These are unprecedented times. And while the public health field is always a dynamic one, it feels as though the stakes are currently high, and the uncertainty of the future is more fragile than ever before. As I sit here pondering what to say about recognizing National Public Health Week, which is April 7-14, for once I am speechless. Our national, state, and local public health systems have undoubtedly been through tremendous strain over the past five years. Many of my peers have retired early, moved onto less contentious careers, or have gotten terminated for doing their job to protect the health of the public and our natural environment. Their departments have experienced significant turnover in staffing amidst political scrutiny, budget cuts, and safety and security threats. Several of Colorado’s Foundational Public Health Capabilities have been undermined and overturned by our federal government, which has a crippling effect on years of progress in health promotion, disease prevention, and environmental stewardship. As our country disconnects from the World Health Organization and reduces funding and staffing at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute of Health, we are seeing novel and deadly diseases emerge around the world. Threats such as measles and highly pathogenic avian influenza are posing harm even here in Chaffee County. Meanwhile, our public lands are experiencing some of the driest conditions in recent history, and the risk of wildfire is on all of our minds. While what I have said so far may feel bleak, it is going to take all of us to change this narrative.
Public Health is so much more than immunizations and disease control. Did you know that Chaffee County Public Health provides our community with many free programs such as Yoga for Older Adults, Nourish Nurse Home Visitation, National Diabetes Prevention Program, and We Are Chaffee, our storytelling and advocacy initiative? All of these are grant funded and could be in jeopardy of losing funding and/or sunsetting all together. Other programs such as health navigation, STI/HIV testing, consumer protection, and our tobacco work are also in a delicate situation as we continue to blend and braid complicated funding streams to continue these important efforts. Because the public health resource and funding landscape is uncertain, we are working closely with our County’s Leadership Roundtable and Community Foundation to proactively pilot solutions to ensure a strong local public health system. This support is not received lightly, and rest assured, we continue to be as strategic and thoughtful as possible to weather this ominous storm.
I know in my heart that Chaffee County can rise above these adverse times. This year’s National Public
Health Week theme is, “It starts here”, and I couldn’t agree more. Here in Chaffee County, we are strong,
resilient, kind, and compassionate. We might have differing world views and perspectives, but we believe in being good neighbors, community partners, and decent human beings who care about each other’s health, as well as the health of our air, water, land, and natural resources. For almost a decade, I have had the honor and privilege of serving Chaffee County as a leader in public and environmental health, and I am grateful for the opportunity to have met so many amazing local people with incredible backgrounds and stories along the journey. To name a few, Bev Orrill, Stefanie Nelson, Andrew Ritchie, Keri Vignale, Julie Nutter, Kirsten Love, Annie Ruiter, Cassondra Franco, Katie Campbell, Holly Russell, Nadine Castillo, Emily Anderson, Abigail Smedly, Tanya Wait, Kelly Landau, Lisa Martin, Michelle Nay, Molly Bischoff, and Aubrey Tamietti. These amazing public health professionals work tirelessly to protect the health and well-being of our beloved Arkansas Valley. They are dedicated, talented, and so much fun to work with. I’d also like to recognize the unwavering support of our county commissioners and administrators who encourage us to tackle some of our county’s most pressing health challenges. Lastly, I’d like to thank all of you. From coordinating, collaborating, and strategizing with our community partners, to hearing from members of the public regarding what we are doing well as well as what we need to improve on, to exploring how we can set up the generations after us in good health and wellness, public health really does start here, in our own backyards. Together, we truly are the heartbeat of a healthy and resilient county, and I ask that each and every one of you help celebrate National Public Health Week with me and your friends at Chaffee County Public Health.
Disclaimer- The content of this article was based off of events leading up to 3/31/25. Due to the dynamic federal and state landscape, additional information is likely to have been received after the writing of the blog post.