The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department serves Kanawha County, West Virginia, and is located in Charleston, the capital city of the Mountain State. Kanawha County is home to thousands of small and large businesses, more than 180,000 residents, and countless commuters who are regularly here for work, education, shopping or entertainment purposes. Kanawha is the most populous county in the Mountain State and boasts wonderful small communities, mid-size cities and, not to be forgotten, the state’s historic Capitol Complex, which overlooks the Kanawha River. Among all of this, KCHD is an integral part of the community and a critical pillar to the public health and wellbeing of the region.
KCHD’s team of nearly 40 employees works together to serve the community, which includes friends, family, neighbors, businesses, and visitors. We serve everyone, no questions asked, no judgment given. Our employees believe that every individual deserves open access to the same high-quality services and care we offer at KCHD; therefore, we are committed to ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion exists in all aspects of what we do in our clinic or in the environmental health services we provide. We strive to reflect that commitment in how we promote and provide our public health services throughout all of our communities.
KCHD offers Clinical Services, Environmental Health Services, Epidemiology Services, Emergency Preparedness, and Wellness Programs. We also have a Mobile Health Unit that we use to serve communities across Kanawha County. It is important to us that we take as many of our services as possible to communities beyond Charleston. Disease knows no zip code boundary and neither does our team when it comes to providing services. Commuters are welcome to stop in and get a quick vaccination during the work week! We will take care of you.
The team at KCHD is composed of medical professionals, scientists, trained personnel and support staff all led by a health officer/executive director, who was selected by our six-member Board of Health. Board members are appointed, three by the Kanawha County Commission and three by City of Charleston leadership.
What We Do
KCHD employees work to protect public health through a variety of services such as clinic services, food safety and environmental enforcement of health regulations. Our Epidemiology team keeps an eye turned to the spread of disease in our community. They monitory and report public health-related data, threats and trends. Together, we strive to protect and sustain the greater Kanawha Valley region through public health programming, services and partnerships with the goal of shaping and empowering a healthy community.
From environmental health inspections to back-to-school immunization events, we pride ourselves on doing our best to deliver services and enforce public health policy in a professional, reasonable and effective way. We work to continually enhance what we can do for you. We value your opinion of our work. Please let us know how we are doing and what you believe we can improve. Please take our 3-minute survey!
Our Mission
To be a recognized leader and valued partner in protecting and improving the health and environment of the public we serve.
Our Vision
To see healthy people thriving in a healthy community.
Our Commitment to Serving All Ya'll!
KCHD leadership believes every individual deserves open access to the same high quality services and care it offers. As such, KCHD is committed to ensuring that diversity, equity and inclusion exists in all aspects of its work and is reflected in how it promotes and provides public health products and services to those in all the communities KCHD serves every day. This commitment extends to how we recruit, hire and support our employees. Valued and respected employees give the absolute best service to our clients, both environmental and clinical.