RIDOH Launches "Better State of Healthy" Campaign to Mark National Public Health Week

On the first day of National Public Health Week, the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) today announced its new public awareness campaign, "Better State of Healthy." Through the campaign, Rhode Islanders will see stories from public health professionals about the breadth of RIDOH's work, the role it plays in their daily lives, and ways to access the Department's resources and services.

"Public health is often invisible when it's working well, but it touches nearly every part of our daily lives," said Director of Health Jerome Larkin, MD. "This campaign highlights the ways in which our work leads to a better state of healthy for our residents, and the dedicated staff behind that work."

The campaign also directs people to programs and services that support healthier communities across our state. A full list of RIDOH's health services is available online. The campaign was developed following extensive research with Rhode Islanders to better understand people's awareness, trust, and perceptions of public health and RIDOH. Prior research conducted by the Department showed that many Rhode Islanders were not familiar with RIDOH as an agency or aware of the full range of services it provides. To build on those insights, RIDOH conducted multiethnic, multilingual focus groups and discussion sessions, along with a qualitative survey in English and Spanish of more than 1,200 Rhode Islanders. Findings helped shape the campaign and identify opportunities to strengthen engagement with communities across the state.

The campaign features multilingual campaign materials, including a dedicated campaign microsite, broadcast-quality videos, social media content, and outreach materials for community-based events. These assets feature RIDOH staff sharing their personal stories about how their work helps protect the health of Rhode Islanders and why it's important.

In partnership with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS), RIDOH has been working toward the ambitious public health goals in Governor Dan McKee's Rhode Island 2030 plan. This has included maintaining some of the nation's best vaccination rates, decreasing drug overdose deaths, increasing cancer screenings, and reducing rates of smoking and youth vaping. This work has aligned with the priorities of the Governor's Health Alliance, a coalition of governors working together to promote public health; and the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a voluntary coalition of public health agencies working to share expertise, improve coordination, enhance capacity, and strengthen regional public health readiness. Additionally, Rhode Island's public health gains have been grounded in authentic collaboration with community partners and stakeholders in cities and towns throughout the state.

Public health is often confused with healthcare. While healthcare focuses on treating individual patients, public health protects and promotes the health of entire communities. As the sole public health agency in a state with no local health departments, RIDOH's work includes ensuring safe drinking water and food; licensing healthcare professionals and inspecting healthcare facilities; testing beach water, wastewater, air quality, and other environmental samples; screening for lead exposure and sexually-transmitted infections; making vaccines available for children; connecting communities to health services; working to prevent and control diseases like cancer; using data to inform policies that improve health outcomes; and much more.

As part of the launch and celebration of National Public Health Week, RIDOH will host an information fair at the Statehouse rotunda on April 8th, from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Staff will be on site to share resources, campaign materials, and answer questions about RIDOH's services.