Health Department
The Florida Department of Health in Broward County provides public health services ranging from immunizations and nutrition support to vital records and disease reporting. This article explains which services the department handles, how to identify the right location, what information to have ready, and where common service requests differ.
Which Agency Handles Public Health?
The agency commonly called the Broward County Health Department is officially the Florida Department of Health in Broward County, or DOH-Broward. It is one of Florida’s county health departments and operates under the Florida Department of Health. It works with Broward County Government, but it is a state agency. That distinction matters when you are looking for an official health department service rather than a general county government office.
The DOH-Broward homepage is the starting point for current announcements, service information, locations, and contact options. Its programs and services directory groups the department’s work into clinical and nutrition services, wellness programs, community health planning and statistics, environmental public health, emergency preparedness, and infectious disease services. These categories can help you identify the right program before contacting an office.
DOH-Broward has an administrative campus in Fort Lauderdale and additional service locations. A nearby health department address does not necessarily offer the service you need. The department’s location listings identify services at each site, so choosing a location by program is more useful than choosing one by distance alone.
Clinical and Nutrition Services
DOH-Broward’s clinical and nutrition work includes maternal and child health, nutritional counseling, and immunization services. The department also lists pediatric dental care, refugee health, pharmacy services, and other programs at particular locations. These services are distributed among its facilities rather than offered at every address.
For example, the location on SW 6th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale lists immunizations, hepatitis services, HIV/AIDS services, refugee health, tuberculosis services, pediatric dental care, pharmacy services, and Women, Infants, and Children services. Other locations have shorter service lists. The department’s locations page lets you search by address and filter by service. Review the service listing for the specific location before going there.
Immunizations and Specialized Care
If your request concerns immunizations, tuberculosis, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, or refugee health, identify that program when contacting DOH-Broward. The locations page lists those services at the SW 6th Avenue facility in Fort Lauderdale. A WIC site or a records office should not be treated as an interchangeable destination for a clinical service.
The program name also helps the department direct your question. “Health department appointment” can refer to several different services, while “immunizations” or “tuberculosis services” identifies the subject of the request. Before a visit, check the current location listing and ask the department about the service you intend to use.
Pediatric Dental and Pharmacy Locations
Pediatric dental care appears in the department’s listings for facilities on NW 31st Avenue and SW 6th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale, NW 6th Avenue in Pompano Beach, and Pembroke Road in Hollywood. Pharmacy services appear in the listings for the SW 6th Avenue facility and the Pompano Beach facility. A location offering pediatric dental care does not necessarily offer pharmacy services, and the reverse should not be assumed.
Service listings identify where to begin, but they do not establish that every program has the same daily schedule. Several DOH-Broward locations specifically warn that programs at the same address may have different hours. Confirm the relevant program’s availability before traveling, especially if you are visiting for a service other than the location’s primary listing.
WIC Nutrition and Breastfeeding Support
The Women, Infants, and Children program, known as WIC, provides healthy foods, nutrition information, breastfeeding support, and referrals to health care, immunizations, and other services at no cost for people who qualify. DOH-Broward provides WIC services at several health department locations. Its Broward WIC page explains who can participate and how to contact the program about enrollment.
Who May Qualify for WIC?
WIC serves pregnant women; women who are breastfeeding up to an infant’s first birthday; women who are not breastfeeding up to six months postpartum; infants; and children younger than 5. The program’s description also covers women for a period after a pregnancy ends. Someone who is pregnant may apply as soon as they know they are pregnant.
Applicants must live in Florida and meet WIC income requirements. The department says people receiving Medicaid, Temporary Cash Assistance, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits are automatically income eligible for WIC. Participation in one of those programs is not required to meet WIC’s income guidelines. Citizenship is not required.
These points help narrow down whether WIC is the right program, but an application is still the way to establish participation. When contacting WIC, explain whether the request is for a pregnant or recently pregnant person, an infant, or a child younger than 5. The WIC Call Center handles questions about Broward WIC services and enrollment.
Breastfeeding Services and Access Needs
WIC breastfeeding services include individual counseling, peer support, and education classes. DOH-Broward also provides a 24-hour breastfeeding support line for WIC clients. The WIC program page provides the number for that line separately from the general WIC Call Center, so callers should choose the contact that matches their request.
Free language assistance and other aids and services are available on request for people who have difficulty understanding English or have a disability. State the assistance you need when communicating with the WIC program so the request can be directed appropriately.
Birth and Death Certificates
Vital records are another reason residents contact DOH-Broward. Florida certificates are issued through the Florida Department of Health’s Bureau of Vital Statistics, and the Broward health department provides local ordering information. A certificate request is distinct from a clinical appointment or a WIC visit, even when those services are associated with the same agency.
According to the department’s certificates page, Florida birth certificates are available for births dating back to 1930, and Florida death certificates are available for deaths from 2009 to the present. The department describes ordering by mail or in person and also identifies an online or phone ordering option. Review the certificate information for the record type before choosing how to order.
Choose the Correct Record Type
A birth certificate request concerns a recorded birth; a death certificate request concerns a recorded death. The year and state of the event matter because the department gives different coverage dates for those two record types. Do not assume that a Broward office can issue a record for an event outside the Florida records described on its certificates page.
The department also describes Florida marriage and divorce certificates. For those records, its stated coverage begins after June 6, 1927. It directs requests for an earlier marriage record to the clerk of court in the county where the marriage license was issued, and requests for an earlier divorce record to the clerk of court in the county where the divorce was granted. The relevant county for an older record may therefore be the county of the marriage license or divorce, rather than the county where the requester now lives.
DOH-Broward’s locations page lists birth and death certificate services at its SW 6th Avenue facility in Fort Lauderdale, its NW 6th Avenue facility in Pompano Beach, and its Pembroke Road facility in Hollywood. Check the current listing for the office you intend to visit. In particular, two department facilities have adjacent SW 6th Avenue addresses in Fort Lauderdale, but their listed services differ.
Environmental Public Health Services
DOH-Broward’s environmental public health work includes monitoring environmental conditions, water sampling, facility inspections, and food hygiene evaluation. The department lists a separate SW 6th Avenue facility for environmental services. Its location listing identifies body piercing facilities, food hygiene, mobile home and recreational parks, onsite sewage treatment and disposal, public swimming pools and bathing places, public water systems, tanning facilities, and well construction at that address.
These program names are useful when describing an inquiry. For example, a question about a public swimming pool should be identified as a public swimming pools or bathing request, while an onsite sewage question belongs with the onsite sewage treatment and disposal program. Identifying the subject helps distinguish an environmental public health inquiry from a clinical service request.
Adjacent Offices Have Different Services
The Fort Lauderdale clinical facility is listed at 2421 SW 6th Avenue. The environmental public health facility is listed at 2421A SW 6th Avenue. The difference is the “A” in the address, and the department lists different services for the two facilities. Check both the street address and the program listing before visiting; using the nearby address without the correct unit could lead you to the wrong office.
The environmental facility’s listing also includes birth and death certificates. That does not make its full service list identical to the clinical facility next door. For any request involving more than one program, verify the destination for each service separately.
Infectious Disease and Emergency Reporting
DOH-Broward provides programs to prevent, detect, and manage communicable diseases, including HIV, tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted diseases. Its broader public health role also includes emergency preparedness and coordination with local agencies during emergencies and natural disasters. Routine questions about a program and reports of a public health emergency have different contact paths.
The department’s contact page directs people reporting a public health emergency to call 954-213-0710 during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays. It provides 954-213-0660 as the 24-hour contact. The homepage also identifies a disease-reporting contact. Use the department’s current contact instructions to distinguish a report from a question about appointments, certificates, or WIC.
For general department contact, DOH-Broward lists weekday business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays, and an after-hours phone menu option. Those general contact hours should not be treated as the hours of every clinic or program. A location may display its own hours while warning that individual programs operate on different schedules.
Finding the Right Broward Location
DOH-Broward lists nine locations. Its location finder supports address searches and service filters, making it the most direct way to match a program with a site. Search for the service first, then review the resulting address and any note about program hours. The “today’s hours” displayed in a location result describe that day’s listing; check again when planning a visit on another date.
WIC Sites Across the County
WIC appears in the department’s listings for Coral Springs, Lauderdale Lakes, Pompano Beach, and Hollywood, as well as facilities in Fort Lauderdale. Some of those sites list WIC as their only service, while others list additional programs such as pediatric dental care or certificates. The Hollywood listing on Sheridan Street, for example, identifies WIC, while the Pembroke Road listing identifies WIC along with pediatric dental care and birth and death certificates.
If you are going to a WIC site for another purpose, check that the other service appears in that site’s listing. Similarly, a location offering certificates may not be the one that handles the clinical or environmental program you need. The address, the listed service, and any program-specific hours should all match your planned visit.
Questions Before a Visit
When the location listing does not settle your question, contact DOH-Broward with the name of the program and the location you are considering. For a records request, specify the certificate type and the year of the event. For WIC, explain whether you are asking about enrollment, an existing client’s breastfeeding support, or a particular site. For environmental public health, identify the facility or subject involved. These details give the department a clearer starting point for directing you.
People seeking access to a DOH-Broward program, service, activity, or facility can also review the department’s accommodation request information on its contact page. The department states that its accommodation request form may be used by individuals and companions seeking access because of a disability.
Department and Office Contacts
Florida Department of Health in Broward County — 780 SW 24 St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 — 954-467-4700
Florida Department of Health in Broward County — 2421 SW 6th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 — 954-467-4700
Florida Department of Health in Broward County — 2421A SW 6th Ave., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315 — 954-467-4700
Florida Department of Health in Broward County — 205 NW 6th Ave., Pompano Beach, FL 33060 — 954-467-4700
Florida Department of Health in Broward County — 4105 Pembroke Road, Hollywood, FL 33021 — 954-467-4700
Health Department FAQs
Are free breast and cervical cancer screenings available?
Eligible women can receive free breast and cervical cancer screenings through the Florida Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. Screenings are offered at various locations in Broward and Martin counties. Start with the DOH-Broward homepage to find the program’s current information before making plans. Eligibility and screening locations matter, so do not assume that a general health department visit includes these screenings.
Does the department offer mental health care?
DOH-Broward lists mental health resources among its wellness programs, along with educational workshops and family planning education. That listing does not say that every health department location provides mental health treatment or counseling. Check the programs and services directory for the type of help described, and identify the specific service you need when making an inquiry.
Where can I find Broward County health statistics?
The department’s community health planning and statistics work assesses local health conditions, reports on the county’s health, and identifies areas for improvement. The programs directory is a starting point if you need public health data for a report, community project, or planning decision. Look for the measure and time period relevant to your question; a countywide figure may not describe a particular neighborhood or population.
Can I give feedback about a health department service?
Yes. DOH-Broward links to a customer satisfaction survey from its homepage for feedback on its programs and services. If your concern is about access to a program because of a disability, the department also describes an accommodation request form on its contact page. Use the option that fits your purpose: the survey for feedback about an experience, or the accommodation form to request access assistance.