Public health works to help everyone stay healthy - no matter their age. This includes babies, kids, teens, adults, and older adults. They help people find doctors, clinics, dentists, and other care, especially if they don’t have insurance or live far away. Making sure people can get care when they need it is called "access to clinical care." 

Public health also helps create fair rules that protect health. These rules can be about clean air, safe drinking water, healthy school food, or smoke-free spaces. They also include safe streets for walking and biking. Public health works with leaders to make these rules strong and helpful for everyone.

Being fair is a big part of public health. Some people have face more health problems because of where they live, how much money they have, or their background. Public health gives extra help to people who need it most. This might mean rides to the doctor, translation help, or support for families and seniors.

There are also programs to support people at every stage of life. Public health helps moms and babies, teaches kids about healthy habits, supports mental health for all ages. They also help older adults stay safe and independent at home. These programs are shared through schools, hospitals, businesses, and local groups.

Everyone deserves the chance to live a healthy life. When everyone has support, our communities grow stronger and healthier, for all ages and all people.

Renville County Public Health

Renville Public Health visited Traditions, an independent living care center in Oliva, MN. Their focus was teaching residents to stay safe in the digital world.

These education sessions taught residents how to tell what may be harmful on social media. Things such as misinformation and online scams can lead to the loss of personal information and can also lead to more serious problems. Along with learning how to stay safe online, Renville Public Health talked about how being online may affect mental health. They encouraged people to take breaks when needed, set healthy limits on daily screen time, and how to reach out when support is needed. Each session gave residents tools to make smart choices online that will protect them and their personal information.

Social media is always changing and it's important to teach everyone how to navigate the online world as it grows.

Brown County Public Health

Brown County Public Health Staff visit Martin Luther College 4 to 5 times each year to host Health Chats.

While students get ready for lunch, they have the chance to engage with Public Health staff about how they can help build healthy relationships and the importance of setting boundaries as you get older. Fun activities, worksheets and refreshments help draw students in to learn about health topics and promote positive well-being. This event has been very successful, reaching up to 75% of students. The goal is to give students helpful information that they can apply to their daily life, whether that be in class, through their job, or in the future in their community.

Health Chats help strengthen student well-being and support choices that promote lifelong health.

Des Moines Valley Health and Human Services

DVHHS Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (DVHHS SHIP) and the Little Huskies preschool/daycare garden help kids stay healthy by making it easy to access healthy food.

This team effort helps kids stay active, enjoy nature, and use the fresh food they pick to make healthy meals and snacks. It gives kids a chance to learn about healthy living early and teaches skills they can use as they grow.

The DVHHS SHIP program partners with groups beyond Little Huskies to expand access to healthy food for everyone. They do this by creating community gardens, supporting farmers markets, and providing tools for food shelves.

Healthy living starts with healthy eating. DVHHS SHIP works to make this possible for the community, aiming to prevent illness and promote health by ensuring everyone can get the foods they need to thrive.

Southwest Health and Human Services

Public Health staff from Southwest Health and Human Services tabled at FarmFest this past summer. This event gave staff a chance to share about CredibleMind, a free mental health website that anyone can use.

These conversations help build trust in our communities and help more people learn about this free resource.

Le Sueur County Public Health

Waseca County Public Health

Le Sueur-Waseca cares about helping people stay healthy now and in the future. Public Health staff met with students who will help make it happen.

Students at Tri-City United (TCU) High-STEP Health Science Academy learned about what public health workers are doing right now. Students were able to learn and see different ways public health protects families and take care of the environment.

Staff are always happy to teach students who want to help their communities in the future. They are helping students learn new skills to be ready for jobs in health sciences.