Public health in Colorado exists to protect and improve the health of Colorado's people and the quality of its environment. How do they accomplish this?
This section introduces you to the public health services performed in Colorado and gives you a closer look at the roles and responsibilities LPHAs play in carrying out these 7 Core Public Health Services (as required by the Colorado Board of Health and the 2008 Public Health Act) along with CDC's 10 Essential Public Health services.
After interacting with the content, participants will be able to:
- Describe Colorado's seven core public health services.
- Summarize the roles and responsibilities of LPHAs in Colorado.
- Recognize the 10 Essential Public Health services as defined by CDC.
- Describe the top twelve direct services provided by LPHAs as Primary Providers.
- Describe the top ten direct services provided by LPHAs as Safety Net Providers.
Colorado's Core Public Health Services
The Public Health Act requires all county or district public health agencies organized under statute to provide, or assure the provision of and direct people to, core public health services. Identification of a set of core services that are appropriate to every local public health agency in Colorado--with consideration given to the needs of residents and visitors to the state, the capacity and resources available to deliver public health services, and the organizational structure of local public health agencies--is no easy task.
To ensure core public health services are provided equitably and effectively, local public health agencies must meet certain quality standards. In light of the national accreditation movement, Colorado’s standards for the delivery of core public health services should optimally position local public health agencies for voluntary national accreditation. As part of the public health system, delivery of the core services are performed with attention to the 10 Essential Public Health Services as developed by the national Core Public Health Functions Steering Committee in 1994.
Below are Colorado's Seven Core Public Health Services. Click on the text label for each to learn about what the service entails.
Administration and Governance
Establish and maintain the necessary programs, personnel, facilities, information technology, and other resources to deliver public health services throughout the agency’s jurisdiction. This may be done in collaboration with community and regional partners.
Communicable Disease Prevention, Investigation, and Control
Track the incidence and distribution of disease in the population and prevent and control vaccine-preventable diseases, zoonotic, vector, air-borne, water-borne and food-borne illnesses, and other diseases that are transmitted person-to-person.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
Prepare and respond to emergencies with a public health or environmental health implication in coordination with local, state and federal agencies and public and private sector partners.
Assessment, Planning, and Communication
Use assessment and planning methodologies to identify, evaluate and understand community health problems, priority populations, and potential threats to the public’s health and use this knowledge to determine what strategies are needed to engage partners and improve health.
Environmental Health
Protect and improve air, water, land, and food quality by identifying, investigating, and responding to community environmental health concerns, reducing current and emerging environmental health risks, preventing communicable diseases, and sustaining the environment. These activities shall be consistent with applicable laws and regulations, and coordinated with local, state and federal agencies, industry, and the public.
Prevention and Population Health Promotion
Develop, implement, and evaluate strategies (policies and programs) to enhance and promote healthy living, quality of life and wellbeing while reducing the incidence of preventable (chronic and communicable) diseases, injuries, disabilities and other poor health outcomes across the life-span.
Vital Records and Statistics
Record and report vital events (e.g., births and deaths) in compliance with Colorado statutes, Board of Health Regulations, and Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics policies. County and district public health directors shall act as the local registrar of vital statistics or contract out the responsibility of registrar in the area over which the agency has jurisdiction.
Administration
and
Governance
Communicable disease prevention Investigation and control
Environmental health
Vital records
and statistics
Assessment
planning
and
Communication
Emergency preparedness
and response
Prevention and population health promotion
10 Essential Public Health Services
Established as part of the National Public Health Performance Standards, the 10 Essential Public Health services describe the public health activities that all communities should undertake. This video will briefly take you through each of these 10 services.
LPHA Roles and Responsibilities
Colorado's 53 local public health agencies are required to carry out a number of public health services throughout the counties they serve. This video covers some of the main roles and responsibilities LPHAs have in providing public health services to Coloradoans.
Resources
Top Twelve Direct Services provided by LPHAs as Primary Providers
The top twelve direct services provided by LPHAs as primary providers include:
- Services for children with special health care needs
- Childhood immunizations
- Adult immunizations
- Women, Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition services
- Tuberculosis treatment
- Early & periodic screening, diagnosis, treatment (EPSDT)
- Nurse home visitor programs
- High blood pressure screening
- Travel clinics
- Family planning services
- Chronic disease self-management
- Sexually transmitted infections (STI) treatment
Top Ten Direct Services provided by LPHAs as Safety Net Providers
The top ten direct services provided by LPHAs as Safety Net Providers include:
- Adult immunizations
- High blood pressure screening
- Childhood immunizations
- Family planning services
- Sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment
- Breast cancer screening
- Cervical cancer screening
- Cholesterol screening
- Diabetes screening
- Heart disease and stroke screening
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