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Current health issues include infant mortality, teen pregnancies, AIDS and
HIV infection, the ongoing threat of tuberculosis, and vaccine preventable
disease.
Healthy Start
The Field/Healthy Start program provides services including communicable
disease investigations, HIV follow-up, evaluation of substance exposed infants,
investigations of child abuse reports, Sudden Infant Death follow-up, Fetal
Infant Mortality Review interviews and care coordination of Healthy Start
participants. The number of Healthy Start referrals has increased steadily
in the last year.
School Health
Public health nurses provide a variety of services within Broward County
Public School system. Services provided include assessment of students
with health problems, development of nursing care plans, teaching health related
classes, counseling, checking immunization requirements, monitoring medications
given in school, referrals for treatment of identified health problems and
handling emergencies. School health nurses also help organize and
participate in health fairs. One of the main objectives of the School Health
Program is to address the problem of teen pregnancies. Classes, group
sessions and individual counseling sessions are conducted in the middle and high
schools and include information on family living, postponing sexual involvement,
self-esteem, AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases and related subjects.
Volunteer to be Public School Nurse 
Immunizations
The Immunization program focuses on the goal of improving the immunization
levels of children in Broward County. The Vaccines for Children Program (VFC), a
federally funded and state-operated initiative, was implemented October 1, 1994.
It provides funds to purchase and deliver vaccines to doctors and other health
care providers so that immunizations may be provided to eligible children at no
cost in a variety of settings. Health department Outreach Immunization teams
provided immunizations within health department clinics and through many
innovative projects in varying locations, such as daycare centers, parks and
recreation centers, churches, public assistance offices, apartment complexes and
more recently, door-to-door. Flu and pneumonococal vaccines are also available
as other adult immunizations.
Tuberculosis Control
The risk for potential outbreaks of tuberculosis remains, due to the ongoing
problem of socio-economic disparity that is directly associated with an increase
in the homeless population, AIDS, substance abuse and the growing influx of
foreign born persons recently emigrating from nations with a high incidence of
tuberculosis. In 1995, 35% of TB cases had AIDS, 39% were from other countries,
and an alarming 61% of all cases were from racial and ethnic minorities.
Reorganization of service delivery within the health department and receipt of
state and federal funding provided 14 additional positions and the expansion of
Directly Observed Therapy and case management activities, a van driver for
transportation for TB clinic appointments and the consolidation of all clinical
and field services for TB clients. In addition, Refugee Health Screening
services were integrated within the TB program, providing specialized screening
activities centered around the detection and treatment of communicable diseases.
Clinic Services
Staff at four health department health centers - Hughes Center, Plantation,
Fort Lauderdale and South Regional - provided services to clients throughout the
county. Services addressed pregnancy testing and counseling, women’s health
services, immunizations, tuberculosis, STD and AIDS patient care.
Comprehensive AIDS patient care is provided at the Northwest Health Center. This
care includes dental services, case management, nutritional counseling and
patient education. Women’s health services include family planning, cancer
prevention and detection through PAP testing and breast examinations, limited
surgical procedures, and sexually transmitted disease testing and treatment.
Anonymous and confidential HIV counseling and testing are offered as well.
STD clinical services including testing and treatment are offered at clinics on
a rotating schedule. A travel clinic provides clients with immunizations and
up-to-date information regarding precautions needed for international travel.
Epidemiology
A nurse epidemiologist receives all reports of Reportable Communicable
Disease, (a list of 62 diseases). Some of the diseases reported include
Shigellosis, Salmonellosis, Hepatitis, mumps, measles, pertussis, syphilis, and
meningicoccal meningitis. Investigations are immediately conducted by field and
school nurses and necessary action is taken to protect the public and provide
education. 944 reports were received in 1994, and 948 in 1995.
With continuing changes taking place in the provision of health care, public
health nursing staff will work to build bridges with private and other public
providers to assure that Broward County citizens receive needed health care and
education.
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