Brazos County Health District named TACCHO local health department of the year; commissioners proclaim National Public Health Week

Santos Navrat, director of the Brazos County Health District, told the commissioners court the district was named the 2024–2025 Local Health Department of the Year by the Texas Association of City and County Health Officials (TACCHO). Navrat summarized programs cited in the nomination package including: a workforce development coordinator, a strategic plan for 2025–2029 aligned with Public Health Accreditation Board measures, the establishment of three community gardens through the Texas Health Community Program, maternal and child health grants (including a $120,000 MICA grant), and a CLIA laboratory inspection that produced no deficiencies for 2024.

Navrat also described partnerships with local organizations and school districts to provide services such as school physicals, behavioral health providers in clinic settings, community health education programs, and quarterly infection control coordination with hospitals and long‑term‑care facilities. The district's work on access to primary care, mental health services and transportation was highlighted.

The court then approved a proclamation naming April 2025 as National Public Health Week.

Why it matters: The award recognizes the health district's work on public health programming, accreditation preparation and community partnerships that support health services and preparedness across the Brazos Valley.

Ending: Commissioners congratulated staff and took a photo with the award plaque; the court recorded appreciation for the district's community health work.