Austin Public Health Explained

Type:	department
Jurisdiction:	Austin, Texas
Headquarters:	6800 Burleson RdBuilding 310, Suite 295, Austin, TX 78744
Chief1 Name:	Adrienne Sturrup
Chief1 Position:	Director
Chief9 Name:	-->
Agency Name:	Austin Public Health

Austin Public Health (Spanish: Salud Pública de Austin) is the official health department of the city of Austin, Texas, which operates programs to improve general health in the community.^[1]

History

Background

Austin was the first municipality in Texas to include public health provisions in its incorporation act, approved in 1839 by the Congress of the Republic of Texas.^[2]

Accreditation and name change

Austin Public Health, then known as Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, received accreditation from the national Public Health Accreditation Board in May 2016. The department adopted its current name that December.^{[3] [4]}

Leadership

• Adrienne Sturrup, Director
• Dr. Desmar Walkes, Medical Director and Health Authority
• Janet Pichette, Chief Epidemiologist
• Laura G. La Fuente, Assistant Director of Health Equity and Community Engagement
• Kymberley Maddox, Assistant Director of Administrative Support Services
• Donna Sundstrom, Assistant Director of Community Services
• Marcel Elizondo, Interim Assistant Director of Environmental Health Services
• Cassandra DeLeon, Assistant director of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
• Jen Samp, Public Information and Marketing Manager

Organization

Austin Public Health is composed of the following divisions which manage the listed services:

• Community Services^[5]
  • Women, Infants and Children program
  • Neighborhood centers
  • Family health unit
  • Day labor center
• Disease Prevention and Health Promotion^[6]
• Chronic disease prevention and control
• Communicable disease
• Immunizations
• Injury prevention
• Refugee services
• Environmental and Health Services^[7]
• Public health nuisances
• Child care, foster care, and adoption housing
• Food safety
• Pool, spas, interactive water features & fountains
• Mosquito and rodent control
• Epidemiology and Public Health Preparedness^[8]
  • Epidemiology and disease surveillance
  • Public health emergency preparedness
  • Vital records
• Health Equity and Community Engagement^[9]
  • Health equity initiative
  • Planning and evaluation
  • Social services
  • HIV resources administration
  • Community transformation (DSRIP) programs

Notes and References

1. Web site: Health . AustinTexas.gov . 10 February 2023.
2. Web site: Austin incorporates--the first such act with public health provisions . Texas State Historical Association . 13 February 2023.
3. Web site: We Are Austin Public Health! . AustinTexas.gov . 13 February 2023.
4. Web site: Austin Public Health Name Change . 13 February 2023 . 9 January 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170109135007/http://www.austintexas.gov/news/austin-public-health-name-change . bot: unknown .
5. Web site: Community Services . AustinTexas.gov . 10 February 2023.
6. Web site: Disease Prevention and Health Promotion . AustinTexas.gov . 11 February 2023.
7. Web site: Environmental Health Services . AustinTexas.gov . 11 February 2023.
8. Web site: Epidemiology and Public Health Preparedness . AustinTexas.gov . 10 February 2023.
9. Web site: Health Equity and Community Engagement . AustinTexas.gov . 11 February 2023.