National Public Health Week, April 7 to 13, serves as a reminder that our well-being as individuals is tied to the health of the entire community. Public health is about prioritizing health at every level, for you, your family, your friends and your neighbors. National Public Health Week, organized by the American Public Health Association, is an opportunity to recognize the contributions of public health professionals and to raise awareness about important health issues. This year’s National Public Health Week’s theme, “It Starts Here,” emphasizes the crucial ways public health works to create healthier and safer communities.
There are many examples of how we can all contribute to and benefit from public health. Fostering environmental sustainability and climate resilience, encouraging healthy lifestyles and strengthening community partnerships are paving the way for a brighter, healthier future for everyone. In La Plata County, we, along with partner organizations, continue efforts that address key public health topics and identify ways each of us can make a difference.
We are experiencing longer allergy seasons, increased pests, more extreme and severe weather events, and longer, more dangerous wildfire seasons. Climate is impacting our physical and mental health in many ways.
As individuals we can build resilience by staying informed, mitigating risks and being prepared:
- Sign up for La Plata’s CodeRed emergency notification system and a home wildfire risk assessment through the La Plata County Office of Emergency Management.
- Know when to limit outdoor activities during high pollen days or heat events to protect your health.
- Identify safe spaces in case of extreme weather.
- Take steps to keep your home and family safe from pests that carry diseases like bats, raccoons, mice, ticks and mosquitoes.
- Build an emergency kit stocked with items you may need to survive a natural disaster.
As a community, La Plata County is building resilience, prioritizing preserving nature, providing essential services and ensuring community safety with resources that help the community respond to changing social and environmental landscapes and climates.
From obtaining health insurance coverage to the availability and cost of preventive health care services, we are working together to make sure that people across La Plata County receive the health care they need.
Approximately 12,000 neighbors in our community receive their health insurance through Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid), a quarter of those are children, and thousands more have received insurance through Connect for Health Colorado, Colorado’s Health Insurance Exchange. The Health Insurance Literacy program at La Plata County Public Health Department ensures that people receive the information about what insurance they may qualify for and can get assistance in enrolling in coverage.
Clinic services at the LPCPHD clinic are available at the Mercury Campus (150 Mercury Village Drive, Suite 115), provides access to important health care such as routine and travel vaccinations, contraceptive counseling, screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, hepatitis, screening and care coordination for hypertension, diabetes, breast, cervical and colorectal cancer regardless of insurance status, citizenship status, age, gender identity and expression.
Creating a healthier community for ourselves, our families and our neighbors takes all of us, and it can start with you. Joining efforts and connecting with community organizations can provide meaningful opportunities to participate in creating solutions for our local issues. There are many organizations that are working help make La Plata County the thriving community we all want to be part of. Two examples of issues involving community solutions are the Food System Plan and the Early Childcare Investment Strategy.
The Good Food Collective is working with many partners and community members to create a Food System Plan – a five-year road map that will provide ways to build a more resilient food system in La Plata County.
The La Plata Economic Development Alliance and Early Childhood Council of La Plata County have recently completed the La Plata County Early Childcare Investment Strategy in partnership with the Regional Housing Alliance of La Plata County and the city of Durango. The plan focuses on key areas to address insufficient child care capacity in La Plata County with long-term sustainable solutions.
As LPCPHD prepares to celebrate National Public Health Week, we’re excited to focus on how we all play a role in creating a healthier future. We invite everyone to join in this celebration by staying informed and participating in local health activities. Check out the LPCPHD website at lpcpublichealth.org or follow us on Facebook to get all the latest on our efforts.
Please note, as of March 31, LPCPHD is now at two locations: 185 Suttle St., Suite 100, and our clinic at 150 Mercury Village Drive. Please see our website for the location of the service you are looking for.
Tracy Anselmo is director of the La Plata County Public Health Department. Reach her at tanselmo@lpcgov.org.
