Hill gives update on health department progress

Budget goals remain intact

BY HALEY LENA

HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Programs for the Douglas County Health Department have been up and running for over two months and during a March 9 meeting, Executive Director Michael Hill gave an update on the independent health department.

“I think the way this county approached the health department by phasing it in over the last year has really been to our bene t,” said Hill.

In Douglas County, a program that started two years ago has helped dozens of people stay connected with the resources they need, including many people who struggled with housing.

“We’re also hoping to reduce reliance or interaction with our crisis emergency and acute care services as well,” said Leandra Montoya, who works with e the county jail and organizations in the community to help keep people with complex needs from falling through the cracks. One of the program’s main goals: to cut down on situations where people use services like law enforcement or transportation to an emergency room to deal with

As sta are developing relationships and creating partnerships with more organizations, the Douglas County Health Department has been working with the state and other local health departments to develop further relationships in replacement of Tri-County. e department has participated with the Colorado Association of Local Public Health O cials Policy Committee to keep up to date on proposed state legislation impacting health and working with Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver Health and all the metro region health departments to redesign a future Tuberculosis control program.

Hill also said he participated in the Region 12 Opioid Council, which guides the expenditure of Opioid Settlement dollars in the county over the coming years.

A brief nancial report was provided for the board to discuss the expenditures and revenues of the department.