Public Health: What Is It and How It Benefits Colorado
Along with our partners at the Colorado Health Institute, Trailhead Institute, and the Colorado School of Public Health, we're excited to share Public Health: What It Is and How It Benefits Colorado, a nonpartisan educational report for Coloradans and their elected leaders.
Key Takeaways:
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Public health protects Colorado’s economy, workforce, and communities by preventing disease, responding to emergencies, and promoting health and well-being for all. |
Supporting public health is a smart investment; it reduces healthcare and Medicaid costs while improving quality of life. |
Elected officials and Colorado leaders can help address key challenges facing public health including a lack of trust, funding volatility, workforce shortages, and outdated data systems. |
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A Pivotal Moment for Public Health in ColoradoColorado’s public health system plays a critical role in the safety of our communities. It’s the reason we have clean water and safe food and that Coloradans can live, work, and play in environments that are safe and free of disease. But our public health system can only work if it is funded and supported at all levels.
Public health can be hard to understand because it is designed to be invisible. Just like the important parts of a building are hidden in the walls — plumbing, electricity, structural supports — public health happens behind the scenes. It’s performed by environmental health specialists who ensure food is prepared and served safely by restaurants, epidemiologists who prevent disease outbreaks, and nurses who provide immunizations and preventive care. Public health experts diagnose the health of a community and prevent illness and injury before they occur. They listen to community members and use science and data to identify patterns and problems. They bring together partners — schools, businesses, government agencies, community-serving nonprofits, and others — to stop health threats before they start and ensure communities have what they need to stay healthy. |
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