The HCPH jurisdiction includes approximately 2.5 million people living in unincorporated areas and over 30 other municipalities in Harris County. The large number of people residing in the Harris County unincorporated area is a unique phenomenon unparalleled elsewhere in the United States. Given the incredible geographic diversity of Harris County, in turn, HCPH offers its services in many instances to the entirety of Harris County including within the city of Houston thus reaching the entirety of the 4.7 million people who reside within Harris County.
To serve effectively residents across Harris County's 1,778 square miles, HCPH operates as the community's doctor” to diagnose, treat, and monitor the overall community's health. It works through and mobilizes an extensive array of partners that comprise the local health system within Harris County. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) described public health as what we as a society do collectively to assure the conditions in which people can be healthy” and is made up of all public, private, and other entities that contribute to the delivery of health-related services within the community.
Recent studies show the collaboration of human and animal health practitioners has advanced science and improved the overall health of communities. Emerging diseases such as avian influenza, Ebola and Zika have highlighted the gaps present between the veterinary and medical professions and the need for more collaborative efforts. Disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Harvey stressed the importance of the human-animal bond aspect during disaster preparedness and recovery. Harris County Veterinary Public Health (HCVPH), a division of the Harris County Public Health, has created an opportunity to address this issue in order to build a healthier, more resilient community in the Houston, Texas area.
In 2008, HCVPH surveyed local veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Survey results depicted gaps in awareness and education within the veterinary community on zoonotic and infectious diseases. In order to address this issue, HCVPH organized and executed the 1st Annual Zoonotic Disease Conference specifically aimed at veterinarians, licensed veterinary technicians and clinic staff. The 1st Annual Zoonotic Disease Conference held March 28, 2009 offered 6 continuing education (CE) hours to 88 attendees covering critical and relevant public health and zoonotic disease information. The annual conferences covered a variety of zoonotic disease topics including rabies, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Zika, MRSA and leptospirosis. Yearly attendee surveys showed a dramatic increase in zoonotic disease understanding, and the popularity of the conference increased via word-of-mouth. Not only did the conference grow in size, but it also reached new areas of interest in the community: human health professionals wanted to attend. After several years of collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine-National School of Tropical Medicine in the renowned Houston medical center, the 10th annual conference in 2017 celebrated wonderful, exciting changes.
The 10th annual conference held September 30 October 1, 2017 changed its name to the One Health Conference, included over 325 attendees from a variety of health professions, and offered CE credits to physicians and nurses for the first time. It included zoonotic disease topics such as Toxoplasmosis from a veterinarian and physician's perspective, but also highlighted topics such as One Health, the human-animal bond, antibiotic resistance and environmental health. It became the first One Health conference in the Houston area bringing together animal and human health professionals under one roof to promote collaborations. Veterinarians, physicians, nurses, researchers, public health professionals and students networked, discussed similarities and differences in human and animal medicine, and received over a dozen hours of CE over two days of lectures, panel sessions and presentations.
Collaborations between human and animal health professionals can make a significant impact in the Houston community and result in a healthier human and animal population. Through this annual conference, HCPH has been able to develop a comprehensive network of One Health stakeholders, educate the veterinary and medical community and establish HCPH as the local resource for zoonotic disease issues. This is a summary of one health department's journey to promote the One Health Concept and put it into practice.