Huston-Tillotson University is launching a program that will train doulas, midwives and lactation consultants in an effort to combat Texas’ high maternal mortality rates, especially among Black women. The historically Black university announced the new partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas on Thursday. Known as Boldly B.L.U.E. (birthing, learning, understanding and empowering), […]
Public Health
Posted inCity Council
Council approves push to make air conditioning a requirement in Austin
This summer, a stretch of hot, dry weather in Austin has tested everyone’s patience. The record-high heat has also posed a danger to those not lucky enough to feel the relief of air conditioning. A new City Council resolution looks to make sure that’s as few people as possible. The resolution, approved by Council on […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin provides shelter in freezes but not in triple-digit heat – and advocates want change
Austin’s triple-digit temperatures – 44 days in a row as of Sunday – have been near-unbearable for people living outdoors. And with the heat streak likely to continue well into next week, a group of nonprofits is asking the city to set up emergency shelter on a more consistent basis. The group wrote a letter […]
Posted inPublic Health
Greg Casar calls for national standard to prevent heat-related illness, deaths on construction sites
Amid an oppressive summer, U.S. Rep. Greg Casar is calling on the federal government to enact stricter protections for workers to ensure they don’t suffer heat-related illness on the job. Casar, a former City Council member whose congressional district includes parts of Austin and San Antonio, led efforts to establish the city’s local protections, which […]
Posted inPublic Health
West Nile virus was found in mosquitoes in Austin. Here’s what to know.
For the first time this year, a pool of mosquitoes in Austin has tested positive for West Nile virus, according to Austin Public Health. The positive pool was located in the 78721 ZIP code of East Austin. West Nile is the most common mosquito-borne illness in the U.S. and potentially can cause high fevers, rashes and […]
Posted inPublic Health
Incarcerated Travis County residents at drastically higher risk of accidental overdose death
People who have been incarcerated in Travis County die of accidental overdoses at drastically higher rates than the overall population, according to new data. On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court held a news conference in conjunction with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and county public health experts to address a new report released by […]
Posted inPublic Health
ECHO says permanent supportive housing is the only way out of Austin’s homelessness crisis
Austin’s Ending Community Homelessness Coalition joined City Council’s Public Health Committee this month to break down the nonprofit’s latest point-in-time count, which in late January found 2,374 Austinites experiencing some degree of homelessness. While that figure is down from 2020, Executive Director Matt Mollica said it will take years of sustained effort to truly address […]
Posted inPublic Health
Austin officials urge precautions to prevent new mpox surge
Austin Public Health is warning residents to be vigilant about preventing the spread of mpox, concerned about the potential for a resurgence of the virus. After months without any new cases detected, the health department confirmed a single new case in late May. Additionally, several clusters of mpox have emerged in other cities, including Chicago, which […]
Posted inPublic Health
What Austin and Travis County learned about rental assistance during the pandemic
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Austin and Travis County had no overarching infrastructure in place for distributing rental assistance or otherwise supporting low-income families at risk of eviction. Then, millions of people across industries lost their sources of income overnight. In an effort to stem a tide of evictions, the city and county […]
Posted inPublic Health
Should Austin limit public contact with wild animals at for-profit zoos, aquariums?
The Animal Advisory Commission continues to grapple with language on a proposed ordinance that would limit public contact with wild animals at for-profit zoos and aquariums. At its June 12 meeting, the commission voted to convene a second working group to review the draft language, make changes if needed and present the results to the […]
Posted inPublic Health
Traffic fatalities surpass pre-pandemic levels in continued ‘public health crisis’
The number of people seriously injured or killed on Austin roadways over the past two years is higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to an update released late last month by the city’s Vision Zero program. The report says that 1,287 people were seriously injured or killed on Austin roadways during 2021 and 2022, compared to […]
Posted inPublic Health
County and city collaborate on robust mental health program ahead of diversion facility launch
With the wheels officially in motion for Travis County’s Mental Health Diversion Center, City Hall is doing its own work to scale up the mental health services that will be key to its success. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, City Council’s Public Health Committee spent last week’s meeting hearing from Emergency Medical Services […]