Every year, local health districts across the country band together to recognize National Public Health Week, a week where we create connections within the community. This year, we’re focusing on how we strengthen and support the very foundation of our health and our communities. By working together, we can achieve health equity and, eventually, become the healthiest nation.

Once a year the nation officially recognizes the mission of public health – to protect, improve and promote the health and well-being of all people through evidence-based practices.

In the last year we have looked to the nurses helping our community. Nurses have supported us throughout the pandemic in more ways than most will know. They were by the side of frightened patients struggling in the ICU, helping new moms who had to come to the hospital alone to deliver their babies, and working with patients through mental health crises as the world seemed to fall apart around them. Some nurses were, for better or for worse, forced under the public’s microscope, while others continued their vital roles in the background as lockdowns, guidance, and information was constantly changing.

Thank. You. Nurses.

Healthcare providers, healthcare facilities and laboratories each have a duty to report notifiable conditions to public health. The reportable conditions and responsibilities overlap in most cases between these three groups. Often it is assumed that the laboratory will report a condition or disease to public health, but that is not always the case. Here are the areas where you, as a healthcare provider, must take on the primary responsibility for reporting to public health.

April 4-10 is National Public Health Week! This means we’re celebrating all the efforts that go into keeping our community healthy. Everyday activities like eating at a restaurant, going swimming, or attending school are safe because of public health measures. If you’re not sure how much public health impacts you, keep reading to see how many ways you’ve been protected by Spokane Regional Health District’s (SRHD) public health programs.