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Health departments show their commitment to the health and safety of their community through national public health accreditation

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Health departments show their commitment to the health and safety of their community through national public health accreditation

The Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) today announced the names of fifteen public health departments and one vital records/health statistics (VRHS) unit that have achieved accreditation or reaccreditation status, after completion of a systematic review process against national standards. These departments have successfully demonstrated a commitment to strong infrastructure and public health practice to better serve their communities.

Health departments are key leaders and drivers of health, well-being, and equity in their communities. Nationally accredited health departments demonstrate a consistent and continued commitment to strengthening their community partnerships, which enables them to better serve their communities.

“We are honored to be recognized by PHAB for achieving national standards that promote continuous quality improvement in public health,” said Indiana State Health Commissioner Kris Box, M.D., FACOG. “Receiving this recognition now, as our team continues to work to protect Hoosiers from the COVID-19 pandemic, reflects the Department of Health’s tireless dedication not just to the crisis of the moment, but to improving the health and wellbeing of Hoosiers every day.”

“I am incredibly proud of everyone at the Houston Health Department for securing another five years of accreditation with the Public Health Accreditation Board,” said Stephen L. Williams, director of the Houston Health Department. “This is an extraordinary accomplishment in the face of a pandemic that’s tested public health workforces everywhere. Despite the challenges associated with responding to COVID-19, our team maintained the standards, performance, and innovation required to be recognized as one of the leading health departments in the country.”

“We are excited to receive national accreditation through PHAB,” said Ken Jones, State Registrar and Bureau Chief, Florida Department of Health Bureau of Vital Statistics. “Vital statistics are important to public health service and accreditation enhances accountability in the delivery of those services to the community.”

PHAB, the nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that administers the national accreditation program, aims to advance and transform public health practice by championing performance improvement, strong infrastructure and innovation.

“Public health departments and their special program units like Vital Records and Health Statistics are essential to the health and safety of their communities,” said PHAB President and CEO Paul Kuehnert, DNP, RN, FAAN. “Through public health national accreditation, departments are demonstrating loud and clear their firm commitment and drive to protect and promote the community’s health.”

National initial accreditation was awarded May 14 , 2021 to:

  • Cincinnati Health Department, OH
  • Clark County Combined Health District, OH
  • Darke County General Health District, OH
  • Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics
  • Hancock Public Health, OH
  • Indiana Department of Health
  • Perry County Health Department, OH
  • San Joaquin County Public Health Services, CA
  • Seneca County General Health District, OH
  • St. Mary’s County Health Department, MD
  • Vinton County Health Department, OH
  • Virginia Department of Health

National reaccreditation was awarded May 14, 2021 to:

  • Barren River District Health Department, KY
  • Houston Health Department, TX
  • Johnson County Department of Health and Environment, KS
  • New Orleans Health Department, LA

Source: houstontx.gov

DART Board Approves Public Hearing for January 2022 Service Changes on June 8

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DART Board Approves Public Hearing for January 2022 Service Changes on June 8

The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board of Directors has approved a public hearing on the proposed DART January 2022 service changes. The public hearing is planned for Tuesday, June 8, during the DART Board Meeting.

Proposed service changes include:

  • replacing all local bus routes with a newly designed bus network featuring more frequent service and consistent hours of operation,
  • adding new GoLink Zones and expanding existing GoLink Zones,
  • restoring light rail service to pre-pandemic levels with 15-minute peak service,
  • more frequent evening light rail service on weekdays.

Final board approval is planned for August with implementation of the new service changes scheduled for January 24, 2022.

Process for Receiving Comments
In order to ensure the safety and well-being of our customers and employees, DART will conduct a virtual public hearing to receive comments on the proposed January 2022 service changes.

Written comments and emails received any time before the hearing is adjourned will become part of the official hearing record. Those comments may be submitted via email to dartpublichearingcomments@dart.org prior to the public hearing or mailed in advance to:

DART Community Engagement – 7232
January 2022 Service Changes Public Hearing
P.O. Box 660163, Dallas, TX 75266
Source: dart.org

Nominations Now Open For 38th Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards

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Nominations Now Open For 38th Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards

Nominations are open for the 38th Annual Governor’s Volunteer Awards. The Governor’s Volunteer Awards are administered by OneStar Foundation and are an opportunity for the state of Texas to honor the exemplary service and volunteerism of individuals and organizations making a significant impact in communities across Texas.

“Texans truly are generous by nature,” said Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott. “And Greg and I are so inspired by the selfless service shown by so many volunteers all across this great state this past year. As our communities continue to grow more resilient each day, we are reminded that the true strength of the Lone Star State is found in our people. We are pleased to once again celebrate that spirit of service though the Governor’s Volunteer Awards.”

Nominations for the awards are open in nine categories:

  • Governor’s Lifetime Volunteer Achievement Award
  • First Lady’s Youth Volunteer Rising Star Award
  • Volunteer of the Year Award
  • Volunteer Family of the Year Award
  • Corporate Volunteering Champion Award
  • Service-Learning Champion Award
  • Innovation in Volunteerism Award
  • Excellence in Disaster Volunteerism Award
  • National Service “Make a Difference” Award

For descriptions of the award categories or to nominate an individual or organization, visit onestarfoundation.org/governors-volunteer-awards.

Nominations will close July 16, 2021. Awardees will be honored in the fall at an evening reception at the Governor’s Mansion hosted by Honorary Chair of the Governor’s Volunteer Awards, Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott. For more information visit onestarfoundation.org/governors-volunteer-awards.

Source: gov.texas.gov

La HHSC entrega 200 tabletas electrónicas a los abuelos voluntarios

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La HHSC entrega 200 tabletas electrónicas a los abuelos voluntarios

La Comisión de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHSC) de Texas compró 200 nuevas tabletas electrónicas para conectar virtualmente a los voluntarios del Programa de Abuelos Voluntarios con los niños a quienes sirven.

“Esta iniciativa presenta una oportunidad innovadora para seguir apoyando a las personas mayores y a los niños durante la pandemia, reduciendo el aislamiento social y ofreciendo más normalidad a nuestras poblaciones más vulnerables”, dijo Wayne Salter, comisionado ejecutivo adjunto de Servicios de Acceso y Elegibilidad de Salud y Servicios Humanos (HHS).

Los voluntarios del Programa de Abuelos Voluntarios (FGP) actúan como mentores, amigos y tutores de niños y jóvenes con necesidades especiales. Los niños no viven en los hogares de los abuelos voluntarios, sino que los abuelos visitan a los menores en lugares de voluntariado establecidos, como escuelas y guarderías, entre otros.

Con el fin de cuidar la salud y la seguridad de los participantes en el programa durante la pandemia de COVID-19, la HHSC hizo modificaciones para que los abuelos pudieran prestar su ayuda, tener reuniones con los niños, dar orientación y tutorías y leer cuentos, de forma virtual. Sin embargo, debido a que muchos voluntarios no contaban con los dispositivos electrónicos necesarios para conectarse a través de internet con los niños, la HHSC compró 200 tabletas electrónicas que se distribuirán en junio.

“Estamos entusiasmados por la oportunidad de que los abuelos voluntarios vuelvan a participar y tener actividades con los niños de forma virtual”, dijo Katrina Solice de Tri-County Community Action, Inc., una organización del este de Texas que colabora con el Programa de Abuelos Voluntarios conectando a voluntarios con los niños de los programas de Head Start. “La compra de tabletas para los voluntarios nos ayudará a ampliar enormemente nuestro campo de acción y a prestar servicios adicionales”.

La HHSC dirige el Programa de Abuelos Voluntarios en Abilene, Austin, Corpus Christi, Denton, Lubbock, Lufkin, Mexia, Rosenberg y los condados circundantes. Cada una de esas áreas recibirá 25 tabletas para distribuirlas entre los voluntarios que las necesiten.

Source: hhs.texas.gov

Houston man sentenced to 60 years in domestic violence murder

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Houston man sentenced to 60 years in domestic violence murder

A Houston man who slit his own throat after viciously stabbing his common-law wife to death in front of her children in 2018 was sentenced to 60 years in prison this week, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Tuesday.

 “This was a vicious and violent attack, and it shows exactly how quickly domestic violence can escalate to homicide,” Ogg said. “She was murdered by the person who she was supposed to have been able to trust the most.”

 Xavier Alejandro Martinez, 28, was convicted by a jury of murder after a week-long trial and sentenced by a judge Monday to 60 years in prison. He must serve half of that sentence before he can be considered for parole because his crime involved a deadly weapon. 

Martinez was convicted of killing Josselin Yamileth, 32, at their apartment in the 4000 block of Galveston Road on May 23, 2018.

Martinez’s sister called police after he sent text messages to her about harming himself.

The sister met police at the apartment and heard children crying inside. She forced her way in and found Martinez and Yamileth on the floor.

Martinez had a self-inflicted cut to his throat, and was taken to the hospital. Police found a note indicating that he was trying to kill himself.

Yamileth was pronounced dead at the scene.

“We heard from a detective who had been to at least a hundred homicide scenes and said this scene was the most brutal one he had ever seen,” said Assistant District Attorney Robert Buss, who prosecuted the case. “He used nearly every knife in that kitchen and almost decapitated her. It was absolutely horrific.”

 

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What Storm Survivors Should Do After the Registration Deadline Has Passed

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What Storm Survivors Should Do After the Registration Deadline Has Passed
While the disaster assistance registration deadline has passed, there is still help available for survivors of February’s severe winter storms in Texas. Survivors are part of the whole community effort. The steps they take on their road to recovery and the decisions they make are very important.

Survivors may do the following:

Stay in Touch with FEMA — If you registered for disaster assistance following the February severe winter storms, stay in touch with FEMA. The easiest way to update your application, check your status or provide missing information is to create an account at DisasterAssistance.gov or call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY 800-462-7585) between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. CT daily.

Call 2-1-1 for Unmet Needs — 2-1-1 Texas is a program of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission that is committed to helping Texas citizens connect with the services they need. No matter where you live in Texas, you can dial 2-1-1, or 877-541-7905, and find information about resources in your local community including help finding food or housing, childcare, crisis counseling or substance-abuse treatment.

Contact the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) — HUD offers programs to assist both homeowners and renters. Visit HUD online or call the Federal Housing Authority Resource Center at 800- 225-5342.

Follow Up on Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Assistance Loans — If you applied for an SBA loan after the disaster declaration and want to follow up or have any questions about your loan, call the SBA at 800-659- 2955 (TTY:800-877-8339) or visit www.sba.gov/disaster.

Appeal FEMA’s Disaster Assistance Determination Letter — If you are found to be ineligible for disaster assistance following the winter storms, or you feel the award amount is insufficient, you have the right to an appeal. Carefully read your determination letter to understand why the decision was made and how you can receive the assistance you need. For more information, you may contact the FEMA helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585).

Disaster Distress Support — Survivors can call and speak to a trained professional who can help them cope with anxiety or stress and guide them to available resources. This multilingual, confidential crisis support service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 800-985-5990 (TTY: 800-846-8517) or text TalkWithUs (Spanish speakers, text Hablanos) to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.

Hazard Mitigation Information — For information and resources on mitigation issues, survivors may visit https://fema.connectsolutions.com/txmit and https://fema.connectsolutions.com/tx-es-mit. Survivors also may call mitigation outreach specialists at 833-FEMA-4-US or 833-336-2487 between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday, for help and information on repairing and rebuilding.

Tax Filing Extension — The Internal Revenue Service has announced that survivors of the Texas winter storms will receive automatic extensions on their tax filing deadlines beyond the May 17 extended deadline. They now have until June 15 to file their returns.

If you don’t have internet access or need services not found on the website, you may call FEMA’s toll-free helpline at 800-621-3362 (TTY: 800-462-7585) between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. CT daily to:

 Add or change household members and number of occupants

 Update contact preferences (mail, email, text, etc.)
 Update payment preference
 Notify FEMA of a change in your current address

 Correct or verify home and property damage
Callers should refer to their nine-digit registration number, which can be found on all communications from FEMA.

HOUSTON, TX TO SERVE AS VACCINE SITE FOR PAN AMERICAN OLYMPIANS

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HOUSTON, TX TO SERVE AS VACCINE SITE FOR PAN AMERICAN OLYMPIANS

The City of Houston has stepped up to support the Olympic movement, ensuring Pan American athletes have the opportunity to be vaccinated prior to the Tokyo Games this July. In partnership with the United State Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority, the City of Houston announced today plans to work with Panam Sports to ensure their accredited athletes, delegates, and officials can get vaccinated before heading to Toyko for the Games. Panam Sports is the international organization that represents the 41 National Olympic Committees of the Americas.

“We are happy to partner with our colleagues at Panam Sports and great friends in Houston to make vaccinations available to as many Tokyo-bound Panam athletes and officials as possible,” said Susanne Lyons, USOPC chair. “The commitment of the Olympic and Paralympic movements to honor the health of the athletes, delegations members and people of Japan – and to move opportunities like this one in Houston from idea to reality very quickly – is a testament to the power of this global community. We wish all a healthy and successful Tokyo Games.”

Athletes and delegation members could begin arriving as early as the first week of June and will continue through mid-July, using one of Houston’s two international airports. Some may decide to stay for training, and others will leave for Tokyo directly from Houston. Athletes, delegates, and officials already qualified or accredited for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the Cali 2021 Junior Pan American Games will be eligible. Their airfare will be paid for by Panam Sports.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is supplying the vaccine doses that will be distributed to the athletes with help from the City of Houston.

“Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is the best tool there is to save lives during the pandemic. The City of Houston is proud to team up with Panam Sports and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to provide vaccinations to athletes, delegates and officials. We are honored to participate in the process and support these champions as they prepare to compete in the Olympics and Junior Pan American Games,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.

HOUSTON, TX TO SERVE AS VACCINE SITE FOR PAN AMERICAN OLYMPIANS

The goal is to allow as many athletes as possible the opportunity to receive their vaccination before the Olympics and Junior Pan American Games. Depending on how many athletes decide to travel for their vaccine, Houston could be looking at giving Johnson & Johnson vaccines to as many as 2,500 delegates.

“Houston has done an amazing job of distributing vaccines, and with two international airports, it only made sense when asked if we could help, that we would try to find a way,” said Janis Burke, CEO of the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority. “Some of these elite athletes haven’t been able to gain access to vaccinations in their own countries. In order to reduce their risk and help ease the minds of all involved, we wanted to assist our neighboring countries where needed. What a shame it would be for an athlete that has worked their entire life for the shot of participating in the Olympics, only to get this far and not be able to attend in Tokyo. After all, the Spirit of Olympism is to provide friendship and fair play through sport, and we know that the world could use more of these elements right now.”

About the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority

The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority maintains the facilities and services the debt of the world-class, professional sports venues it was created to build. To support this primary mission, Houston Sports serves as a leading proponent for attracting sporting events to Houston and for promoting the city as a home for sports- related activities to ultimately enhance Houston’s economic development and bring a better quality of life for its residents. Houston Sports also created the annual Houston Sports Awards to honor the area’s outstanding athletes. www.HoustonSports.org

#WeAreHoustonSports

A Year After George Floyd’s Death: It’s Time to Turn Rhetoric into Meaningful Change

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A Year After George Floyd’s Death: It’s Time to Turn Rhetoric into Meaningful Change

The following opinion piece, A Year After George Floyd’s Death: It’s Time to Turn Rhetoric into Meaningful Action, was published in The Texas Signal today, May 25, 2021, which is the one year of George Floyd’s death.
This week marks one year since the terrible public murder of George Floyd, which captured the attention of the entire country. The video of Floyd’s death sparked a summer of marches and protests as people demanded change. We witnessed countless commitments from our institutions, elected officials, and businesses to take action for racial justice and re-imagine our existing criminal legal system.
Houston mural in memory of George Floyd, painted by Houston artist Donkeeboy, located along a wall of Scott Food Store in the 3500 block of Tierwester.
However, despite all of the protests and commitments, a year after George Floyd’s death, Black people are being incarcerated at five times the rate of white people, and more than 180 Black people have been killed by police officers. The federal George Floyd act remains stalled in the US Senate. The Texas legislature resisted any progress with the state George Floyd Act, and instead prioritized doubling down on cash bail practices that were proven to be racially discriminatory in federal court.
The guilty verdict in the case of Floyd’s murderer, while important, cannot bring Floyd back. It cannot bring back Breonna Taylor, Daunte Wright, Adam Toledo, or Ma’Khia Bryant. The verdict doesn’t change the thousands upon thousands of black and brown people continuously forced to spend their lives in cages because of our nation’s “New Jim Crow” system of mass incarceration, whichcriminalizes communities of color for poverty, mental illness, substance use, and other public health issues.
Progress has been slow, but we cannot be deterred. With persistent effort, these unjust systems can be changed by the people to advance holistic community well-being and safety. The scale of our solutions much match the scale of the problem we face.
And there are glimmers of hope. In Harris County, we promised action and real change after George Floyd’s funeral service, and passed a sweeping package of reforms to move away from discriminatory systems of mass incarceration towards of true community safety and justice.
This starts with accountability in our justice system. Residents across the country and county are calling for more oversight and transparency in use of force polices. Our County’s Justice Administration Department is working with law enforcement agencies to develop a common policy to minimize use of force, and to create a publicly accessible dashboard documenting use-of-force incidents. We are exploring the possible legal powers of a civilian oversight board. And we are doing a deep dive into the racial disparities throughout all steps in our criminal justice system; we can’t fix problems if we don’t diagnose them.
The pandemic has reinforced that our community can only be strong if it is healthy. Our programs—including and especially public safety ones—will center health and community-based approaches. This year we will launch Holistic Alternative Responders Teams (HART), in which first responders trained in behavioral health and medical care will address many 911 calls that currently get routed to law enforcement as the default responder. We are developing violence interruption programs that include hospital- and community-based interventions to support survivors of violence and de-escalate conflicts.
We are also working hard to implement systemic changes to our misdemeanor cash bail system. We must respect everyone’s constitutional right to freedom and that means that no one should spend months in jail just because they cannot afford to pay their way out.
Finally, we are also increasing our support for indigent defense, because everyone has a right to quality legal counsel, regardless of their ability to pay. This means investing in a strong Public Defender Office and improving our system of appointed attorneys through a Managed Assigned Counsel program.
We need more than lip service to racial justice in order to truly move forward as a country. We have to redefine how we understand safe and healthy communities. The safest communities have affordable housing, quality public education, economic opportunity and accessible health care. We must invest in this new vision for our communities and for our country, from the White House to County Commissioner Precincts.
We can build a system truly rooted in community safety, health, and well-being, but we must sustain our efforts. My hope is that all of those people who marched, who protested, and who committed to racial justice one year ago will use this solemn occasion as an opportunity to redouble their efforts to realize this new vision. We must keep fighting, not just in honor of George Floyd’s memory, but for all those who continue to suffer and are still with us, in the hopes that stories like Mr. Floyd’s no longer happen in our country.

Sincerely,
Rodney Ellis

Advertencia de inundación repentina para el Condado Harris hasta las 3:45 p.m.

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Advertencia de inundación repentina para el Condado Harris hasta las 3:45 p.m.

 

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El Servicio Nacional de Meteorología ha emitido una advertencia de inundación repentina para el Condado Harris hasta las 3:45 p.m. de esta tarde. Una advertencia de inundación repentina significa que la inundación está ocurriendo u ocurrirá pronto.
Algunas áreas del condado han recibido hasta 4 pulgadas de lluvia desde esta mañana. Por lo que se han reportado numerosos informes de calles y carreteras inundadas y es probable que las lluvias adicionales empeoren las condiciones hasta la tarde.

Se le aconseja a los residentes tener precaución al conducir. Recuerde, nunca conduzca por carreteras, intersecciones o pasos subterráneos inundados ¡Aguas, no se ahogue!
Para las condiciones de tráfico, consulte Houston TranStar con la última información de las autopistas y calles viales.

Monitoreé los medios locales para conocer las actualizaciones meteorológicas.

También, para obtener más información sobre los acumulados de lluvia y las condiciones de los bayous estas están disponibles a través del Harris County Flood Control District’s Flood Warning System

Puede encontrar enlaces a estos y otros recursos en ReadyHarris.org  .

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