BRHD Monthly Newsletter: September 2025

Virginia Department of Health sent this bulletin at 09/05/2025 12:00 PM EDT

September 5, 2025

Healthy Birth Healthy Baby Birth Expo

It’s that time again to save the date for the Healthy Birth Healthy Baby (HBHB) Birth Expo! This year, the Expo will take place on Saturday, September 27 from 10 AM to 1 PM at the Carver Recreation Center (233 4th St. NW, Charlottesville, VA 22903).

Returning for the third year in a row, the HBHB Birth Expo showcases a variety of wonderful organizations around Charlottesville serving pregnant people and their babies. Expo attendees will have the opportunity to:

Connect with 20+ local agencies
Listen to guest presentations
Enjoy free refreshments
Win door prizes
And more!

Admission is free and everyone is welcome! Visit the Healthy Birth Healthy Baby website for more info. Para español, visite https://sites.google.com/view/healthybirthhealthybaby-es/inicio5.

National Food Safety Education Month

September is National Food Safety Education Month! Did you know that about 1 in 6 Americans get sick from food poisoning every year? Practicing proper food safety is key to preventing foodborne illness. Follow these FDA-recommended steps to safe food preparation so you can chow down safely:

Separate - When shopping, pick up meat, chicken and other poultry, and seafood last, right before checkout. Separate them from other food in your shopping cart and grocery bags.

Chill - Keep meat, poultry, and seafood refrigerated until you’re ready to cook. Also, use a cooler when transporting.

Thaw & Marinate - Thaw food safely in the refrigerator, cold water, or microwave. Always marinate food in the refrigerator no matter what kind of marinade you’re using. Never thaw or marinate on the counter.

Clean - Wash your hands with soap before and after handling raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Wash work surfaces and utensils with hot, soapy water before and after cooking.

Don’t Cross-Contaminate - Throw out marinades and sauces that have touched raw meat. Use clean utensils and a clean plate to remove cooked meat from the grill, stove, or oven. Do not place cooked meat back on a plate that held raw meat.

Cook - Use a food thermometer to ensure meat is cooked hot enough to kill harmful germs. Print out this safe minimum internal temperatures chart for reference when cooking.

Refrigerate - Divide leftovers into small portions and place in covered, shallow containers. Put in the freezer or fridge within 2 hours of cooking.

To learn more about safe food preparation and handling, visit the Health and Human Services food safety website.

Emergency Preparedness

*Why are we concerned about emergency preparedness***?

Natural disasters are becoming more frequent in the US. From 1980 to 2024, the US averaged 9 events per year, while the annual average number of events for the most recent 3 years is 24.3. September is National Preparedness Month, so it’s a great time to start, or continue, preparing for emergencies. A variety of emergency incidents can happen anytime and anywhere, so now is the time to take steps to be sure you and your loved ones are ready.

How can I prepare my household?

Make a plan:

What if you need to shelter in place or evacuate?
What are the particular needs of household members?

Build a kit:

Water and food for 3 days
Flashlight, first aid supplies, and medications
NOAA weather radio, battery and/or crank powered radio
Phone chargers

Stay informed:

Enable weather and emergency alerts on your phone
Listen to local news for updates

Take steps now to be prepared for emergencies!

For more information:

Ready.gov and VaEmergency.gov are both great websites with reliable information to help you get started.

Click here to download the September 2025 Health Whys in English

Haga clic aquí para descargar Health Whys de septiembre de 2025 en español

To read past publications, visit the BRHD Health Whys webpage.

We have a lot to celebrate this September!

CHIP in Action: Loop de Ville Fest
Transportation is key to health—and it’s a focus of our 2023–2025 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP). That’s why we’ve teamed up with the Rivanna Trails Foundation to partner on the Loop de Ville Fest, a celebration of Charlottesville’s 20-mile Rivanna Trail loop.

This is your chance to:

Take a guided hike, run, or ride on the full 20-mile trail network around the City
Join a family-friendly 3-mile hike or a 10-mile “Half Loop” hike or run
Enjoy food, drinks, and community all day long at the Rivanna River Company

This isn’t a race—it’s a celebration of how trails connect us to nature, to our neighborhoods, and to healthier transportation options. Come on out with friends, family, and neighbors!

CHA Milestone: 2025 MAPP2Health Report is Live!
After 18 months of work and input from over 1,100 community members, the 2025 MAPP2Health Report is here! Together with Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, UVA Health, and our Steering Committee, we looked closely at both local data and direct feedback from residents about health in our District.

Three top priorities emerged for our community organizations, health systems, and agencies to focus on for the next three years:

Chronic Conditions – obesity and mental health
Healthcare Access – the right care, at the right time, in the right place
Social Drivers of Health – including healthy food access, economic stability, and transportation

This assessment is just the beginning. Now we’ll work with community partners to set goals and create action steps that move us toward better health outcomes.

You can download the full report on our website. If you have questions about the CHA, or if you or your organization want to get involved in CHIP initiatives, reach out to CHA/CHIP Program Officer Jen Fleisher at jennifer.fleisher@vdh.virginia.gov.

Click here to view the 2025 MAPP2Health Report

Wednesday, September 24 – Start of Quit Smoking/Nicotine Blue Ridge Class
Saturday, September 27 – Healthy Birth Healthy Baby Birth Expo

Monthly Rapid REVIVE! Naloxone Trainings

Free trainings and dispensing of Naloxone nasal spray used to treat suspected opioid overdoses. All are welcome. Visit the Harm Reduction webpage for more information.

2nd Tuesday of the month: September 9 from 3 to 4 PM at the Greene County Health Department (50 Stanard St., Stanardsville, VA)
3rd Monday of the month: September 15 from 3 to 4 PM at the Charlottesville/Albemarle Health Department (1138 Rose Hill Dr., Charlottesville, VA)
3rd Wednesday of the month: September 17 from 1 to 3 PM at the Nelson County Health Department (1645 Thomas Nelson Hwy., Arrington, VA) and from 3 to 4 PM at the Louisa County Health Department (101 Woolfolk Ave. Suite 202, Louisa, VA)
4th Wednesday of the month: September 24 from 1 to 3 PM at the Fluvanna County Health Department (132 Main St., Palmyra, VA)

Monthly Test & Go Event

Free walk-in STI testing on a first come, first served basis until we reach capacity. No insurance needed. Call 434-972-6269 for more information.

3rd Tuesday of the month: September 16 from 4:30 to 6 PM at the Charlottesville/Albemarle Health Department (1138 Rose Hill Dr., Charlottesville, VA)

Monthly Community Health Worker (CHW) Office Hours

Walk-in one-on-one sessions hosted in Albemarle County. All are welcome. Visit the Community Health Worker webpage for more information or call 434-270-3216.