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Press
Release
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Galveston
County & Cities –
The
Galveston County Health District (GCHD) will celebrate the opening of a new WIC
and Immunization clinic in Dickinson with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday,
February 16th at 1:30 pm.
The new
facility, located at 3411 Gulf Freeway, was relocated from its location of more
than 10 years on FM 517 in Dickinson. Along with Health District officials,
Galveston County Judge Jim Yarbrough and Dickinson Mayor Julie Masters will be
participating in the ribbon-cutting ceremony which is open to the public.
Demand for
the WIC program has been increasing over the years, and officials say the new
office will accommodate that growth. A portion of the facility will also be an
immunization clinic where both childhood and adult immunizations will be given.
The two programs have always shared a facility in Dickinson, but the new clinic
is more spacious and also offers more parking for those seeking services.
“I am very
proud of this beautiful new facility and its prominent location along interstate
45 in Dickinson. Over 3,900 women and children are served by the Dickinson WIC
site annually for a total of 26,950 visits, and over 3,500 persons use the
Dickinson immunization clinic annually. The new site is expected to serve even
more citizens of Dickinson and Galveston County. WIC and immunization services
are vital to a community’s health,” says Dr. Mark Guidry the district’s CEO and
Health Authority.
WIC, which
stands for Women, Infants, and Children, is a nutritional program benefitting
qualifying families with education, and benefits for certain foods. The program
is designed to safeguard the health of pregnant and nursing women, as well as
infants and young children up to the age of five, who might otherwise be at risk
for poor health. By receiving these services families can learn and maintain
healthy habits, which can benefit them for a lifetime. WIC also provides a
positive economic impact in the community through the grocery stores that
participate in the program.
To avoid
vaccine-preventable diseases, childhood and adult vaccines are offered to the
public at low cost in GCHD’s immunization clinics. No one is refused services
for inability to pay if uninsured or underinsured for immunizations. In
addition to the new Dickinson immunization clinic, the district also has
immunization clinics in Texas City and Galveston.
For more
information on Galveston County Health District immunization activities and WIC
services including locations and hours of operation call (409) 938-2456 or visit
www.gchd.org.
The
Galveston County Health District strives to protect and promote public health
for all residents of Galveston County and cities.
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(News
Media: For more information contact Kurt Koopmann, GCHD Public
Information Officer, 409-938-2211 or
kkoopman@gchd.org)
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