City of New Orleans Health Department

Guns are the number one killer of children in America. Many of these deaths result from unintentional shootings with unsecured guns in their homes. Most of these tragedies could be prevented with secure firearm storage. Read about our partnership with Children's Hospital New Orleans promoting secure firearm storage to save lives.

What is "street medicine" and how is the City of New Orleans using it to improve health outcomes for all its residents?

This weekend, our city faced another tragic act of violence that occurred in our neighborhoods. Our thoughts, prayers and support continue to go out to the victims, families, and everyone else who has, in some way, been impacted. The Office of Violence Prevention is housed within the New Orleans Health Department, because we recognize violence as a public health crisis. Our commitment is to work tirelessly on finding solutions for those affected by violence, as violence is a collective problem that hurts us all. We know that its effects and aftermath can continue for months and years to come. Events like these can be emotionally triggering and create difficulties with physical and mental health for those affected.  Understanding this process, we want to provide you with some local resources. If you need help finding someone to talk with to express grief, sorrow, anger, or any other emotion, please reach out to the Trauma Recovery Center that is housed in University Medical Center. Other available resources are listed on our website, nola.gov/ovp. We hope our community can continue to heal, and please do not hesitate to reach out to the Office or Violence Prevention and seek services if needed.

Many individuals and families avoid seeking medical care if they have unpaid medical debt which directly contributes to poor health outcomes. Earlier this year the New Orleans Health Department, the City of New Orleans and Ochsner Health announced an agreement with Undue Medical Debt that will help erase more than $59 million worth of past medical debt for about 66,000 qualifying patients living in New Orleans. For more on this agreement, visit https://lnkd.in/gauHFPg3

In 2021, 25.5% of Louisiana high school youth reported currently using any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes. Among Louisiana high school youth, 7% reported currently smoking cigarettes. Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disability in the United States. 🛑🚬

The New Orleans Health Department was awarded a $395,000 two-year grant from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The goal of the grant is to reduce swimming pool drownings in New Orleans. The strategies to achieve this include: 🏊 Providing free swimming lessons to children throughout the community, 🥽 Completing safety inspections of public and private swimming pools, and 🛟 Implementing a drowning prevention and education media campaign.

Saul's Light Foundation Annual NICU Health and Equity Summit brings together professionals and community members to discuss topics such as the power of human milk, racism in healthcare and the importance of equitable care for all families. ⚜️ Panelists: Frankie Robertson, Board Chair, Saul’s Light Foundation Dr, Cindy Voelker, Neonatologist, Woman’s Hospital Meshawn Siddiq, Deputy Director, New Orleans Health Department Mari Brisco, Family Advocate – NICU Mom

The New Orleans City Council approved a resolution today recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month 2024 in the the City Of New Orleans. Health equity is essential to a healthy population and many of these leaders have been an integral part of ensuring all New Orleanians are empowered to make informed decisions about their health. 👏🏼👏🏽👏🏾

What better way to invest in the future than from the very beginning? Family Connects New Orleans offers a low-cost intervention that yields long term success. The program provides in-home visits, free of charge, to residents of Orleans Parish who give birth at Ochsner Baptist or Touro Hospital, regardless of income so that all families can benefit. When families win, we all win. ⚜️

At a recent New Orleans City Council meeting two NOHD staff were recognized by councilmembers for their excellence in their work. Rachel Kimble and Anaya Stewart were lauded by the City Council for their role in the city's plan to expand services to the unhoused population and address the root causes of homelessness. 📜 ⚜️ Other city personnel from the Department of Sanitation, New Orleans Police Department, and the Office of Homeless Services and Strategies were also recognized by councilmembers for their roles in the plan. The recognition is well deserved to all who serve the city's unhoused residents. 👏 👏 👏