• Caring for the Health of Mothers and Children
  Women who get prenatal care have healthier babies. Their babies become healthier children through well-baby checkups, immunizations and school health programs. Help and hope are provided to families who have children with special health care needs.
• Tracking Diseases and Stopping Them in Their Tracks
  Keeping Floridians safer by tracking patterns of disease, investigating and containing outbreaks and developing solutions are unique responsibilities of the Department of Health. Working with health care providers, we meet the challenge of reducing acute and chronic illness and disease.
• Maintaining a Healthy Environment
  Everyone benefits from clean water and air and safe food. Florida's environment is made healthier through monitoring food- and water-borne illnesses, lead-contaminated dust and soil, and indoor air pollutants, such as radon.
• Serving as the Conscience for Health
  Leading the way as the top health advocate for ALL Floridians--regardless of income--and fulfilling our mission to protect and promote their health and safety.
• Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
  More than 50 percent of premature deaths can be prevented. By educating and supporting healthy communities, we help people live healthier lives.

Dental health, tracking infectious disease, vaccinations for kids, well-baby check-ups, prenatal care, treating contagious diseases, county health programs, education on preventing injuries and sickness, chest x-rays for TB, bike helmet safety, promoting good public health policy, vision and hearing tests, educating new parents, making water safer, fluoridating water for healthier teeth, reducing infant deaths, meeting health care challenges following disasters, solutions for health problems, keeping child care centers safe, radiation safety, HIV counseling and testing, making our environment lead-free, car seats for babies, monitor indoor air standards, school health programs, safeguard community health, making prescription drugs safe, laboratory services, tobacco prevention and education, septic tank inspections, basic medical care, community partners in health, recruiting public health workforce, monitor air quality, inform public about threats to our health, keep vital records, helping families plan for children, promoting healthy eating and exercise, prevent dumping of sewage and garbage into water, investigate animal bites, hazardous waste disposal, helping ambulance services meet their communities' needs, identify community health risks, treat people who have contagious diseases.

Health counseling and education are available in both classroom settings and a one-on-one basis. In addition, we provide sexually transmitted disease (STD) and HIV/AIDS training to community agencies and organizations. To improve the prevention of communicable diseases we conduct systematic disease surveillance and data collection activities for encephalitis, staphylococcus, STDs, etc.

Environmental health deals with those aspects of the environment which may adversely impact upon the public's health. We provide monitoring, permitting, and educational services to all St. Lucie County residents including:

• water and individual wastewater systems
• institutional food services
• group care
• public pools
• rabies surveillance
• mobile home parks
• biomedical waste generators
• minimum housing/day care inspection
• responding to citizen complaints fo possible health hazards

In addition to being a consulting health resource for local governments, in times of emergency, Environmental Health is an integral part of recovery, assuring safe water, food, sanitary facilities and safe living conditions.