About Us
Our Mission
The mission of the Durham County Department of Public Health (DCoDPH) is Partnering with our community to advance health equity, protect the environment, and promote health and wellness for all. DCoDPH is committed to:
- Providing leadership and education for patients and community at large
- Enabling our patients and community to make informed and reasonable health choices
- Creating an environment that promotes satisfaction and pride among staff
- Responding to the needs and expectations of the community
- Providing excellent customer service, dedicated to the belief that every citizen deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, and quality, irrespective of their race, religion, economic status, age, gender, national origin, physical ability, sexual orientation, health status, or ability to pay
- Making available training and workshops to keep staff up-to-date in their field of expertise
Our Vision
Collaborating with our community to advocate, empower, and protect the health and environment for all Durham County residents.
Our History
Public Health in Durham began in 1855 with a two member Board of Health. In 1874, City Commissioners were given the power to prevent and control the spread of disease, including forbidding "the establishment of slaughter houses or other unhealthy trades" and preventing "the entrance into the City of any contagious or any infectious disease."
Durham County BuildingIn 1909, a Board of Health for the City of Durham was created by law. With a budget of $6,140, this five member Board Original DCHD drafted a sanitary code covering the quality of milk and meat, sanitary requirements for shops and soda fountains, and listing of persons with tuberculosis.
A 1912 smallpox epidemic spurred the formation of a joint City-County Health Department in 1913, making Durham one of the first counties in the State to provide organized public health services. The 1913 act was amended in 1923 to give the Board of Health the full power and authority to enact ordinances, rules and regulations for the preservation and promotion of public health.
No substantial changes were made until 1957, when the North Carolina General Assembly enacted laws that changed City-County Health Departments to County Health Departments. This change to Durham County Health Department did not affect the functioning of the Department.
Durham County Health Department BuildingOver the years, community health problems have dictated the mix of Health Department services. During the early 1900's, Department services dealt mainly with communicable diseases, such as typhoid fever, scarlet fever, diphtheria and polio. The impact of these diseases on the community, especially the children, led the Department to focus on the health status of women and children. As these diseases were controlled, the Department began to focus on screening and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis and early detection and monitoring of chronic diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes.
With increased knowledge of disease processes, it became more apparent that many of the leading causes of death were related to lifestyle behaviors. Consequently in the most recent years, the Department added health promotion and wellness programs.
Contact us
Directions to Public Health
From Raleigh (via I-40)
From Interstate 40, take NC 147 North (exit 279 B) toward downtown Durham. Exit at Fayetteville St (Exit 12A).
Turn right to Fayetteville St. In about a half-mile, you will turn left into Ramasseur St.
Make a left S Elizabeth St. One block down , make another left to E Peabody St.
You are entering the Public Health Parking. On your left, it is Public Health Employee parking. Towing is enforced here. And on your right, it is visitors parking.
Get directions here
From Greensboro/Charlotte/Winston-Salem (I-40/I-85)
Take I-40 E / I-85 N. When the road forks (past Burlington), bear left to remain on I-85 toward Durham. Continue on I-85 for 9 miles to the Durham Freeway/NC 147 (Exit 172). Follow NC 147 for 5 miles to Exit 12 (NC 55/Alston Avenue). Turn left (south) on Fayetteville St. In about a half-mile, you will turn left into Ramasseur St.
Make a left S Elizabeth St. One block down , make another left to E Peabody St.
You are entering the Public Health Parking. On your left, it is Public Health Employee parking. Towing is enforced here. And on your right, it is visitors parking.
Get directions here
From Henderson (I-85)
Take I-85 S. Take the Roxboro Road/Avondale Drive exit (Exit 177) and turn left onto Avondale Drive (NC 55). Go 0.8 miles and turn right on Alston Avenue (remaining on NC 55). Continue south on Alston for 2.2 miles then turn right to Holloway St.
Turn left to N. Dillard St. As you cross E. Main St, turn left unto E. Peabody St.
On your left is the Public Parking and on your right is the Public Health Employee Parking lot.
Get directions here
Non-Discrimination Statement
Durham County Department of Public Health complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Durham County Department of Public Health does not exclude people or treat them differently because of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex.
Durham County Department of Public Health:
- Provides free aids and services to people with disabilities to communicate effectively with us, such as: Qualified sign language interpreters
- Written information in other formats (large print, audio, accessible electronic formats, other formats)
- Provides free language services to people whose primary language is not English, such as: Qualified interpreters
- Information written in other languages
If you need these services, contact Kristen M. Patterson, Deputy Public Health Director/Civil Rights Coordinator @ 919-560-7713.
If you believe that Durham County Department of Public Health has failed to provide these services or discriminated in another way on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex, you can file a grievance with: Kristen M. Patterson, Deputy Public Health Director, Civil Rights Coordinator, 414 E. Main Street, Durham, NC 27701, 919-560-7713, Fax, 919-560-7740, kmpatterson@dconc.gov.
You can file a grievance in person or by mail, fax, or email. If you need help filing a grievance, Kristen M. Patterson, Civil Rights Coordinator is available to help you.
You can also file a civil rights complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights, electronically through the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, available at https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, or by mail or phone at: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Room 509F, HHH Building Washington, D.C. 20201 1- 800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD) Complaint forms are available at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html.
Declaración de No Discriminación
El Departamento de Salud Publica del Condado de Durham cumple con las leyes federales de derechos civiles aplicables y no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo. El Departamento de Salud Publica del Condado de Durham no excluye a las personas ni las trata de forma diferente debido a su origen étnico, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo.
El Departamento de Salud Publica del Condado de Durham:
- Proporciona asistencia y servicios gratuitos a las personas con discapacidades para que se comuniquen de manera eficaz con nosotros, como los siguientes: Intérpretes de lenguaje de señas capacitados.
- Información escrita en otros formatos (letra grande, audio, formatos electrónicos accesibles, otros formatos).
- Proporciona servicios lingüísticos gratuitos a personas cuya lengua materna no es el inglés, como los siguientes: Intérpretes capacitados.
- Información escrita en otros idiomas.
Si necesita recibir estos servicios, comuníquese con Kristen M. Patterson, Deputy Public Health Director, Civil Rights Coordinator @ 919-560-7713.
Si considera que El Departamento de Salud Publica del Condado de Durham no le proporcionó estos servicios o lo discriminó de otra manera por motivos de origen étnico, color, nacionalidad, edad, discapacidad o sexo, puede presentar un reclamo a la siguiente persona: Kristen M. Patterson, Deputy Public Health Director, Civil Rights Coordinator, 414 E. Main Street, Durham, NC 27701, 919-560-7713, Fax: 919-560-7640, kmpatterson@dconc.gov.
Puede presentar el reclamo en persona o por correo postal, fax o correo electrónico. Si necesita ayuda para hacerlo, Kristen M. Patterson, Deputy Public Health Director, Civil Rights Coordinator está a su disposición para brindársela.
También puede presentar un reclamo de derechos civiles ante la Office for Civil Rights (Oficina de Derechos Civiles) del Department of Health and Human Services (Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos) de EE. UU. de manera electrónica a través de Office for Civil Rights Complaint Portal, disponible en https://ocrportal.hhs.gov/ocr/portal/lobby.jsf, o bien, por correo postal a la siguiente dirección o por teléfono a los números que figuran a continuación: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 200 Independence Avenue, SW Room 509F, HHH Building Washington, D.C. 20201 1-800-368-1019, 800-537-7697 (TDD) Puede obtener los formularios de reclamo en el sitio web http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/office/file/index.html.