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2024 Year in Review

Department Highlights

  • APH received re-accreditation from the National Public Health Accreditation Board, signaling continued excellence and adherence to nationally recognized performance standards.

  • APH continues to leverage the Public Health Infrastructure Grant to support our workforce and improve our foundational capabilities. This year, APH was able to support our staff by providing a retention stipend, supporting equity trainings throughout the department, and providing development opportunities for staff to engage and present at conferences and trainings. Additionally, APH was able to leverage funds to retain 25 staff positions who's grant funding had ended, continuing to provide these essential services to the community.

  • This year, TACCHO recognized the APH Communications Unit  with the Education through Innovation Award which highlights the educational efforts developed by local health departments in Texas to disseminate and promote public health information and public health initiatives via technological means.

​

REDI Year-End Highlights​

To ensure that Austin Public Health (APH) remains at the forefront of innovation, the REDI Unit prioritized attendance and presentations at major conferences:​

  • H.E.A.L. Summit: Presented the REDI framework.​

  • GARE Southern Regional Conference: Participated in regional equity-focused discussions.​

  • NACCHO – Roots of Health Inequity: Recognized as an expert voice in the series.​

  • NACCHO360 Conference: Presented APH's Equity Academy framework.​

Trainings and Tools​

  • Undoing Racism Trainings: Hosted 2 sessions for APH staff and community partners.​

  • REDI SharePoint Site: Launched as a central resource for equity-focused work.​

Equity Academy​

  • Facilitators & Support: 9 Training Facilitators, 4+ Back-End Support Staff.​

  • Sessions Delivered: 40 Classroom Sessions, totaling 120 hours of instruction.​

  • Tools Developed:​

  • Equity Academy Attendance App​

  • Equity Academy Tracking Dashboard​

  • Participants Trained: 170+ APH staff.​

Equity Council​

  • Identified 5 areas of focus for equity advancement.​

  • Made 8 recommendations to standardize data collection.​

Community Engagement​

  • Kicked off BARHII Partner Survey, reaching 99 community organizations to support local health equity efforts.

Public Information and Marketing

Public Information and Marketing

PIO section

Public Information and Marketing

The Public Information and Marketing Team’s communication work involves organic and paid media to further our reach to the many communities that make up Austin-Travis County. The culmination of these efforts are public health campaigns. 


Public health campaigns: 

In 2024, the Public Information and Marketing Team created, implemented and managed more than 20 health awareness campaigns that generated more than 102,890,724 impressions in five languages. This included 114 media placements at 30 media providers. The team also distributed 36,500 conversation starter cards for the children’s/youth mental health campaign including design and printing.​

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campaigns_graphic_yir_2024-02 1
campaigns_graphic_yir_2024-03 1
campaigns_graphic_yir_2024-04 1
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​

  • Fight Flu and Covid, Too

    • Impressions: 34,469,215

    • Media Placements: 8

    • Investment/Budget: $156,872

  • Sexual Health Campaign

    • Impressions: 3,040,665

    • Media Placements: 6

    • Investment/Budget: $68,580

  • Mpox Vax Has Your Back
    Phase 1: Jan. 4 – Feb 29; Phase 2: June – Sept. 30

    • Total Impressions: 2,911,858

    • Total Media Placements: 3

    • Investment/Budget: $30,670​

  • One Dose Opioids (Emma’s Story)

    • Impressions: 552,894

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $14,823​

  • Black History Month 2024

    • Impressions: 439,426

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $9,470

  • Breathe with Pride – Breaking Up with Big Tobacco

    • Impressions:  19,515,589+

    • Media Placements: 7

    • Investment/Budget: $82,889

  • Children’s/Youth Mental Health Phase 2

    • Impressions: More than 1,614,800 expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 12

    • Investment/Budget: $125,502

    • Total conversation cards printed: 36,500

    • Ad spend: $194,652

    • Total spent on conversation cards: $148,120

    • Conversation cards in English and Spanish: 32,701

    • Conversation cards in Vietnamese: 600

    • Conversation cards in Arabic: 650

    • Partnering organizations: 76 

  • Emergency Preparedness

    • Impressions: 549,801

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $8,975

  • Fiesta de Salud 2024

    • Impressions: 334,680

    • Media Placements: 12

    • Investment/Budget: $9,288​

  • Fight the Bite Mosquito Prevention

    • Impressions: 8,214,670+ expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 7

    • Investment/Budget: $156,721

  • New CDC Vaccination Recommendations

    • Impressions: 6,180,705

    • Media Placements: 9

    • Investment/Budget: $73,880

  • National Public Health Week 2024

    • Impressions: 1,132,894

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $11,241 approximate

  • National Nutrition Month

    • Impressions: 1,117,201

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $13,638

  • Community Health Workers Photovoice

    • Impressions: 3,042,114

    • Media Placements: 2

    • Investment/Budget:  $35,000

  • Take A Loved One for a Checkup Day

    • Impressions: 197,194

    • Media Placements: 10

    • Investment/Budget:  $4,978

  • Holiday Safety

    • Impressions: 17-25.5 million expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 1-2

    • Investment/Budget: $20,550

  • It’s a Birthing Thang

    • Impressions: 154,833+

    • Media Placements: 5

    • Investment/Budget: $4,594

  • Measles

    • Impressions: 2+ million

    • Media Placements: 13

    • Investment/Budget: $35,835.71

  • Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

    • Impressions: 18,788+ expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 2

    • Investment/Budget: $1,612

  • Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Gun Violence Prevention and Firearms Technical Assistance Pilot (FTAP) Survey

    • Impressions: 403,397

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $3,500

Media Relations 

APH’s Public Information Officers work with local, state and national reporters to share the department’s messages with the public. This work includes press releases with information and quotes that can be shared to a station’s website; press conferences that allow reporters to hear from and ask questions about hot topics and individual interviews where reporters can speak with our experts on the efforts we work on every day.

In 2024, the Public Information and Marketing Team:

  • Published 28 press releases

  • Hosted six press conferences

  • Scheduled 50+ media interviews

Public Information Requests (PIRs) and Community Action Forms (CAFs)

Public Information Requests (PIRs) are requests for access and/or reproductions of public information established through the Texas Government Code. In 2024, the Public Information and Marketing Team worked over 900 PIRs.
 

Community Action Forms are the Austin City Manager’s quality assurance tool for customer service. In 2024, the team responded to approximately 20 CAFs.

Events:

The Public Information and Marketing Team coordinates events for the department, including audio visual support, public and media relations and event planning. The team also promotes and photographs events such as the annual Take a Loved One for a Checkup Day, Fiesta de Salud and other health fairs.
 

Dove Springs Ribbon Cutting

On Oct. 25, 2024, APH hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the long-awaited Dove Springs Public Health Facility. The event was attended by Mayor Kirk Watson, Austin City Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes, Travis County Attorney Delia Garza, Travis County Constable George Morales, Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Stirrup and more. The Public Information and Marketing Team publicized the event through media alerts, social media and more and handled press coverage and interview requests as well as audio-visual set up.
 

Annual All-Staff Meeting

For the annual meeting of all APH staff members in September 2024, the team created a live broadcast of the event so that leadership could present to hundreds of employees gathered in various rooms at the event location. This included multiple audio-visual connections to video screens, hand-held cameras and microphones to allow leadership to move from room to room.

APH Original Video Production on Social Media

The Public Information and Marketing Team has expanded its outreach to include video production showcasing the work being done across the department. In 2024, the team used YouTube and Meta (Facebook, Instagram) to publish and promote videos for internal and public communications and saw impressive gains in views, watch time hours and subscribers.

  • 81 total videos uploaded to YouTube

  • 54 public videos uploaded to YouTube

  • 29 total Reels uploaded to Instagram

  • 53 videos posted to Meta (Facebook)

  • 82.3K views on YouTube (>999% more than Mar 2-Dec 31, 2023)

  • 792 watch time hours (624% more than Mar 2-Dec 31, 2023)

  • 35 new subscribers in 2024 (84% more than Mar 2-Dec 31, 2023)

In 2024, APH created several original videos, including:

video stats 2024.png
"YouTube is not simply a website; it is a search engine. YouTube’s user-friendliness, combined with the soaring popularity of video content, has made it the second largest search engine behind Google. With 3 billion searches per month, YouTube’s search volume is larger than that of Bing, Yahoo, AOL and Ask.com combined. If YouTube’s user base were a country, it would be the third largest in the world." 
Quote from Adam Wagner, Former Forbes Councils Member

Web Engagement  

APH has hundreds of pages on austintexas.gov detailing the various programs and services the department offers to the public. These pages are regularly checked for quality assurance, accessibility, and search engine optimization. ​​

In 2024, web engagement included:

  • 586,621 total page views 

Devices used:

  • Mobile – 321,259

  • Desktop – 262,370

  • Tablet – 5,354

  • Average Engagement: 65.59% 

Our top three most-viewed pages are:

  • Sexual Health Clinic

  • Immunizations

  • WIC (Women, Infants and Children)

Email Newsletters   

The Public Information and Marketing Team publishes a bi-weekly community newsletter covering health topics and upcoming events for APH, including community announcements and immunization clinics. The team uses Mailchimp to design, send and track emails.

The 2024 statistics for the bi-weekly community newsletter included:

  • 28,034 subscribers (1,606 added since 2023)

  • 20 published bi-weekly newsletters

  • Average open rate of 40.81% (compared to industry average of 33.26%)

Social Media Content & Advertising 

APH uses social media channels including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to highlight important health topics. Advertising buys expand that outreach through the community.

APH’s social media account subscribers or followers for 2024 were:

  • Instagram: 7.8K

  • Facebook: 42.3K

  • X (formerly Twitter): 24K

For 2024, Public Information and Marketing used social media to highlight:

  • Black History Month

  • Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

  • Hispanic Heritage Month

  • Juneteenth

  • Spring Festival Season

  • National Public Health Week

  • National Fentanyl Awareness Day

  • Free Community Health Fair

  • Steps To Safety – Fire and Fall Prevention

  • Fiesta De Salud

  • Agism Awareness Day

  • Austin Housing Community Share

Advertising Spend, Per Audience: 

  • Hispanic (18-65 years): $544,497.78 (32.55%)

  • African American (18-65 years): $69,705.30 (7.87%)

  • People at risk of mpox: $99,250 (7%)

  • Asian American Pacific Islander (18-65 years): $59,942.76 (8.37%)

Budget total: ~$773,395.84 

Exercises:

The Public Information and Marketing Team frequently participates in tabletop exercises for crisis communications training and preparation. In November 2024, the Public Information Officers participated in a fire-safety emergency training session. While the training focused on wildfires, the training could be applied to any major public disaster.

Other materials produced by Public Information and Marketing Team: ​

  • APH internal screen content: 12

  • Internal emails: 85

  • Photography: 28

  • Scripts: 22

  • Translations: 96

  • Website updates: 64

  • Linguistic or other review: 30

  • Brochures

  • Certificates

  • Signage

  • Digital templates

  • Bus wraps

  • Designs for community engagement giveaway items

  • Designs for t-shirts, bags and other employee items

The Public Information and Marketing Team’s communication work involves organic and paid media to further our reach to the many communities that make up Austin-Travis County. The culmination of these efforts are public health campaigns. 


Public health campaigns: 

In 2024, the Public Information and Marketing Team created, implemented and managed more than 20 health awareness campaigns that generated more than 102,890,724 impressions in five languages. This included 114 media placements at 30 media providers. The team also distributed 36,500 conversation starter cards for the children’s/youth mental health campaign including design and printing.

  • Fight Flu and Covid, Too

    • Impressions: 34,469,215

    • Media Placements: 8

    • Investment/Budget: $156,872

  • Sexual Health Campaign

    • Impressions: 3,040,665

    • Media Placements: 6

    • Investment/Budget: $68,580

  • Mpox Vax Has Your Back
    Phase 1: Jan. 4 – Feb 29; Phase 2: June – Sept. 30

    • Total Impressions: 2,911,858

    • Total Media Placements: 3

    • Investment/Budget: $30,670​

  • One Dose Opioids (Emma’s Story)

    • Impressions: 552,894

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $14,823​

  • Black History Month 2024

    • Impressions: 439,426

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $9,470

  • Breathe with Pride – Breaking Up with Big Tobacco

    • Impressions:  19,515,589+

    • Media Placements: 7

    • Investment/Budget: $82,889

  • Children’s/Youth Mental Health Phase 2

    • Impressions: More than 1,614,800 expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 12

    • Investment/Budget: $125,502

    • Total conversation cards printed: 36,500

    • Ad spend: $194,652

    • Total spent on conversation cards: $148,120

    • Conversation cards in English and Spanish: 32,701

    • Conversation cards in Vietnamese: 600

    • Conversation cards in Arabic: 650

    • Partnering organizations: 76 

  • Emergency Preparedness

    • Impressions: 549,801

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $8,975

  • Fiesta de Salud 2024

    • Impressions: 334,680

    • Media Placements: 12

    • Investment/Budget: $9,288

  • Fight the Bite Mosquito Prevention

    • Impressions: 8,214,670+ expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 7

    • Investment/Budget: $156,721

  • New CDC Vaccination Recommendations

    • Impressions: 6,180,705

    • Media Placements: 9

    • Investment/Budget: $73,880

  • National Public Health Week 2024

    • Impressions: 1,132,894

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $11,241 approximate

  • National Nutrition Month

    • Impressions: 1,117,201

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $13,638

  • Community Health Workers Photovoice

    • Impressions: 3,042,114

    • Media Placements: 2

    • Investment/Budget:  $35,000

  • Take A Loved One for a Checkup Day

    • Impressions: 197,194

    • Media Placements: 10

    • Investment/Budget:  $4,978

  • Holiday Safety

    • Impressions: 17-25.5 million expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 1-2

    • Investment/Budget: $20,550

  • It’s a Birthing Thang

    • Impressions: 154,833+

    • Media Placements: 5

    • Investment/Budget: $4,594

  • Measles

    • Impressions: 2+ million

    • Media Placements: 13

    • Investment/Budget: $35,835.71

  • Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

    • Impressions: 18,788+ expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 2

    • Investment/Budget: $1,612

  • Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Gun Violence Prevention and Firearms Technical Assistance Pilot (FTAP) Survey

    • Impressions: 403,397

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $3,500

The Public Information and Marketing Team’s communication work involves organic and paid media to further our reach to the many communities that make up Austin-Travis County. The culmination of these efforts are public health campaigns. 


Public health campaigns: 

In 2024, the Public Information and Marketing Team created, implemented and managed more than 20 health awareness campaigns that generated more than 102,890,724 impressions in five languages. This included 114 media placements at 30 media providers. The team also distributed 36,500 conversation starter cards for the children’s/youth mental health campaign including design and printing.

  • Fight Flu and Covid, Too

    • Impressions: 34,469,215

    • Media Placements: 8

    • Investment/Budget: $156,872

  • Sexual Health Campaign

    • Impressions: 3,040,665

    • Media Placements: 6

    • Investment/Budget: $68,580

  • Mpox Vax Has Your Back
    Phase 1: Jan. 4 – Feb 29; Phase 2: June – Sept. 30

    • Total Impressions: 2,911,858

    • Total Media Placements: 3

    • Investment/Budget: $30,670​

  • One Dose Opioids (Emma’s Story)

    • Impressions: 552,894

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $14,823​

  • Black History Month 2024

    • Impressions: 439,426

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $9,470

  • Breathe with Pride – Breaking Up with Big Tobacco

    • Impressions:  19,515,589+

    • Media Placements: 7

    • Investment/Budget: $82,889

  • Children’s/Youth Mental Health Phase 2

    • Impressions: More than 1,614,800 expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 12

    • Investment/Budget: $125,502

    • Total conversation cards printed: 36,500

    • Ad spend: $194,652

    • Total spent on conversation cards: $148,120

    • Conversation cards in English and Spanish: 32,701

    • Conversation cards in Vietnamese: 600

    • Conversation cards in Arabic: 650

    • Partnering organizations: 76 

  • Emergency Preparedness

    • Impressions: 549,801

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $8,975

  • Fiesta de Salud 2024

    • Impressions: 334,680

    • Media Placements: 12

    • Investment/Budget: $9,288

  • Fight the Bite Mosquito Prevention

    • Impressions: 8,214,670+ expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 7

    • Investment/Budget: $156,721

  • New CDC Vaccination Recommendations

    • Impressions: 6,180,705

    • Media Placements: 9

    • Investment/Budget: $73,880

  • National Public Health Week 2024

    • Impressions: 1,132,894

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $11,241 approximate

  • National Nutrition Month

    • Impressions: 1,117,201

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $13,638

  • Community Health Workers Photovoice

    • Impressions: 3,042,114

    • Media Placements: 2

    • Investment/Budget:  $35,000

  • Take A Loved One for a Checkup Day

    • Impressions: 197,194

    • Media Placements: 10

    • Investment/Budget:  $4,978

  • Holiday Safety

    • Impressions: 17-25.5 million expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 1-2

    • Investment/Budget: $20,550

  • It’s a Birthing Thang

    • Impressions: 154,833+

    • Media Placements: 5

    • Investment/Budget: $4,594

  • Measles

    • Impressions: 2+ million

    • Media Placements: 13

    • Investment/Budget: $35,835.71

  • Medical Reserve Corps (MRC)

    • Impressions: 18,788+ expected impressions

    • Media Placements: 2

    • Investment/Budget: $1,612

  • Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Gun Violence Prevention and Firearms Technical Assistance Pilot (FTAP) Survey

    • Impressions: 403,397

    • Media Placements: 4

    • Investment/Budget: $3,500

Campaign Statistics
• 22 Health Awareness Campaigns

• 36,500 conversation-starter cards designed, printed, and distributed 

• More than 2 million+ impressions  

• 5 languages

• 57 media placements  

• 30 media providers 
 

• 2 million+ impressions  

• 12 media placements  

• 10 media providers 

Campaign Statistics
• 22 Health Awareness Campaigns

• 36,500 conversation-starter cards designed, printed, and distributed 

• More than 2 million+ impressions  

• 5 languages

• 57 media placements  

• 30 media providers 
 

• 2 million+ impressions  

• 12 media placements  

• 10 media providers 

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Media Relations 

APH’s Public Information Officers work with local, state and national reporters to share the department’s messages with the public. This work includes press releases with information and quotes that can be shared to a station’s website; press conferences that allow reporters to hear from and ask questions about hot topics and individual interviews where reporters can speak with our experts on the efforts we work on every day.

In 2024, the Public Information and Marketing Team:

  • Published 28 press releases

  • Hosted six press conferences

  • Scheduled 50+ media interviews

Media Relations 

APH’s Public Information Officers work with local, state and national reporters to share the department’s messages with the public. This work includes press releases with information and quotes that can be shared to a station’s website; press conferences that allow reporters to hear from and ask questions about hot topics and individual interviews where reporters can speak with our experts on the efforts we work on every day.

In 2024, the Public Information and Marketing Team:

  • Published 28 press releases

  • Hosted six press conferences

  • Scheduled 50+ media interviews

Public Information Requests (PIRs) and Community Action Forms (CAFs)

Public Information Requests (PIRs) are requests for access and/or reproductions of public information established through the Texas Government Code. In 2024, the Public Information and Marketing Team worked over 900 PIRs.
 

Community Action Forms are the Austin City Manager’s quality assurance tool for customer service. In 2024, the team responded to approximately 20 CAFs.

Public Information Requests (PIRs) and Community Action Forms (CAFs)

Public Information Requests (PIRs) are requests for access and/or reproductions of public information established through the Texas Government Code. In 2024, the Public Information and Marketing Team worked over 900 PIRs.
 

Community Action Forms are the Austin City Manager’s quality assurance tool for customer service. In 2024, the team responded to approximately 20 CAFs.

Events:

The Public Information and Marketing Team coordinates events for the department, including audio visual support, public and media relations and event planning. The team also promotes and photographs events such as the annual Take a Loved One for a Checkup Day, Fiesta de Salud and other health fairs.
 

Dove Springs Ribbon Cutting

On Oct. 25, 2024, APH hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the long-awaited Dove Springs Public Health Facility. The event was attended by Mayor Kirk Watson, Austin City Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes, Travis County Attorney Delia Garza, Travis County Constable George Morales, Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Stirrup and more. The Public Information and Marketing Team publicized the event through media alerts, social media and more and handled press coverage and interview requests as well as audio-visual set up.
 

Annual All-Staff Meeting

For the annual meeting of all APH staff members in September 2024, the team created a live broadcast of the event so that leadership could present to hundreds of employees gathered in various rooms at the event location. This included multiple audio-visual connections to video screens, hand-held cameras and microphones to allow leadership to move from room to room.

Events:

The Public Information and Marketing Team coordinates events for the department, including audio visual support, public and media relations and event planning. The team also promotes and photographs events such as the annual Take a Loved One for a Checkup Day, Fiesta de Salud and other health fairs.
 

Dove Springs Ribbon Cutting

On Oct. 25, 2024, APH hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the long-awaited Dove Springs Public Health Facility. The event was attended by Mayor Kirk Watson, Austin City Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes, Travis County Attorney Delia Garza, Travis County Constable George Morales, Austin Public Health Director Adrienne Stirrup and more. The Public Information and Marketing Team publicized the event through media alerts, social media and more and handled press coverage and interview requests as well as audio-visual set up.
 

Annual All-Staff Meeting

For the annual meeting of all APH staff members in September 2024, the team created a live broadcast of the event so that leadership could present to hundreds of employees gathered in various rooms at the event location. This included multiple audio-visual connections to video screens, hand-held cameras and microphones to allow leadership to move from room to room.

APH Original Video Production on Social Media

The Public Information and Marketing Team has expanded its outreach to include video production showcasing the work being done across the department. In 2024, the team used YouTube and Meta (Facebook, Instagram) to publish and promote videos for internal and public communications and saw impressive gains in views, watch time hours and subscribers.

  • 81 total videos uploaded to YouTube

  • 54 public videos uploaded to YouTube

  • 29 total Reels uploaded to Instagram

  • 53 videos posted to Meta (Facebook)

  • 82.3K views on YouTube (>999% more than Mar 2-Dec 31, 2023)

  • 792 watch time hours (624% more than Mar 2-Dec 31, 2023)

  • 35 new subscribers in 2024 (84% more than Mar 2-Dec 31, 2023)

In 2024, APH created several original videos, including:

video stats 2024.png
"YouTube is not simply a website; it is a search engine. YouTube’s user-friendliness, combined with the soaring popularity of video content, has made it the second largest search engine behind Google. With 3 billion searches per month, YouTube’s search volume is larger than that of Bing, Yahoo, AOL and Ask.com combined. If YouTube’s user base were a country, it would be the third largest in the world." 
Quote from Adam Wagner, Former Forbes Councils Member

Web Engagement  

APH has hundreds of pages on austintexas.gov detailing the various programs and services the department offers to the public. These pages are regularly checked for quality assurance, accessibility, and search engine optimization. ​​

In 2024, web engagement included:

  • 586,621 total page views 

Devices used:

  • Mobile – 321,259

  • Desktop – 262,370

  • Tablet – 5,354

  • Average Engagement: 65.59% 

Our top three most-viewed pages are:

  • Sexual Health Clinic

  • Immunizations

  • WIC (Women, Infants and Children)

Email Newsletters   

The Public Information and Marketing Team publishes a bi-weekly community newsletter covering health topics and upcoming events for APH, including community announcements and immunization clinics. The team uses Mailchimp to design, send and track emails.

The 2024 statistics for the bi-weekly community newsletter included:

  • 28,034 subscribers (1,606 added since 2023)

  • 20 published bi-weekly newsletters

  • Average open rate of 40.81% (compared to industry average of 33.26%)

Social Media Content & Advertising 

APH uses social media channels including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to highlight important health topics. Advertising buys expand that outreach through the community.

APH’s social media account subscribers or followers for 2024 were:

  • Instagram: 7.8K

  • Facebook: 42.3K

  • X (formerly Twitter): 24K

For 2024, Public Information and Marketing used social media to highlight:

  • Black History Month

  • Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

  • Hispanic Heritage Month

  • Juneteenth

  • Spring Festival Season

  • National Public Health Week

  • National Fentanyl Awareness Day

  • Free Community Health Fair

  • Steps To Safety – Fire and Fall Prevention

  • Fiesta De Salud

  • Agism Awareness Day

  • Austin Housing Community Share

Advertising Spend, Per Audience: 

  • Hispanic (18-65 years): $544,497.78 (32.55%)

  • African American (18-65 years): $69,705.30 (7.87%)

  • People at risk of mpox: $99,250 (7%)

  • Asian American Pacific Islander (18-65 years): $59,942.76 (8.37%)

Budget total: ~$773,395.84 

Exercises:

The Public Information and Marketing Team frequently participates in tabletop exercises for crisis communications training and preparation. In November 2024, the Public Information Officers participated in a fire-safety emergency training session. While the training focused on wildfires, the training could be applied to any major public disaster.

Other materials produced by Public Information and Marketing Team: ​

  • APH internal screen content: 12

  • Internal emails: 85

  • Photography: 28

  • Scripts: 22

  • Translations: 96

  • Website updates: 64

  • Linguistic or other review: 30

  • Brochures

  • Certificates

  • Signage

  • Digital templates

  • Bus wraps

  • Designs for community engagement giveaway items

  • Designs for t-shirts, bags and other employee items

APH Original Video Production on Social Media

The Public Information and Marketing Team has expanded its outreach to include video production showcasing the work being done across the department. In 2024, the team used YouTube and Meta (Facebook, Instagram) to publish and promote videos for internal and public communications and saw impressive gains in views, watch time hours and subscribers.

  • 81 total videos uploaded to YouTube

  • 54 public videos uploaded to YouTube

  • 29 total Reels uploaded to Instagram

  • 53 videos posted to Meta (Facebook)

  • 82.3K views on YouTube (>999% more than Mar 2-Dec 31, 2023)

  • 792 watch time hours (624% more than Mar 2-Dec 31, 2023)

  • 35 new subscribers in 2024 (84% more than Mar 2-Dec 31, 2023)

In 2024, APH created several original videos, including:

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"YouTube is not simply a website; it is a search engine. YouTube’s user-friendliness, combined with the soaring popularity of video content, has made it the second largest search engine behind Google. With 3 billion searches per month, YouTube’s search volume is larger than that of Bing, Yahoo, AOL and Ask.com combined. If YouTube’s user base were a country, it would be the third largest in the world." 
Quote from Adam Wagner, Former Forbes Councils Member

Web Engagement  

APH has hundreds of pages on austintexas.gov detailing the various programs and services the department offers to the public. These pages are regularly checked for quality assurance, accessibility, and search engine optimization. ​​

In 2024, web engagement included:

  • 586,621 total page views 

Devices used:

  • Mobile – 321,259

  • Desktop – 262,370

  • Tablet – 5,354

  • Average Engagement: 65.59% 

Our top three most-viewed pages are:

  • Sexual Health Clinic

  • Immunizations

  • WIC (Women, Infants and Children)

Email Newsletters   

The Public Information and Marketing Team publishes a bi-weekly community newsletter covering health topics and upcoming events for APH, including community announcements and immunization clinics. The team uses Mailchimp to design, send and track emails.

The 2024 statistics for the bi-weekly community newsletter included:

  • 28,034 subscribers (1,606 added since 2023)

  • 20 published bi-weekly newsletters

  • Average open rate of 40.81% (compared to industry average of 33.26%)

Social Media Content & Advertising 

APH uses social media channels including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to highlight important health topics. Advertising buys expand that outreach through the community.

APH’s social media account subscribers or followers for 2024 were:

  • Instagram: 7.8K

  • Facebook: 42.3K

  • X (formerly Twitter): 24K

For 2024, Public Information and Marketing used social media to highlight:

  • Black History Month

  • Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

  • Hispanic Heritage Month

  • Juneteenth

  • Spring Festival Season

  • National Public Health Week

  • National Fentanyl Awareness Day

  • Free Community Health Fair

  • Steps To Safety – Fire and Fall Prevention

  • Fiesta De Salud

  • Agism Awareness Day

  • Austin Housing Community Share

Advertising Spend, Per Audience: 

  • Hispanic (18-65 years): $544,497.78 (32.55%)

  • African American (18-65 years): $69,705.30 (7.87%)

  • People at risk of mpox: $99,250 (7%)

  • Asian American Pacific Islander (18-65 years): $59,942.76 (8.37%)

Budget total: ~$773,395.84 

Exercises:

The Public Information and Marketing Team frequently participates in tabletop exercises for crisis communications training and preparation. In November 2024, the Public Information Officers participated in a fire-safety emergency training session. While the training focused on wildfires, the training could be applied to any major public disaster.

Other materials produced by Public Information and Marketing Team: ​

  • APH internal screen content: 12

  • Internal emails: 85

  • Photography: 28

  • Scripts: 22

  • Translations: 96

  • Website updates: 64

  • Linguistic or other review: 30

  • Brochures

  • Certificates

  • Signage

  • Digital templates

  • Bus wraps

  • Designs for community engagement giveaway items

  • Designs for t-shirts, bags and other employee items

Office of Medical Director
and Health Authority for Austin-Travis County

  • The National League of Cities invited a Youth Council Member and Dr. Chiquita Eugene, the administrator of the Youth Initiative's Office, to participate in the U.S. Department of Labor's Panel on Youth Workforce.

  • The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) awarded APH's Office of Vital Records (OVR) the 2022 EXEMPLARY FIVE STAR AWARD. OVR met DSHS's exemplary criteria, including local registrar engagement, local registration of birth and death records, and oversight of vital records.

  • Ten of eleven Equity Line Staff are certified Community Health Workers to DSHS.

  • The Texas Environmental Health Association recognized APH’s Environmental Health Services Division (EHSD) with the Ruth Hendy Award of Excellence in Food Safety. EHSD met the criteria for planning, implementation, education, program management, external involvement, and training. This recognition is awarded annually to one health department program in Texas.

  • APH sent nine staff members to Denver, Colorado, to attend the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) conference.

  • Through the leadership of Director Adrienne Sturrup and the engagement of this year's city-wide campaign coordinator,   the City of Austin Combined Charities Campaign raised more than $416,000, beating last year's total by $19,000 and surpassing the $400,000 goal.

  • The Local Health Authority (LHA) is a member of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Region 6 Climate Adaptation and Public Health Resilience Workgroup.

  • The OMD participated in a 3-day Cyanosymposium held by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

  • APH is one of the few health departments that is participating in the future of preparedness for future pandemics through the University of Texas's Center for Implementation in Outbreak Analytics and Disease Modelling: Multi-Scale Outbreak Decision Support Tools in conjunction with Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS).

  • The OMD initiated and supports the Children's Mental Health, Opioid Crisis Response, the Trauma Recovery Center and Diversion Center planning.

  • The OMD continues to convene and support the Travis County Healthcare Collaborative work towards the creation of a county-wide care coordination and data-sharing platform.

  • Coordinated the formation of the APH Ethics Committee.

  • Completed a program evaluation of WIC (Women, Infants and Children) clinics.

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Epidemiology and Public Health Preparedness Division

​​Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (EDSU)​

  • Processed approximately 151,000 incoming lab reports.

  • Investigated 5,626 reports of illness (i.e. COVID-19, algal exposures, and other reportable conditions).

  • Educated approximately 170 providers or provider practices on reporting laws and other surveillance matters.

  • Investigated 198 outbreaks or clusters of illness in schools, long-term care facilities, and throughout the community for (i.e. COVID-19, influenza and foodborne pathogens).

  • Engaged with or chaired over 15 local and national workgroups to improve our knowledge base and identify best practices.

  • Updated and consolidated COVID-19 public-facing dashboards providing streamlined weekly updates.

  • Spearheaded the revision of APH’s TB policy to align with current DSHS and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

  • Aligned the City's transport bloodborne pathogen exposure policy/procedure to the Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 81 which recommends that each City department has its own infection preventionist to handle their staff's exposures.

  • Responded to concerns related to harmful algal blooms and collaborated with Watershed Protection and Austin Water to prepare for future incidents.

  • Coordinated with the building and fire board of appeals to amend their code to prevent waterborne ease transmission in newly built structures.

  • Created and published an opioid overdose dashboard to meet council resolution no. 20220616-053.

  • Presentations and papers published:

  • Carbapenem-resistant and ESBL-producing Enterobacterales | IDR (dovepress.com)

  • Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Annual Conference presentation in June 2023, Salt Lake City, UT (Increased Suicidality during Pandemic Period in Travis County, Texas, 2020-2021 by V Heines, MPH, and H Rucas, MPH, APH).

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Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP)​

  • Created an online foodborne illness complaint system to better collect reports of restaurant-related illness and identify outbreaks.

  • Successfully transitioned from tracking all COVID-19 investigations to a modified surveillance process focused on outbreaks and deaths only.

  • Created a data request process and form to more efficiently respond to departmental requests for data analysis.

  • Invited to be co-chair of the NACCHO Maternal Child and Adolescent Health Workgroup.

  • Invited to serve as a Community Consortium member of Black Mamas ATX, a group that works to support and serve black mothers through pregnancy and postpartum in Central Texas.

  • Serves on the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Health Equity Subcommittee, specifically working on the Stigma Workgroup to address issues related to how public health can recognize and prevent the perpetuation of stigma, discrimination, and harm within communities.

  • Collaborated with City Code and City Water to change city code to improve water safety and reduce waterborne diseases such as legionella in newly built healthcare facilities in the City of Austin.

  • Staff produced or published:

    • Partner violence analysis

    • Poverty basic needs analysis

    • Bond development analysis

    • Chronic Disease slide deck update

    • Climate change and maternal mortality analysis

    • Critical Health Indicators report

    • Summary of Maternal and  Child Health Measures, Travis County 2018-2022 to Travis County Medical Society (TCMS)

    • Decreases Continue in Travis County Pediatric Immunizations to TCMS

  • Initiated a partner violence workgroup.

  • Esri asked to use screen shots and/or a live link to Austin's Resilience CASPER 2023 Story Map in a new Experience Builder website they launched.

  • Served as a panelist for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health – highlighting the importance of community engagement and equity while creating climate solutions for Austin/Travis County.

  • In response to a West Nile Virus-positive mosquito pool, PHEP coordinated the deployment of CHW Strike Teams to educate the community on critical preparedness measures.

  • Conducted in-person visits to over 20 urgent care clinics in Austin/Travis County to enhance syndromic surveillance capabilities, improving outbreak and injury detection and situational awareness for public health emergencies.

  • Delivered a presentation on city response plans to a University of Texas graduate class, including a Q&A session on responding to widespread, prolonged power outages.

  • Served as the ATCMRC Unit Coordinator, leading a successful first year with over 20 active members, contributing an economic value exceeding $4,000 in 2024.

  • Accepted to the Global Health Corps fellowship program.

  • Developed and distributed the popular Disaster Digest, a monthly publication released on the first Monday of each month.

  • Organized a Leadership Seminar with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) to review mass care resources, discuss community assistance during emergencies, and assess the city's disaster response capabilities.

  • Spearheaded the formation of the Climate and Health Committee, whose mission is to ensure health equity in the face of a changing climate through fostering resilience in diverse communities and promoting sustainable practices and policies.

  • Submitted their application Project Public Health Ready (PPHR) re-recognition. PPHR is a criteria-based training and recognition program that assesses local health department capacity and capability to plan for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies.

  • Conducted special event operations during SXSW, ACL, and F1, helping keep our community safe and prepared against bioterrorism.

  • Created syndromic surveillance dashboard and report during the April Solar Eclipse.

  • Leveraged the newly formed ATCMRC to host 2 Mpox Vaccination clinics in collaboration with the immunizations program, addressing an increase in mpox cases.

  • Accepted into and graduated from COA LEAPS Academy.

  • Presented on disaster preparedness at the HIV & Aging Conference on December 1, 2023.

  • Participated as a speaker on the Wildfire Symposium panel, providing insights on public health preparedness during wildfires.

  • OVR was presented the DSHS 2023 Five Star Award for excellence in Vital Statistics.  ​The Five Star Award acknowledges Vital Statistics Partners who understand the importance of vital statistics and their impact on the citizens of Texas. This award honors Partners who go above and beyond the duties of birth and death registration and issuance by providing excellent customer service, security, and data quality in Texas.

  • Presented on racial and ethnic disparities in teen births in Travis County, focusing on epi/health equity, at the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) national conference in June.

  • Presented on racial and ethnic disparities in teen births in Travis County, focusing on policy/programming, at the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) 360 national conference in July.

  • Presented on Travis County maternal health indicators disparities for the Maternal Health City Wide Collaborative Meeting.

  • Presented on demographic disparities among persons who experience violence in Travis County at the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) national conference in June.

  • Presented on trends in domestic violence in Travis County for the Firearms Technical Assistance Project workgroup.

  • Completed an estimated 55 data requests from APH/COA personnel, including:

    • Launch of the Opioid Dashboard

    • Provision of location analysis and community risk factors for the APH Bond Development project

    • Identification of HIV/STD and chronic disease trends to inform APH program development/operations

    • Inclusion of new metrics on internal (APH) situational awareness reports

  • Developed the Situational Awareness Dashboard.

  • Invited to be the co-chair for the Climate and Health NACCHO Workgroup.

  • PHEP Staged 150 Community Assistance Bags across three neighborhood centers in December.

  • Accepted into and has been participating in the healthcare-associated infection (HAI) mentorship program through the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). Through this program, he has been able to learn more about outbreak response requirements with HAIs, isolation precautions, and more. This program will continue to assist him as he pursues his Certification in Infection Control (CIC certificate).

  • PHEP, in partnership with the APH Early Childhood Program, conducted a tabletop exercise for child care providers to strengthen their emergency preparedness capabilities.

  • Led the PHEP team in organizing a Community Health Worker (CHW) Strike Team Drill to train CHWs on emergency community deployment.

Office of Vital Records​ (OVR)

In FY 2024, we:

  • Registered 23,429 birth certificates

  • Registered 6,470 death certificates

  • Issued 48,323 certified copies of birth and death certificates

  • Generated $999,922 in Gross Revenue

Administrative Services Division 

Human Resources Division (HR)

  • The HR Team has completed approximately 335 hire movements for fiscal year 22-23..

  • Since October 2022 the HR Unit has attended 46 job fairs, community events, conferences, and workshops in an effort to connect with the community, share information, and provide employment opportunities.

  • As of 7/25/23, APH retention rate was 92.2%. We increased the APH retention rate to 93.07 as of 11/9/23.

  • Since 2022, APH turnover decreased from 17% to 14%.

  • HR was able to get a retention stipend approved by Human Resources Department (HRD) for phase 1 and 2 for all eligible APH staff for 2023-2024.

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Health Information Technology​

  • Configured technology for the new Manor WIC Clinic.

  • Implemented a texting solution to send texts to Persons Experiencing Homelessness informational texts about clinics, weather dangers/shelter openings, etc.

  • Seven employees achieved Certified HIPAA Professional certifications.

  • Resolved 5,199 incidents/tasks.

  • Automated via MS PowerApps internal hiring documents and accounts payable invoices.

  • Continued implementation of EpiTrax for an electronic-based system capable of receiving and monitoring diseases and case investigations.

  • Created an APH Business and Data Strategy documents.

  • Completed physical hardware and software inventory.

  • Documented current state of IT processes.

  • Developed and implemented a new system to manage IT projects and intake work requests from internal stakeholders.

  • Implemented a 24/7 payment portal for payment of invoices originated by Environmental Health Services, Food and Pool permitting and inspections.

  • Completed technology upgrades in training rooms and media room.

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Health Equity and Community Engagement Division (HECE)

  • Managed $65+ Million in social services funding: Negotiated and executed 219 agreements for social services programs, benefiting over 113,000 clients.

  • Successfully hosted four Request for Proposals: STI Testing and Treatment, Rundberg Community Services, LGBTQIA+ Mental Health, and HIV Ryan White A & General Funds.

  • Completed administrative, financial, and performance monitoring for 197 contracts.

  • Successfully applied for Ryan White A/MAI and Ending the HIV Epidemic grants.

  • Hosted the People+Purpose+Power Conference for 100+ attendees to share innovations in HIV care.

  • The Equity Line facilitated 1976 calls and coordinated 533 interpreter services to improve access to health programs and events.

  • Successful health fairs, including the Asian Pacific Islander Community Health Fair, Take A Loved One for a Check-up and Fiesta de Salud, provided vital health screenings and resources to hundreds of community members.

  • The Quality of Life Team provided preventative health services to 7,465 individuals and conducted 12,748 health screenings.

  • The newly established Community Health Worker Alliance of Central Texas (CHW ACT) focused on training, emergency preparedness, and community collaboration.

  • The Maternal Infant Outreach Program (MIOP) served 76 women through 17 events and supported 25 births.

  • MIOP hosted events like the Birthing Justice Documentary Screening and "Let's Talk about Chocolate Milk and Paint" to raise awareness about maternal health issues

  • Distributed over 600 free gun locks and boxes

  • Completed and reviewed the final Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) report.

  • Through a collaborative effort, Fast Track Cities launched a community-led study on HIV stigma.

  • Presented program findings at the Texas HIV/STI Conference and the HIV & Aging Conference.

  • Convened the first "Aging Is Living" Conference with 150 attendees.

  • Collaborated with the Public Information Office to enhance the Austin Senior Services Hub.

  • The HIV Planning Council streamlined its operations, finalized its FY25 needs and resource plan, and conducted a successful community engagement town hall to inform its work.

  • Everybody's Quality of Life Initiative (EQOLI) organized the Annual LGBTQIA2+ Health and Resource Fair, bringing together APH programs, City departments, and community organizations to offer essential services, education, and resources. The event fostered a welcoming environment for the community to connect and celebrate.

  • EQOLI also offered support and training to APH programs and services on:

    • Understanding LGBTQ+ identities and experiences

    • Providing culturally competent care and support

    • Using inclusive language and terminology

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Accreditation​​

  • APH has successfully completed a review process to maintain national accreditation status through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). In maintaining our accreditation status for another five years, we continue to demonstrate that our department meets PHAB’s quality standards and measures and has the capacity to continue to evolve, improve and advance to continue improving the health of Austin-Travis County residents.

  • Achieving reaccreditation was a department-wide effort with significant contributions from more than 100 staff, including individual contributors, management, and our Executive Leadership Team. In Fall 2023, PHAB found that APH fully met all 31 Measures across 12 Domains.

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Environmental Health Services Division (EHS)

The Environmental Health Services Division is a general fund-supported division of Austin Public Health. 76 full time staff work across seven program areas to protect the consumer and environmental health of Austin and Travis County.
Division activities:

  • 6760 Retail Food Establishment Inspections at Restaurants and Food Stores

  • 1087 Mobile Food Establishment Field Inspections

  • 2133 Mobile Food Establishment Permitting Inspections

  • 1810 Temporary Food Establishment Inspections

  • 1433 Plan Review and New Business-Related Inspections

  • 1939 Pool/Spa Inspections

  • 1110 Environmental Vector Control Field Activities

  • 811 Mosquito Traps Set and Tested for Disease Monitoring

  • 30 Public Outreach Events Reaching Thousands of Citizens

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  • Our Consumer Health Program enforces City of Austin consumer and environmental health regulations related to food safety protection, custodial care and smoking in public. The prevention of foodborne illness is this team's top priority.

  • The Special Permitting Program ensures the safety of food produced in mobile food units such as food trailers and kiosks, farmers market booths, and thousands of temporary food booths operating at special events per year.

  • Austin is the live music capital of the world. The Environmental Health Services Division is an integral part of the Austin Center for Events collaborative that is designed to streamline special event permitting on public and private property. The staff at the Environmental Health Services Division works closely with special event organizers in the City of Austin and Travis County to plan and verify that sufficient portable restrooms, handwashing facilities, maintenance, and drinking water supplies are provided at these events.

  • The Travis County Environmental Health Program enforces consumer and environmental health regulations in unincorporated Travis County and through interlocal agreements with the nine communities of Bee Cave, Lakeway, Manor, Pflugerville, Rollingwood, Sunset Valley, Volente, Westlake Hills, and San Leanna (limited).

  • Our Environmental and Vector Control Program staff enforce public health and environmental laws and regulations, which include, but are not limited to pool and spa inspections, mosquito and rodent control, environmental nuisance issues, and surveillance.

  • ​The Environmental Health Services Division Building Plan Review and One Stop Shop reviews and approves food establishment and public swimming pool building plans, change of use applications, and certificates of occupancy/ compliance. This team also performs expedited plan reviews in conjunction with the Austin Development Services Department.

  • ​Our Customer Service Staff are an integral part of our division operations. They're responsible for application intake, permitting, licensing, cash handling, records management, fulfilling public information requests, and conducting integrity audits.

  • ​The Compliance and Enforcement Program monitors the various regulatory activities of the unit programs and when necessary, files complaints in the appropriate courts of Austin and Travis County for criminal violations of city ordinance, county rules, or state statutes.

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Community Services Division

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Neighborhood Services Unit (NSU)​

The seven Neighborhood Centers across the City of Austin provide food assistance, bus passes, health screenings, emergency rent & utility (when there is funding), and information & referrals to low-and moderate-income families in need. NSU also provides seasonal services such as child safety seats, fans, coats for kids, and free income tax form filing.

The 7th neighborhood center was opened at the end of 2024 in the Dove Springs area of Austin. The project was funded by a voter-approved bond measure in 2018. The health clinic and facility are set to act as a central hub for the Dove Springs community, offering a number of resources in one place, including a neighborhood center, WIC office, Immunizations, and a childcare center.
 

Home Delivery Program - In 2024, in collaboration with the Central Texas Food Bank and Amazon, the NSU offered a home delivery program. Eligible individuals received a box of shelf stable foods monthly. Over 2,000 households had food boxes delivered to their doorstep monthly and over 77,500 deliveries have been made since the start of this program in June 2021!
 

Basic Needs Services – In 2024 we served over 87,000 unduplicated people for basic needs services.
 

Public Health Nursing Services – The NSU nurses provide free health screenings at our six Neighborhood Centers. The following health screenings are available for free: Blood Pressure, A1c Testing, Blood Sugar Reading, Cholesterol Testing, Pregnancy Tests, and general Health Information & Resources. The NSU nurses provided nursing services to 4,719 unduplicated individuals, collaborated with APH programs to support nursing operations outside of our Unit, and provided 372 Flu vaccines to low-income and uninsured individuals.


Rent Assistance Program - In 2024 we helped 1,199 people avoid eviction. The NSU staff processed $1,242,642 in rent assistance payments to eligible individuals.


Plus 1 Utility Assistance Program – In 2024 the NSU staff helped 207 people keep their lights on by processing utility assistance applications using Austin Energy Plus 1 funding.


Fans – In 2024, through a collaboration with Family Elder Care, the NSU provided fans for 1,250 people in 379 households during the Summer heat season.


Self-Sufficiency Case Management Program – NSU social workers provide employment supports, help cli- ents apply for benefits, provide case management services and can provide bus passes, rent assistance, food pantry assistance and other services to actively participating clients. 90 households with 191 people were served with Self-Sufficiency Case Management. In 2024, the NSU had 32 Transitions Out of Poverty (TOPs) . TOPs are people in households achieving an income of 125% of the poverty level or greater, through our Self-Sufficiency Case Management Program.

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Austin Healthy Adolescent (AHA) ​

  • 910 youth participated in evidence-based programs through schools, community centers and clinics

  • 38 youth participated in youth programming that included service-learning projects, co-facilitation of evidence-based program and youth leadership development

  • 1,552 hours of programming was completed by youth participants in PHE & PAC programming

  • 267 family members attended 4 family nights that included resources, parental support and youth recognition 

  • 251 families were provided family needs assessments with 85 families having a closed-loop referral to meet their family needs

  • 144 community members attended workshops within the community focused on mental health support, puberty, sexual health and other requested topics

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Austin Youth Development (AYD)​

  • New Enrollments: 16 new participants joined AYD this year.

  • Returning Participants: 11 youth continued with the program from FY23.

  • Graduates: 16 youth graduated and began their new careers.

  • Program Breakdown

    • Crews: 

      • 13 youth participated on Lawn or Graffiti crews.

    • Internships: 

      • 3 youth gained valuable experience through internships. 

  • Worked with Blackland NC, East Austin NC, and Family Connect.

  • Transfers to COA Departments:

    • 8 youth transitioned to City of Austin departments:

      • 4 with Austin Water

      • 3 with Watershed Protection

      • 1 with Transportation and Public Works

  • Skillpoint Alliance Success:

    • 6 youth graduated from Skillpoint Alliance (trade school partner). 

    • 3 started careers in their chosen trades.

  • Other Successes:

    • 4 found careers outside of COA and trades.

    • 1 returned to school full-time.

  • Goodwill Partnership:

    • 3 youth earned Lineworker certification from ACC through a collaboration with Goodwill.

  • Key Achievements:

    • 84% of participants completed Go ATX Soft Skills classes, earned industry-standard certifications, and started careers.

    • 50% of participants found careers with the City of Austin.

    • AYD continues to empower youth to build meaningful and sustainable careers—great work, team!

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Go ATX Youth Truancy Prevention Project - Austin Youth Development

Youth Participation and Reach

  • Served 142 students during the Fall/Spring season.

  • Conducted 91 sessions with a total of 136.5 session hours in Fall/Spring.

  • Served 139 students during the Summer season.

  • Conducted 97 sessions with a total of 145.5 session hours in Summer.

  • Partnered with 9 City of Austin recreation centers to deliver programming.

  • Placed 23 interns at 11 local businesses and organizations for paid internships.

  • Organized 31 guest speakers throughout the year.

  • 100% of interns reported learning new skills to prepare for professional jobs.

 

Skills Development and Education

  • Delivered lessons on critical topics, including:

    • Career readiness (resumes, interviews, professionalism)

    • Life skills (teamwork, conflict resolution, money management)

    • Health education (AI safety, mental health, and stress management)

  • Provided wrap-around services to support student growth.

Focused on 40 Developmental Assets to build self-worth, critical thinking, and future planning.

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Program Outcomes and Successes

  • 40% of interns reported considering a career related to their internship placement.

  • 100% of interns felt more prepared for professional jobs after their internship.

  • 77% of internship hosts rated intern performance as excellent or good.

  • Multiple interns were offered job opportunities for summer 2025.

  • Students showed increased attendance during the Spring semester compared to Fall.

  • Public Administration Day provided students with exposure to Austin Energy, Economic Development, and Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes.

  • Private youth hiring fair connected students with 15 companies and organizations, including HEB, Southwest Airlines, and YMCA.

  • Mock career fair during Summer featured 13 organizations, offering hands-on career exposure.
     

Community Engagement and Partnerships

  • Partnered with schools and recreation centers across Austin:

  • 6 high schools during the school year (e.g., Akins, LBJ, Northeast).

  • 9 recreation centers during the Summer program.

  • Collaborated with internship host sites, including:

  • Austin Animal Center, Ninja Nation, St. David’s Medical Labs, Austin Fleet Mobility Services.

  • Worked with partners like Houston-Tillotson University and African American Leadership Institute to provide resources, speakers, and enrichment opportunities.

  • Participated in Texas Healthy Communities Program, earning a Silver recognition level for health promotion.
     

Community Need

  • 25.22% of students were unsure about graduating on time.

  • 55.13% reported no plans for college or trade school after graduation.

  • 37.93% reported no career plans after graduation.

  • 45.22% of participants felt they lacked résumé skills.

  • 51.13% didn’t feel prepared for job interviews.

  • Students reported weaknesses in:

    • Time management (31.13%)

    • Communication (27.35%)

    • Leadership (27.35%)

  • Major challenges reported:

    • Financial limits (24.5%)

    • Lack of mentors/positive role models (13.72%)

    • Limited transportation (13.72%)

    • High stress levels (32.35%)

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Community Youth Development (CYD)

  • The Community Youth Development Program (CYD) served over 1,300 youth ages 6-17 years old with positive youth development services focused on reducing juvenile delinquency rates in the 78744 Dove Springs neighborhood.

  • CYD hosted a Back-to-School Drive at Dove Springs District Park in collaboration with the CYD Community Collaborative Committee (CCC).

    • Families

      • Designed pencil pouches & Buttons

      • Received school supplies

      • Enjoyed water play

  • CYD received Basic Needs Funding and were able to offer families up to $1,000. 

  • CYD Received partnership awards from Austin Voices and Harmony Charter Schools​​

Community Services - Early Childhood

  • Led a 9-month process to plan a comprehensive support network for home-based child care programs, in collaboration with a leadership team made of 9 home-based child care providers and organizational partners.

  • Input was gathered through two focus groups, one in English and one in Spanish, monthly meetings with provider leaders, and a listening session with 70 providers at a home-based child care conference. The Austin-Travis County Family Child Care Educators Network will launch in early 2025.

  • Collaborated with the Economic Development Department to draft guidelines for a financial relief grant program for home-based child care providers (Resolution No. 20231109-028).

  • In this second year of the bilingual public health training series for child care providers, the early childhood team organized the following 6 virtual trainings attended by 188 providers. In collaboration with other APH teams and Austin Fire Department, trainings were offered on:

    • Safe infant sleep (bilingual English & Spanish) in collaboration with APH Injury Prevention

    • Preventing and Managing Flu and RSV (bilingual English & Spanish) in collaboration with APH Immunizations and Epidemiology teams

    • Environmental Health & Health Inspections 101 for Child Care (bilingual English & Spanish) in collaboration with APH Environmental Health Services

    • Emergency preparedness, fire emergencies, and evacuations (bilingual English & Spanish) in collaboration with the Austin Fire Department and Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child Care Regulation, and APH Public Health Emergency Preparedness team

    • The Return of Measles: Prevention Strategies for Austin-Travis County Child Care Programs (offered separately in English & Spanish) in collaboration with APH Public Health Emergency Preparedness team 

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  • APH Early Childhood collaborated with APH Public Health Emergency Preparedness team, the Austin Fire Department, Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation, and Homeland Security Emergency Management, to conduct a tabletop exercise for child care program leaders to review their emergency plans related to evacuating their program in the case of a large wind-driven fire.

  • In collaboration with Austin Parks and Recreation Department, led a training session attended by 47 teachers on heat illness prevention and safe outdoor and nature play during the summer heat at a Child Care Teacher Symposium.

  • Coordinated a total of 17 Child Care Public Health quarterly meetings, School Public Health quarterly meetings, and Child Care Forum monthly meetings to provide public health updates and peer sharing opportunities for leaders of child care programs and PreK-12th grade schools.

  • Co-sponsored a conference for home-based child care educators with United Way for Greater Austin that was attended by 70 providers.

  • Provided start-up funds for eight new Pre-K classrooms in Austin-Travis County schools, including 2 in Austin ISD, 2 in Del Valle ISD, and 4 in Round Rock ISD.

  • Led a hands-on hand hygiene activity for over 70 young children at the Austin Public Library Kids’ Block Party.

  • Reached over 230 families with young children at 6 community outreach events, providing them information to on a range of topics, immunizations, including affordable, high-quality child care; car seat events; APH’s “Ask, Talk, Listen, Repeat” mental health campaign; and Bright By Text, a free texting service for parents and caregivers that supports healthy child development; and APH programs and services.

  • Conducted outreach to over 80 child care teachers and directors and to 40 school nurse administrators at conferences for those two workforces. Distributed information on immunizations; fentanyl; state communicable disease exclusion criteria; the “Ask, talk, Listen, Repeat” mental health campaign; APH Neighborhood Center services; and the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality’s free drinking water lead testing program for child care programs and public schools.

  • Coordinated a presentation by Dr. Walkes to over 120 child care directors about the “Ask, Talk, Listen, Repeat” mental health campaign and about how to keep their staff and children in care healthy during the respiratory illness season.

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  • Focused on language justice by offering simultaneous Spanish-English interpretation and Spanish translation of materials for public health trainings, a Family Based Child Care provider conference, and monthly meetings to plan a resource and support network for home-based child care programs.

  • Served as a key partner in the development of the community’s next 5-year Success By 6 strategic plan (2024-2028).

  • Maintain a contact list of over 700 Austin-Travis County child care providers in the Warn Central Texas system to receive emergency alerts.

  • Distributed emergency preparedness activity books for children and families in multiple language at a child care emergency preparedness tabletop exercise and through Foundation Communities, Child Inc., and the City of Austin’s Asian American Resource Center.

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  • Sent 24 public health emails to over 550 child care programs and 22 emails to over 190 schools.

  • Collaborated with Economic Development Department staff to select an operator for the high-quality child care program to open in early 2025 at the new Dove Springs Public Health center.

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  • American Rescue Plan Act funds for early childhood supported:

  • Wage stipends for 278 child care staff and teachers at 76 child care centers

  • 44 scholars to pursue higher education in the field of early childhood education

  • 56 4-year olds in three Pre-K classrooms in Del Valle ISD in the 2023-24 school year

  • Full-day Austin ISD Pre-K 3 for 73 children in the 2023-24 school year and 58 children as of the start of the 2024-25 school year.

  • The Pre-K Partnership hub to serve 221 children in the 2023-24 school year and 141 children as of the start of the 2024-25 school year

  • 37 child care programs to participate in a shared services alliance

  • 39 students with evidence-based, high-intensity tutoring and literacy support

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Community Services - Family Connects (FC)​

  • 996 families with newborns received a Family Connects nurse visit in 2024

  • 180 follow-up visits were provided to reassess blood pressure, postpartum healing, and mental health concerns, etc.  

  • 300 HEB gift cards ranging from $100-$500 were provided to families, a 28% increase from 2023.

  • 288 families received a 2-week diaper supply, a 17% increase from 2023.

  • 30 clients reported not having a safe place for their infant to sleep and received pack and plays

  • 5 infants received car seats through APH FC Car Seat Program preventing a delay in hospital discharge. 

  • Began strategic outreach to OB clinics to encourage prenatal referrals

  • APH’s Medical Director, Dr. Walkes, initiated a Physician Advisory Committee to champion Family Connects in the community. 

  • Launched Ztrip for families with identified transportation needs to assist with initial community resource visit

  • Added a Community Alignment Specialist to support our team and families with resources

  • Participated in two Citywide Maternal Health Collaborative Meetings with the topic being to support health equity to the perinatal population 

WIC (Women, Infants and Children)

  • Served 31,000 participants in the Central Texas area.

  • Manor WIC clinic grew in participation by 87%, from 951 to 1,786 since opening new location in Nov 2023.

  • Provided bilingual Facebook live cooking demonstrations twice a month with over 22,000 views.

  • Provided bilingual breastfeeding education Facebook live events twice a month with over 8,800 views.

  • Additional Facebook live events offered during World Breastfeeding Month to provide the public with additional breastfeeding support and resources.

  • WIC staff participated in over 75 outreach events throughout the community, resulting in over 2080 individual interactions with the public.

  • Had over 10,800 followers on ATX Family Care Facebook page.

  • WIC Call Center received 73,778 incoming calls and answered 615 live text chats.

  • WIC Mobile Unit locations served over 10 locations on a regularly scheduled basis to provide more accessible locations to clients experiencing transportation and other challenges, especially in food access desert areas of Travis County.

  • Shopping & Delivery Team had five shoppers that completed over 308 grocery shopping and delivery services and 6 breast pump deliveries were completed in collaboration with Mom’s Place.​​

  • Mom’s Place:

    • Provided over 1,605 encounters in lactation service:

    • Conducted 409 phone consults.

    • Issued 489 breast pumps.

    • Responded to over 1,508 referrals.

    • Conducted 1,196 lactation consults.

    • Partnered with a taxi service and the Shopping and Delivery Team to provide program enabling services to families with transportation barriers.

    • Continued expansion of partnership with other community organization through coalitions, workgroups, and social media platforms.

    • Continued expansion of Mother Friendly Worksite locations throughout COA facilities.

    • Piloted a southern lactation support location to decrease transportation barriers to families in need of services.

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​Disease Prevention Health Promotion

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Immunizations Unit​

  • Immunization unit highlights FY 2024

  • Shots for Tots/Big Shots (SFT/BS).

  • 30,551 children immunized.

  • 7,936 adults immunized.

  • 3,590 shot records translated/transferred

  • Far South location moved to Dove Springs Health Center in October

  • 98% clinic utilization

  • Vaccines for Children/Adult Safety Net (VFC/ASN), ImmTrac, School/Childcare Audits.

  • 88 VFC/ASN providers.

  • 22 new registered organizations in ImmTrac.

  • 330,681 total consented clients in ImmTrac.

  • 88 audits completed.

  • Mobile Vaccination Program (MVP).

  • 1,550 children immunized.

  • 2,966 adults immunized

  • 165 clinics and events.

Immunization unit highlights FY 2024

  • Appointment Line

    • 40,108 calls received.

    • 10,271 outbound appointment reminder calls.

    • 15,835 patients booked.

    • 17,080 patients deferred for future appointment due to lack of capacity.

  • Health Disparities Reduction Program (HDRP).

    • 68 tabling events.

    • 168  immunization focused health education event provided to the public.

    • 5 coalition meetings

    • 854 gift cards distributed to public that participated in MPOX events, trusted messenger activities, responding surveys and education activities

    • 450 flu doses transferred to external partners and 3,088 doses to internal APH partners, including Health Equity, Neighborhood Centers, IMM clinics and MVP.

    • 164 MPOX doses administered

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​Communicable Diseases Unit (CDU)​

Sexual Health Clinic

  • Provided 11, 268 patient visits.

  • Screened 7,800 patients for HIV and syphilis.

  • Started 285 patients on HIV PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis.

  • Evaluated27 patients for Mpox, including 11 positive lab confirmed cases.

  • Achieved patient satisfaction rate of 98% for excellent customer service.

  • Achieved rating of 4.9 stars out of 5 on Google reviews.

​TB (tuberculosis) Clinic​​

  • Provided 3,554 patient visits.

  • Achieved 86% therapy completion rate for all active TB cases.

  • Achieved patient satisfaction rate of 98% for excellent customer service.

  • Provided over 9,100 DOT (Directly Observed Therapy) and video DOT visits
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Public Health Investigation Program: TB​

  • 55 active TB cases and over 300 contacts to these cases.

  • 1,615 newly-diagnosed HIV and syphilis cases

Social Work Services 

  • CDU Social Workers provided 28,250 service units, which equates to more than 7,062 hours of direct assistance to clients


Targeted Testing/HIV Outreach Program​

  • Provided over 1,500 STIs and HIV screenings.

  • Delivered over 240,000 condoms in Austin/Travis County area.


Refugee Health Clinic​ Program

  • Provided 11,032 patient visits for refugees, victims of human trafficking, special immigrant visa recipients, and asylees.

  • Provided 14,323 immunizations.

  • Top 4 countries of immigrants’ origin: Cuba, Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) , and Ukraine.

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​​Chronic Disease & Injury Prevention Program
Injury Prevention Highlights:

  • Provided 1929 health encounters

  • Distributed over 500 free cribs to community partners (30% increase)

  • Trained 562 people on identifying opioid overdose and how to respond by giving naloxone

  • Gave out nearly 2,000 doses of naloxone in partnership with Austin Travis County EMS

  • Through a Federal Earmark, expanded contracts for harm reduction, peer support specialists, training of health care providers, and media and communications to prevent opioid overdose deaths. Media campaigns had over 15 million impressions.

  • Injury prevention and Neighborhood Services Unit received the SafeKids Austin partnership Award


Chronic Disease Prevention Highlights: 

  • Provided 8720 health encounters through 665 activities. Over 5,000 of these health encounters were provided by Community Health Workers teaching healthy living classes or attending outreach events. Healthy living classes were provided in Korean for the first time. 

  • Community Health Workers shared their perspectives and photography through a photovoice exhibit called “Frames of Empowerment”.

  • Received “Silver Level” recognition by the DSHS Texas Healthy Communities Program for the results of a community assessment on policies and public health practices to reduce chronic diseases.

  • Implemented the City of Austin’s new tobacco-free workplace policy which now protects all city employees and visitors at City properties

  • The Breathe with Pride program implemented 3 tobacco free event/workplace policies and participated in 16 outreach events.  Tobacco counter-marketing posters were selected for an exhibit at the CDC Foundation in Atlanta, Georgia.











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  • Awarded 11 community-based healthy living mini grants   

  • Partnered with the Mayor's Health and Well-being Council to recognized 31 workplaces with over 170,000 employees and volunteers for achieving comprehensive worksite wellness programs

  • Launched 15 Austin Moves! Community Walking Groups with 94 participants

  • Helped 2 childcare centers through the Austin Healthy ECE Partnership to make improvements to reduce childhood obesity

  • Provided technical assistance to 5 churches to promote healthy lifestyles

  • Launched the Austin Travis County Active Living Collaborative, in partnership with UTHealth and Austin Parks and Recreation Department  

  • Shared best practices through presentations at the Texas Public Health Association, National Association of County and City Health Officials Conference, Healthier Texas Summit, and the CDC Community Health Worker Sustainability Conference

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Success Story from Healthy Living Classes:

 

“A participant shared that our classes made them aware of the importance of taking care of your health and asked me to work with them to renew their MAP card. We did and they had their first physician appointment in 10 years”

- Leslie, Community Health Worker

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