What is a Public Health Nurse?
Public Health Nurses (PHNs) are licensed Registered Nurses with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing and Public Health Nurse Certification. Public Health Nurses instruct/educate, oversee and offer a variety of public health nursing services.
Overview of Services
The Public Health Nurse (PHN) can help Sacramento County residents and their families with health problems and other concerns. PHNs provide comprehensive home visitation services in Children’s Services, Perinatal (pregnancy) Services, and Communicable Disease Services to families living in Sacramento County. They provide case management services, consultations, health and developmental assessments, and a variety of education teaching and training. PHNs work with various medical and community resources to ensure good health outcomes.
The Public Health Nursing Field Services programs include:
Children’s Services
Medically Fragile/High-Risk Infants
PHNs provide home visitation services to high-risk/medically fragile infants, from birth to age 2. They provide health assessments, intervention, education, consultation and referrals to medical and community resources.
Integrated Children & Family Services
PHNs coordinate with Social Workers to serve high-risk children from birth to age 6.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
PHNs provide contact to families experiencing a SIDS death, to provide grief/bereavement counseling and referrals to other community support services.
Black Infant Health
PHNs provide pregnant and parenting African-American women with health education, referrals and case management services.
Birth and Beyond
A family-centered, community-based program with multi-disciplinary support teams, including home visitors and PHNs. They provide support services to over-burdened families (i.e., pregnant women, children, etc.). They promote positive parenting and optimal child development.
Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
Phone: (916) 875-5869
PHNs provide case management to children with elevated blood lead levels, and lead poisoning exposures. They work with the Environmental Management Department to provide home visits for environmental assessments and education. They conduct outreach activities together with the Health Education unit.
Perinatal (Pregnancy) Services
High-Risk Perinatal Services
PHNs provide comprehensive home visitation to pregnant and post-partum women and teens with a history of high-risk concerns (such as substance abuse, premature births, pregnancy complications, and other medical and psychosocial risks).
Perinatal Outreach Program
PHNs assist in locating and providing outreach education to pregnant and parenting women identified as being at risk for poor pregnancy outcomes. They provide referrals to medical care, information about substance abuse education, prevention, and cessation. They provide comprehensive case management through home visitation, service coordination, education and referral to achieve improved health status of mothers and their infants (up to 1 year of age).
Healthy Teen Mothers Program
PHNs provide prenatal, post-partum and infant development education to pregnant teenagers. They assist pregnant teenagers in achieving healthy pregnancy outcomes, beneficial early childhood development and parent/child interactions. They also link teenagers to medical and other community resources.
Pregnancy Care Guidance Program
Phone: (916) 875-BABY or 1-888-824-BABY
Nursing staff provide coordination and referral for pregnant women to access medical providers. They also provide information and referrals regarding nursing services and programs available.
Nurse Family Partnership
Phone: 1-888-824-BABY or (916) 875-2229
A PHN-based primary prevention home visitation program provided to first-time pregnant mothers and their infants (to age 2). This pregnancy and early childhood intervention program promotes improved pregnancy outcomes, child health and development and family self-sufficiency.
Other Programs
Communicable Diseases
PHNs provide epidemiological and investigative follow-up for Sacramento County residents diagnosed with, or exposed to, a reportable communicable disease. They also assist in managing outbreaks of communicable diseases in the community.
Contact Information
71717 Bowling Drive, Suite 800
Sacramento, CA 95823
Phone: (916) 875-0900
1-888-824-BABY or 1-888-824-2229 (Toll-Free)
· Jan Peter, PHN Manager, PHN General Field Services: (916) 875-0900
· Amelia Baker, PHN Manager, Nurse Family Partnership: (916) 875-5471
· North Sacramento County area: (916) 648-0982
· South Sacramento County area: (916) 875-0900
