HHD attends TACCHO Conference

“The health of the public is the supreme law”, a Latin phrase recited by a speaker at the Texas Association of City and County Health Officials (TACCHO) 2024 Premier Public Health Conference, set the tone and purpose of the three-day event, where local and statewide public health servants gathered to network and showcase best practices to benefit their work and the health of the community. Houston Health Department (HHD) leaders and staff were also in attendance to share the strong work being done for the well-being of all Houstonians. 

The event began on Monday, February 19 with Pre-Conference breakout sessions for participants. TACCHO states the sessions served to increase awareness of factors that impact public health, understand how the core concepts of public health build a strong public health infrastructure, and develop skills to assist in planning, implementation and evaluation of public health spaces.  

The following day HHD Director Dr. Stephen L. Williams took the podium to share what the department has been working on to increase and improve the services we provide. Williams highlighted ongoing projects such as the acclaimed wastewater surveillance system, Project Saving Smiles, My Brother’s Keeper Houston, See To Succeed, the summer cooling centers and the recent winter warming centers and more.  

He also discussed his appreciation for organizations like TACCHO, and the need for local departments to work together, since there is a probable overlap in concerns even if they manifest differently. 

“Being in the health department, we have to manage a lot of different areas that concern the public,” Williams said. We are accustomed to tackling various health concerns simultaneously. But since the pandemic we have been in overdrive. We learned a lot from COVID and we’re trying to pick those things we learned and implement them.” 

The day went on with other speakers that gave state health updates and offered plenary meetings on public health law, academic health departments, immunization messaging and other topics. Some participants also brought along posters highlighting the scope of their research areas and HHD’s Health Access and Equity team received an award for their poster presentation. 

The final day of the conference featured a recap of the event, followed by a health department sharing session and a final plenary meeting about workforce resilience.  

Thank you to all HHD staff that attended the event and committed to networking with other health departments to further improve our missions and services.  

HHD launches nurse loan repayment program

Nurses looking to jump-start their career and receive substantial aid in paying back student loans should look no further than the Houston Health Department. HHD has brought the Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program to the department this year, where eligible employees may receive a large sum of funding that will go towards cutting down their student loan debt.

The program has been in the works since last year, enthusiastically led by Dr. Renita Madu, Physician Assistant and Assistant Director of the Public Health Infrastructure Division. She says the program was birthed out of witnessing her talented nursing friends leave public health careers for the private sector to receive higher wages. Dr. Madu also participated in a similar medical loan repayment program provided by the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) National Health Service Corp for medical doctors and physician assistants about 15 years ago. Knowing that public health salaries typically don’t compare to private industries, Dr. Madu realized the program would be a way to make public health competitive career options for nurses.

Working in tandem with HRSA – a federal agency that provides funding and health care to highest-need community health clinics – Dr. Madu and her team designed a program that she hopes will be a great recruitment source.

“Not only will it help retain people, but it will help recruit others to work in areas that aren’t glamorized, and they will start to love that community and the work we do,” Dr. Madu said. “It's a great way to introduce providers to public health. I love public health because of this program. I love the population and the patients because of the work we do. You're their educator, advocate, teacher, gap-filler and sometimes act as their primary care.”

Applicants must commit to working for the health department for two years in the same location, typically in an area where there is a lot of need. You must work full-time as a registered nurse or advanced practice registered nurse consistently, up to 32 hours a week, and the applicant’s nursing license must be unencumbered and unrestricted. Preference will be given to nurses based on their greatest financial need, the type of facility they are employed with, and their mental health or primary care HPSA designation.

If selected for the program nurses will receive the funding up front that will go towards paying off 60% of their outstanding educational loans. But if a nurse were to leave their job before two years have passed, they are required to give the funding back. It will only pay a percentage of your loans for those two years, but if you keep reapplying for the program and extend your employment, HRSA will provide more funding to go towards the remaining debt.

Student loan debt and the rising costs of earning a degree are currently hot topics, burdens that affect millions of Americans. People are waiting to start families, buy homes, and achieve other milestones as a direct result of mounting student debt. This program, in a way, can serve as a public health resource for nurses who want to work in underserved communities.

“Financial burden is a huge mental health issue for clinicians,” Dr. Madu said. “It’s pushing people out of certain workforce spaces, so if this is something that can be taken off their plate, then it’s a good thing.”
Dr. Madu continued, “This is going to be a huge step for our department’s workforce. It'll help with morale and building those hard-to-fill positions and get people to fall in love with the department and the work that we do.

The Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program application is open now through March 7, 7:30 p.m. ET. To apply, visit https://bhw.hrsa.gov/funding/apply-loan-repayment/nurse-corps.

Next year the department will also launch a repayment program for dentists and dental staff. Special thanks to Dr. Madu, Christine Barron and Crystal Sonn for all their hard work in making this program a reality.