In this guest post, Chaffee County Public Health Director Andrea Carlstrom talks about National Public Health Week.

In observance of National Public Health Week, April 4-10, I would like to thank each and every Chaffee County Public Health (CCPH) staff member and community partner for making the past year another successful one in the population health landscape of Chaffee County and our region despite the competing priorities of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

I have never been prouder to be a public health leader, and I am honored and grateful that I get to serve the county that I love in such a meaningful way. There is so much promise for the future of public health, and I am excited for what’s to come.

Our department is currently comprised of 17 dedicated and passionate staff (and 3 contractors) that tirelessly work on disease prevention and early intervention, health promotion, and public protection programming and services. 

Program highlights from the past year include:

While our COVID-19 response has gotten the most attention over the past two years, giving out 19,270 COVID-19 vaccines since the beginning of the rollout in 2020, we have also administered 1,340 non-COVID-19 vaccines since April 1, 2021. We have investigated 36 non-COVID-19 communicable disease cases and 28 dog bites. Little did we know that our department would be testing for COVID-19 as well as vaccinating for it. Since the beginning of the pandemic, CCPH has tested 9,758 people in our community and has given out thousands of free tests to our community partners and the public. Our communicable disease program continues to monitor and participate in surveillance to prevent the spread of infectious disease, and we are hopeful that we experience a more typical cadence with this cornerstone of public health as we consider COVID-19 with a routine disease control mindset.

Maternal and family health programming continues to be a priority for CCPH. For the first time since anyone on my team can remember, we are fully funded to provide our county’s families with quality nurse home visitation and lactation services while also organizing education and supportive initiatives and events that lift families up in their greatest time of need. The Mountain Mama Summit has been on hold for two long years, and I am elated to say that it will be held this Saturday, April 9th. This event inspires, connects, and celebrates mothers and caregivers throughout the county and beyond.

Believe it or not, CCPH was able to pull off the 2021 Community Health Assessment and 2022-2026 Community Health Improvement Plan that has prioritized behavioral health, access to care, and environmental health stewardship to help CCPH and its partners focus on key health areas. The full document can be found at:  https://www.chaffeecounty.org/EndUserFiles/74417.pdf. 

In response to the needs identified in the assessment process, CCPH has big plans to launch several exciting programs in 2022.  At some point this spring, CCPH will pilot a free mobile health clinic, Chaffee Community Clinic (CCC), that will provide wound care, STI/HIV testing, harm reduction support, referrals, and other basic healthcare to the people in our county who experience barriers to health and wellness the most. CCPH is grateful that it has the support of so many partners and volunteers to make this dream become a reality.  Be on the lookout for CCC’s mobile clinic out in the community.

In the 2016 Community Health Assessment, the needs of older adults were highlighted as a top priority. Well, CCPH heard the county loud and clear, and over the past few years, it has been strategic planning and has finally launched a new Aging Well program which assesses gaps in the county, connects resources and community stakeholders to address those deficiencies, and provides health navigation to the older adults in Chaffee County. 

As you can see, CCPH has been busy creating and strengthening programming so that the people of Chaffee County have the resources and supports they need to achieve optimal health and wellness. I am grateful for this amazing team, as well as the support and encouragement of the Chaffee County Board of Commissioners and Administration. 

There is no other place I would rather live and serve.

Happy National Public Health Week!
Andrea Carlstrom, Chaffee County Public Health Director