The entire V.I. Department of Health (DOH) staff will join the American Public Health Association in celebrating National Public Health Week Monday, April 1 through Friday, April 5. This year’s national theme is: “Creating the Healthiest Nation: For science. For action. For health,” according to a press release issued on Monday by Acting Commissioner of Health Justa E. Encarnacion.
This year’s schedule of activities will focus on positive change. From the national public health perspective, the American Public Health Association hopes to engage all sectors of the community in conversations about the role each group plays in ensuring that good health is within the reach of every community member. Each day, Health Department staff will turn their attention toward topics that will build a healthier, better informed and more health-proactive territory. The public is reminded that some of the activities listed below are aimed solely at the DOH staff.
On St. Croix the schedule of events will include:
• Monday: Transfer Day Holiday – no activities
• Tuesday, April 2: Exercise (from CHC to Bypass and back) starts at 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, April 3: Health screening and testing at the Charles Harwood Complex in downtown Christiansted
• Thursday, April 4: no public events
• Friday, April 5: Beach day, along with a walk up Point Udall and back
The schedule for St. Thomas-St. John includes:
• Monday, April 1: – Student Day – Representatives from DOH will speak to University of the Virgin Islands students about careers in public health from 1 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. Speakers from the Health Department will include: Assistant Commissioner Nicole Syms, Deputy Commissioner Charles, Nurse Meg Sheahan from Family Planning, Nurse Hawley from Maternal, Child Health (MCH) and Neikia Brathwaite from Community Health.
• Tuesday, April 2: Elementary Education Day – Kisha Williams and Hanifa Jolly have spearheaded the day’s activities, which include: reading to students (kindergarten to second grade) at Uller Muller, Lockhart, Joseph Sibilly and Joseph Gomez. Elementary Schools and the Department of Human Services Head Start Center on First Avenue.
Students will also learn about healthy eating from the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) representatives.
Representatives from the Family Planning Clinic will be on hand to provide students with information on “Good Touch, Bad Touch,” and staff from the Immunization clinic will provide coloring books and crayons. Special guests slated to join the presentations on will include representatives from the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR).
• Wednesday, April 3: – Expose at Tutu Park Mall. During this special event, all St. Thomas based DOH staff will be on hand for a variety of presentations. Expected to join the festivities will be representatives from the Department of Human Services, Cigna, University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) nursing students will be performing health screenings.
As part of the 2019 DOH Public Health Week initiative, DOH encourages all its employees to be screened in an effort to submit their employee Health Risk Assessment (HRA) during the actual Public Health Week celebration. Members of the public who participate in this event will enjoy presentations by the Muller Bamboula Dancers and Pan Around the Neck.
• Thursday, April 4: An expo at Morris DeCastro on St. John. The St. John Health Expo will offer a day-long program similar to the one provided at the Tutu Park Mall.
• Friday, April 5: – Walk-A-Thon and Fun Day to Brewers Bay. This all-staff DOH event will be fun and will feature a wide variety of healthy activities. Employees are to meet at 7:30 a.m. at Emancipation Garden in downtown Charlotte Amalie. The walk will begin promptly at 8 a.m. and end at Brewers Beach. Food for the event will be provided by Island Flava.