Western Tidewater Health District

06/09/2026

Western Tidewater Health District staff and the Virginia Medical Reserve Corps were in action again at Alive Church on May 30, 2026, to teach more people how to stop severe bleeding and save lives through the STOP the BLEED program. We partnered with the Chesapeake MRC and U.S. Navy personnel from the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth to create a fun and educational opportunity for community members to practice hands-on skills. Bleeding is the #1 cause of preventable death after injury.

06/08/2026

Listeria Outbreak: 8 people sick in 3 states. 7 hospitalized and 1 died. Do not eat recalled requesón/soft ricotta cheese, especially if you are at high risk for Listeria infection (pregnant, aged 65 or older, or have a weakened immune system). View link for full recall details:
https://www.cdc.gov/listeria/outbreaks/soft-cheese-06-26/index.html

06/04/2026

Meet Stephanie and learn how to protect yourself from measles.

06/03/2026

Featuring Katie Collett speaking with VDH State Health Commissioner...

06/02/2026

In order to prepare for disasters and emergencies, the Virginia Department of Health regularly collaborates with partners to train and exercise disaster preparedness plans. On May 29, 2026, Western Tidewater Health District staff participated in a regional shelter drill at TCC Portsmouth organized by the American Red Cross Virginia Region and the The Virginia Department of Social Services. After a presentation and a panel discussion, we learned how the The Salvation Army Hampton Roads Area Command provides food to disaster survivors, how to set up cots in a shelter dormitory, and how to register shelter clients.

06/01/2026

On May 27, 2026, clinic staff from the Western Tidewater Health District and Medical Reserve Corps staff and volunteers attended the Smithfield VA Rotary Club's annual Mental Health Expo at the Smithfield Center. We provided health and wellness information to the community along with Rapid Revive! training and Stop the Bleed demonstrations.

05/28/2026

Thank you to our Medical Reserve Corps volunteers for conducting an inventory of disaster supplies at the Isle of Wight Health Department on May 21, 2026!

If you would like to learn more about our volunteer program, please visit: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/mrc/ to find out how the MRC helps our community.

05/21/2026

The Virginia Department of Health is launching a new measles dashboard. This dashboard shows key information to help Virginians see measles trends, understand the impact, and know their risk of exposure as measles cases increase nationally and across the Commonwealth.

The dashboard shows how many measles cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have been reported. You can also see case numbers by age, health district, and other key factors. Updates will be posted Tuesdays and Thursdays around noon.

Read more at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/news/public-relations-contacts/2026-news-releases/measles-dashboard/

05/20/2026

On May 16, 2026, the Western Tidewater Health Department and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) partnered with U.S. Navy personnel from the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth to teach a Stop the Bleed class at Capron Baptist Church in Capron, Southampton County, VA. Fourteen residents from Capron, Boykins, and Drewryville learned how to use pressure, wound packing, and tourniquets to stop bleeding in order to save a life. They also received personal Stop the Bleed Kits provided by the Western Tidewater MRC.

04/27/2026