Your new health department is inspired by you – a community that is continually ranked among the healthiest in the nation.
With a philosophy of providing information so you can make the best decisions for yourself and your family, the Douglas County Health Department fully launches by the end of this year.
Did you know that in 2022 Douglas County was once again named the Healthiest County in Colorado and continues to be recognized as one of the Healthiest Counties in the U.S.?
With that in mind, some might ask, “Why is a health department needed in Douglas County?”
The answer begins with the requirements of state law that all Colorado Counties provide Core Public Health Services – such as Environmental Health; Vital Records; Emergency Preparedness and Response; Disease Surveillance; and Maternal, Child, Adolescent, and Family Health.
Colorado’s Core Public Health Services Requirements
In 2008, the Colorado Public Health Act required the State Board of Health 1) to establish, by rule, core public health services that each county and district public health agency must provide or ensure; and 2) to establish minimum quality standards for those public health services. Effective Jan. 1, 2020, state and local health departments in Colorado are required to ensure the provision of seven Foundational Capabilities and five Foundational Services
In addition to the baseline, required services, a county may also consider additional services based on the unique public health needs of its community.
As such, in 2021, a public process, led by Douglas County and a team of public health experts, identified the unique public health needs of our communities through the implementation of a Community Health Assessment and a Public Health Improvement Plan, both requirements of state law for all public health agencies.
The public process revealed what our communities believe are the top three public health issues:
Governed by a Board of Health, your Health Department is in the process of incrementally standing up services – in sync with the unique needs of Douglas County – with the expectation to be completely independent of Tri-County Health – from whom the County is in the process of separating – before the end of 2022.
Your new 21st Century Douglas County Health Department aims to do our part to sustain healthy Douglas County communities while encouraging you to take a proactive role in managing your own health. We are dedicated to keeping you informed to help you make informed decisions toward healthier lives, through collaborative partnerships and actions to affect upstream determinants of health.
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Funding the Health Department
The Board of Health and the Board of Douglas County Commissioners have committed that the cost to operate the new health department will not exceed the County’s share as part of Tri-County Health. Beginning with a baseline amount of $2.5 million – the per capita cost for Douglas County to be served by Tri-County Health – state funding, grants for the funding of services previously accessed by Tri-County and now available to Douglas County, as well as fees for services, our Department Director is confident he can fulfill this commitment.
History of Public Health Services Delivery in Douglas County
On Jan. 1, 1966, following the South Platte River Floods of 1965, Douglas County joined the Tri-County District Health Department, providing Douglas County residents and businesses with requisite public health services. On Sept. 14, 2021, Douglas County separated from Tri-County Health Department to form its own local public health department with an Intergovernmental Agreement for Tri-County Health Department to continue providing public health services through the end of 2022, as Douglas County will be independent from Tri-County Health Department, with its own local health department, on or before Jan. 1, 2023.
