Housatonic Valley Health District (HVHD) is a full-time public health department that serves New Milford, Oxford, Sharon, Southbury, Washington, and Woodbury with the goal of providing a healthy environment, advocating for health and well-being, and preventing disease within our communities. HVHD is governed by a Board of Directors, with representatives from the six municipalities, in proportion to their population, based on a State formula. The District has offices located in New Milford and Southbury with additional satellite offices in Oxford, Washington, and Woodbury.
Mission
The Housatonic Valley Health District serves New Milford, Oxford, Sharon, Southbury, Washington, and Woodbury. The mission of the Housatonic Valley Health District is to create better health outcomes and promote the highest attainable standard of health. This is accomplished through three principles, which include prevention, education, and outreach. HVHD prevents disease, injury, and disability for their community through regular inspections of public and private businesses and homes to ensure conditions exist where people can be healthy. HVHD uses education to inform the public and health practitioners on public health best practices, policy information, and the impacts and methods of prevention for the spread of communicable diseases. HVHD conducts outreach to engage their communities that experience obstacles in accessing the public health services they need, deliver vaccines to the community, and advocate for needed and beneficial health policies.
Vision
The Housatonic Valley Health District’s vision is to promote a culture of health, enable access to all services for the community, provide the highest quality of public health leadership and services, create better health outcomes through the prevention of disease and injury, and promote policies that enable longer and healthier lives.
Values
Community First
Every decision we make is governed by a “Community First” principle.
Professional Service
Whether administering clinical health services, inspecting businesses and homes, or assisting the community with administrative needs, we always maintain the highest level of professionalism and customer service.
Inclusion, Equity and Accessibility
We believe health and access to public health services is a human right and will always foster an environment of kindness, compassion, care, and respect with a goal of inclusion and equitable treatment amongst colleagues and the public.
Ten Essential Public Health Services
The Ten Essential Public Health Services provide a framework for the responsibilities of local public health services. They are to:
Monitor
Monitor health status to identify and solve community health problems.
Diagnose
Diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards in the community.
Inform
Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues.
Mobilize
Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems.
Develop
Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts.
Enforce
Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.
Link
Link people to needed personal health services and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable.
Assure
Assure competent public and personal health care workforce.
Evaluate
Evaluate effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services.
Research
Research for new insights and innovative solutions to health problems.
CT Department of Public Health Resources & Regulations
Director Of Health
Amy Bethge
Health Director
Amy Bethge has a Masters of Public Health from Southern Connecticut State University and has worked in Public Health and the healthcare industry for over a decade. Her previous work includes management of grants, community-based programs and research activities for Nuvance Health and Griffin Hospital. Most recently, Amy worked in Quality Improvement at ConnectiCare/EmblemHealth. In her capacity as the Director of Health, Amy is tasked with supervising administration, grants, preparedness, operations as well as the community health and environmental programs of the Housatonic Valley Health District. Amy works to ensure the provision of high quality public health services, expanding critical programs, as well as implementing and advocating for policies that best serve the district’s residents. Amy is passionate about healthcare policy and health equity.