Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page.

Franklin County Public Health Situational Update

April 2026

Franklin County Public Health wants to stay connected with our partners in creating informed and healthy communities. This newsletter is here to serve as a tool for you to share resources for your community, schools, and families in your district.

Prevention & Wellness

Epidemiology Report Review

Review the April Epidemiology report.

Health Systems & Planning

Behavior Health & Addiction Services

Restoring Communities Through Action Program

Through a partnership with the Franklin County Overdose Fatality Review (OFR) and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, the Restoring Communities Through Action Program debuted in November 2025 at the James A. Karnes Corrections Center. This program was designed for incarcerated residents, who are receiving medication-assisted treatment for their substance-use disorder. Sixteen residents at the center participated in a four-part series to learn about the disease of addiction and the resources available to support a successful recovery. In addition, the participants from this first cohort completed a pre/post series knowledge check and provided an evaluation of the program. A summary of their evaluations is as follows:

• 8 participants completed all 4 sessions.
• 63% of participants agreed and 38% strongly agreed that they would be successful in recovery due to the skills learned during the series.
• 100% of participants reported being somewhat or very likely to share skills learned with family and friends.

The second cohort for this series kicked off on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, with two different groups. One group is at the women’s housing unit, and the other is at the veterans housing unit. Both are located at the James A. Karnes Corrections Center.

Care Coordination

Home Reinvestment Program

The City of Whitehall is reinstating their Home Reinvestment Program after a temporary suspension due to the financial impact from the COVID-19 pandemic back in 2020. The program provides financial assistance to qualifying homeowners in Whitehall with their front-facing exterior home projects to improve their homes, neighborhoods, and the Whitehall community. For details including qualifications, please visit the City of Whitehall’s website.

Community Engagement

Active Living - PACE Walk Series

Franklin County Public Health has been partnering with The Ohio State University’s Center for Community Outreach and Engagement to extend their PACE Walk Series to our Whitehall community this April. These community walks are open to all as a great opportunity to build connections, learn ways to improve health, and get in some steps! Those who are interested are asked to register for the event.

To celebrate Minority Health Month, the Clinton Township CHAT is hosting two events to provide families the opportunity to access health resources, receive health screenings and more!   The first event is tomorrow! The Clinton Township Community Resource Fair is an interactive event to connect community members with local resource vendors while offering opportunities for engagement and learning. Attendees can participate in a live cooking demonstration to promote a healthy diet and receive practical nutrition education for cardiovascular health.   Clinton Township Fire Department 3820 Cleveland Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43224 April 4, 2026 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.   View the Clinton Twp Resource Fair flyer for April 4 in Spanish.

Community Health Action Teams (CHATs)

The second event is the Free Community Clinic in partnership with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Attendees can receive free basic health screenings and assessments from medical professionals. Clients can also receive referrals and written prescriptions   Clinton Township Fire Department 3820 Cleveland Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43224 April 16, 2026 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.   View the Clinton Twp Community Clinic flyer for April 16 in Spanish.

UA Child Mental Health Support Flyer

Administration

FCPH 2025 Annual Report

The Franklin County Public Health 2025 Annual Report is now available.  Check it out to learn how FCPH ensures our residents have access to vital services like vaccinations, home visits, and health education. How we plan for and respond to emergencies, whether it’s a disease outbreak or natural disaster. How we work behind the scenes to improve access to clean water, safe food, healthy environments and so much more!

Communications & Public Affairs

Senate Bill 18

On March 12, Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 18 into law designating February 14 as Cardiovascular Health Awareness Day.

The bill, which was sponsored by State Senators Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) and Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and served as a companion bill to Rep. Lawson-Rowe’s House Bill 104, was introduced to raise awareness of the high occurrence of cardiovascular disease in Ohio.

Cardiovascular disease is also the leading cause of death in the state, yet it is almost completely preventable. This bill also draws attention to cardiovascular disease prevention, warning signs, and the importance of heart health.

Senate Bill 18 will go into effect on June 10, 2026.

Development & Engagement

Engagement and Access Council

Recently, Health Commissioner Joe Mazzola kicked off an in-person meeting of the Engagement and Access Council (EAC) at the Franklin County Forensic Science Center.

The theme of the meeting was "The State of Equity in Franklin County, Pivoting and Moving Forward,” with Executive Director Angela Dawson, Ohio Commission on Minority Health, delivering a powerful keynote of encouragement and empowerment.

In addition, the meeting hosted a panel moderated by Lisa Dent, Associate Director of Development & Engagement at FCPH. Panelists included Dr. Seleshi Asfaw, President/CEO of Tewahedo Social Services; Director Andrena Austin of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners Office of Economic Engagement and Community Development; and Director Dawson.

Assistant Health Commissioner and Director of Health Systems and Planning, Theresa Seagraves guided the attendees through key meeting takeaways, EAC strategic priorities, and a description of the newly crafted re-commitment letter for EAC member organizations.

If you are interested in learning more about the EAC and its membership, please reach out to Lisa Dent. 

Environmental Health

Food Safety

Food license renewals were due on March 2, 2026. Those who missed the deadline can still pay online by credit card.

1. Please visit the Accela portal to log in or to create an account if this is the first time that you are using the portal. We recommend that you do not use Internet Explorer to access Accela.
2. Connect to your facility using the PIN code supplied by the Ohio Department of Health via email. If you did not receive your PIN code or if you have sold your business, please email us.
3. Submit your credit card payment to renew your license.

Additional instructions and guidelines are available at myfcph.org.

Plumbing and Medical Gas

Beginning May 1, 2026, in response to industry feedback and the operational needs of the City of Hilliard, FCPH will become the official application source for all plumbing permits within the City of Hilliard.

To support greater efficiency for our contract city and provide a more streamlined experience for the development community, all plumbing permit applications for work within the City of Hilliard on or after May 1, 2026, must be submitted through the FCPHs Accela Citizen Access (ACA) portal.

This updated process will offer the development industry a single point of contact for plumbing plan review and permitting services. It will also reduce administrative time for our city partner, lowering the internal processing of plumbing permit applications to nearly zero.

To apply for a plumbing permit for projects in the City of Hilliard on or after May 1, 2026, please access the ACA portal using the link provided on the FCPH website.

The next jurisdiction update will be sent on
Friday, May 7, 2026.

Visit fcphcommunityhub.org for the latest information.

Franklin County Public Health | myfcph.org