 
  • Treatment for common health conditions, such as skin conditions and ear, nose, and throat symptoms 
  • Free supplies, including naloxone (NARCAN), fentanyl test strips, condoms, and COVID test kits 
  • And more! 

The health department recently started offering new walk-in hours for select services on Fridays, 8:30am – 3:30pm, at 619 Ann Ave, Kansas City, KS 66101. Services are available by appointment Monday - Thursday. To make an appointment, call (913) 573-8855.

Learn more about walk-ins and other service updates

Other Public Health Programs and Initiatives

The WYCO PHD team, in collaboration with local partner organizations, works on a variety of other focus areas to protect community health, including:

  • Monitoring and preventing the spread of diseases and preventable deaths 
  • Environmental health, including air quality monitoring, environmental inspections, childcare licensing, and lead poisoning prevention 
  • Backbone support for the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) – a five-year plan developed with community input through a Community Health Assessment. The 2024-2028 CHIP focuses on jobs and education, health care access, safe and affordable housing, violence prevention, and behavioral health (including mental health and substance use). 
  • Public health emergency preparedness
  • Community health education 
  • Coordination and support for the Wyandotte County Health Equity Task Force
  • Other community health initiatives focused on topics such as substance use, tobacco, and health policy 
  • A variety of “behind the scenes” work to keep our health department running, from maintaining our accreditation status to writing grants and more! 

 

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