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In this biweekly issue:

1. The Great American Smokeout is Coming: November 16
2. Community Healthcare Coalition Greater Prince William 
3. A Healthy Holiday: Thanksgiving Food Safety Tips
4. PWHD Holiday Closure
5. Virginia 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
6. This Holiday Season: Get Your Updated COVID-19 & Flu Vaccine
7. Upcoming Community Events & Job Openings

The Great American Smokeout is Coming: November 16

Quick facts:

• Smoking remains the single largest preventable cause of death and illness in the world.
• According to the American Cancer Society, about 34 million Americans still smoke cigarettes.

The Great American Smokeout is a great opportunity for people to start or learn how they can start their quit journey. Held for more than 40 years on the third Thursday of every November, the Great American Smokeout is a time to join the movement towards a smoke-free, tobacco-free and heathier life.

You don't have to stop smoking in one day, start with day one. We recognize that quitting is not always easy for everyone, takes time and commitment, but is possible. Your quitting journey can start with a plan, support and sometimes trying more than one time.

The American Cancer Society recommends using proven cessation methods, such as prescription medications and counseling, to quit smoking. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor or pharmacist to get their advice.

The Virginia Department of Health offers help. Quit Now Virginia, is a program that helps support anyone age 13 or older who wants help quitting.

Contact a Quit Coach today at 1-800-QUIT-NOW / 1-800-784-8669. 

Available in Spanish at 1-855-DEJELO-YA / 1-855-335-3569.

Community Healthcare Coalition Greater Prince William 

The Community Healthcare Coalition Greater Prince William (CHCGPW) is a collaborative of diverse agencies including the Prince William Health District and stakeholders working together to improve the health of residents living in the Greater Prince William area.

What We Do:

• We conduct Community Health Assessments.
• We develop, implement, and evaluate the activities in the Community Health Improvement Plan.
• We identify ways to use limited resources to address public health issues.

You won’t want to miss the last CHCGPW meeting of the year, everyone is welcomed to attend! Join us virtually on Thursday, December 14^th from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. 

Our featured speaker is Dr. Jerel Ezell, who will present on "Equitable Community Engagement in Public Health".    Dr. Jerel Ezell is a social epidemiologist and assistant professor in Community Health Sciences at the University of California Berkeley, and a Fulbright Scholar. Dr. Ezell also serves as the Director of the Berkeley Center for Cultural Humility, a multi-disciplinary training center focused on education around cultural responsiveness in research, clinical practice, education, and policy.

Dr. Ezell's fieldwork and teaching focuses on mental health disparities and social inequities in post-industrial cities and rural America, with an emphasis on psychological trauma, opioid use disorder, and violence in minority and migrant populations. His current projects focus on mental health outcomes in Flint, Michigan following the city’s water crisis, and the racial and ethnic aspects of opioid overdoses. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (PhD) from the University of Chicago.

Feel free to bring a friend along for this discussion—everyone interested in this topic is welcome. Additionally, we'll be sharing Coalition updates following the presentation.

Don't forget to register below, we hope to see you there!

Prep & Protect: Thanksigving Food Safety

Help protect you and your loved ones from food poisoning this Thanksgiving by following the Four Steps to Food Safety: 1. Clean: Wash your hands and surfaces often. 2. Separate: Don't cross-contaminate. 3. Cook: Cook to the right temperature. 4. Chill: Refrigerate promptly

Holiday Closure Announcement

In observance of Thanksgiving all Prince William Health District offices and clinics will be closed starting Wednesday November 22 at 12:00 p.m. - Friday November 24, 2023.   Normal business hours will resume on Monday November 27, 2023, at 8:00 a.m.

Help is Here for You

988 is dedicated to serving all Virginians and offers 24/7 access to trained crisis counselors who can help people experiencing mental health-related distress. That could be:

• Thoughts of suicide
• Mental health or substance use crises
• Emotional distress
• And other reasons to connect (46 seconds)

Anyone can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.

This Holiday Season:

Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones From Severe Illness. 

Updated COVID-19 Vaccine: Everyone 6 months and older should get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. It targets the most common circulating variants for this fall/winter season.   Flu Vaccine: Flu season is in full swing! Everyone 6 months and older, with rare exception, should get the flu vaccine every year.

The flu vaccine and COVID-19 vaccine can be given at the same time, if eligible and timing coincides. Available at pharmacies, healthcare provider(s) or your local health department. 

Join Our Team!

Current open positions:

• Public Health Nurse
• Nurse Practitioner 
• IT Specialist

Come See Us!

Upcoming Community Events:

• Saturday, November 18th from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
• Manassas City Park Library Health & Wellness Fair

VDH Information Center
1-877-VAX-IN-VA  |  1-877-829-4682  |  Mon-Fri 8am-5pm

Contact the Prince William Health District 

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