Mesa County Public Health Celebrates National Public Health Week

Public health is community health. 

National Public Health Week, which is celebrated the first week of April, is a time to recognize the contributions of Public Health. Our mission at Mesa County Public Health (MCPH) is to work together to anticipate and respond to conditions that impact the health of residents and visitors in Mesa County. 

“Our collaborative approach is unique. Our teams are all connected to a bigger picture. We’re not just working to make the community healthier and safer today- we’re improving systems that lead to sustained change over time,” said Executive Director Jeff Kuhr.

Part of our approach includes looking at conditions in communities that impact people’s health and well-being. “Our environment impacts our health in a significant way. How close do you live to a grocery store that has fresh fruit and vegetables? Do you have a park in your neighborhood or a safe walkable trail? We like to step back and look at these conditions,” said Kuhr.

We can improve the health of residents by addressing certain factors:

• increasing access to preventive health care and mental health services.
• improving the environment and conditions for community members to choose a healthy lifestyle.
• strengthening economic resilience through an economy that supports the local workforce.
• building social connectedness across neighborhoods.

We work with our partners to address these concerns and find solutions that are unique to Mesa County. More than 50 partners work with us on different initiatives like the Clifton Community Transformation Group. Community leaders are developing solutions that lead to connection and a sense of community in Clifton.

We work to support local families and help them become more economically stable. Our Grand Valley Connects team provides enhanced resource navigation and enrollment support for services. Our WIC team serves 2,800 families each month with each family receiving about $100 worth of healthy foods. This enables families to afford other needs. We understand that child care is essential economic infrastructure and work to improve the quality and quantity of child care in Mesa County.

Our team helps create environments that promote health and safety. In 2022, MCPH performed over 500 inspections at local businesses including restaurants, body art parlors, pools, and schools. We work with businesses that people visit every day to make sure they are operating safely. Meanwhile, the Trails Crew built nearly ten miles of new trail at 18 Road to provide easier access to outdoor recreation.

LOOKING AHEAD

By offering these services and resources, our agency gives residents the opportunity to thrive. We are grateful to serve the community and are looking forward to expanding our programs. For example, our regional lab is expanding to provide more services and we are launching in-person food safety courses.

Our work would not be possible without the vision of our Executive Director, Jeff Kuhr. He makes sure our team has the tools needed to continue the work of public health-  improving the health of our families and future generations.

“Improving the quality of life for people in Mesa County is at the heart of what we do. Our focus in 2023 is continued innovation. We’re excited to continue our work to improve and expand the systems that support the health and well-being of our community,” said Kuhr.