Health District

Mission & Vision

Mission

To improve the health and well-being of the citizens and environment of our county.

Vision

Create the healthiest county in Texas where all people can live, work, play, and thrive. 

Services Offered by the Health District

Environmental Health Division

• Food Handler & Food Manager’s Certification courses available online in 8 languages!
• Food establishment regulation program that permits and inspects where food is stored, prepared, served, or sold, such as, restaurants, convenience stores, grocery stores, cafeterias, schools, nursing homes, bars, mobile food vendors and temporary food booths.
• Annual Childcare facility inspections
• Annual swimming pool inspections
• Enforces smoking ordinances for cities who have adopted this policy.
• OSSF (On-Site Sewage Facilities) program regulates all installations and maintenance of septic systems and other types of sewage disposal systems.
• Provides information and referrals about additional environmental health topics as requested.

Health Equity, Promotion, & Prevention (HEPP) Division

Epidemiology

• Monitors and investigates potential disease outbreaks.
• Mitigates disease outbreaks through guidance on appropriate preventative measures, treatment, and control.

Health Education

• Presents on health topics upon request. 
• Provides healthy lifestyle classes.
• Cooking demos.
• Hosts 2 community coalitions to improve people’s health across McLennan County

Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP)

• Provides education to the community on how to prepare for disasters.
• Trains our medical reserve corps volunteers to assist the Health District in responding to large-scale public health emergencies or natural disasters.

Mental Health Access Program

• Provides a directory for anyone searching for a mental health provider

Clinical Services Division

HIV/AIDS & STI Services

• Our HIV Case Management program offers assistance finding medical care, obtaining prescriptions, and other medical and financial concerns. If you or a loved one is living with HIV/AIDS, call our caring HIV Case Management staff at 254-750-5498 to see if you qualify for services under our available programs.
• Our STI Clinic offers testing and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, as well as pregnancy testing, and methods of protection and prevention (condoms). Income based programs are available to assist with the cost of your visit, and condoms are always available at no charge. No appointment necessary. Please see our STI Clinic page for hours of operation.

Immunizations Clinic

• Our Immunization Clinic offers recommended vaccines for children and adults. We participate in programs through DSHS to provide low cost vaccines to those who qualify. Income based programs are also available to assist with visit costs. For those that do not qualify for DSHS sponsored programs, we also accept many insurance plans.
• We offer Typhoid and Yellow Fever vaccines with corresponding required travel documentation. (Financial assistance programs do not apply to travel vaccines.)
• Shot records can be provided for those who have been vaccinated in our clinic, or have opted into ImmTrac2, our statewide vaccination registry.
• The Immunization Clinic can provide mobile vaccination clinic upon request for a variety of immunizations.

Tuberculosis Prevention & Care Clinic

• Comprehensive evaluation and treatment of clients suspected of, or confirmed to have TB disease. Evaluation and treatment include symptoms assessment, blood work, chest x-ray imaging, specimen collection, and directly observed therapy (DOT).
• Investigation of contacts to persons identified with TB, screening of high-risk individuals, and treatment for person identified with latent TB infection (LTBI). The decision to treat LTBI is determined by our local health authority based on information collected during the evaluation process.
• Care for qualifying diagnoses will be provided, regardless of the patient’s ability to pay. Financial Assistance Programs are available for those who qualify, and many insurance plans are accepted. Medications for TB and LTBI are provided by the Department of State Health Service pharmacy at no charge to the client.
• In-person TB education is available for medical professionals and members of the public alike by contacting our office. Topics may include reporting protocols, screening and evaluation, basic TB information and specialized TB practices.
• Low cost Quantitative N95 fit testing for the community. (This service does not qualify for financial assistance.)

• Low cost TB blood testing is available through our TB clinic. These tests may be required for entry into certain educational programs or volunteer positions. (This service does not qualify for financial assistance.)

Vital Statistics Division

• Issue certified copies of long form birth record filed in Waco dating 1910 – present.
• Issue certified copies of abstract form birth records filed in Texas dating 1926 – present
• Issue certified copies of death records for death that occurred in Waco.
• Provide guidance to correcting Texas birth and death registrations.

Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) Division

• Provides nutrition counseling.
• Offers food benefits for grocery stores.
• Breast-feeding counseling and support.
• Teaches nutrition classes.
• Showcases cooking demos.

Annual Report

Waco-McLennan Public Health had a busy year in 2024!

From unveiling our new logo to Plugging Into Community Conversations at our conference to working in the community to decrease Syphilis to promoting health and wellness to all ages, we continued to work toward our vision of creating the healthiest county in Texas where ALL people can live, work, play, and thrive.

The 2024 Annual Report showcases how the Health District spent 2024 focusing on ways to expand our service and visibility into the McLennan County community. To read the full report, click the link below.

Waco-McLennan Public Health 2024 Annual Report(PDF, 4MB)

Presentation & Event Requests

If you would like to request the Health District present at your event or attend your event, we have a wide variety of health topics available. However, if there is a specific topic not listed below that you wish to have information on, please let us know. Presentations may be geared to the age of the audience, from children to adult. Our health topics include, but are not limited to:

• Hygiene & Human Development
• Nutrition & Exercise
• Chronic Disease
• Tobacco Prevention and Cessation
• Worksite Wellness
• Other Health Topics by Request

For questions, please contact us at healthed@wacotx.gov.

To schedule a presentation or event, click the Event Request Form link below.

Event Request Form

Volunteer/Intern

Are you interested in volunteering or interning with the Health District? Please fill out the application.

Volunteer/Intern Application

Health Events Calendar

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Department Director

Stephanie Alvey

Stephanie Alvey oversees the day-to-day operations of Health Services and was named Director of the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District in February 2026.