Safety, walkability, transportation, and aesthetic design are all important components of planning a downtown commercial area, whether in a large city or a small town. Downtowns and “Main Streets” can, if well planned, boost tourism and enhance quality of life for residents. Therefore the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, the Colorado Department of Public Health […]
What is the leading cause of death in your county? The life expectancy? The number of live births? The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) has several interactive tools on their website that can help you find this information and much more. Their Vital Statistics website includes a state map which you can […]
The Colorado Attorney General’s Office just released a new report, Community Conversations to Inform Youth Suicide Prevention: A Study of Youth Suicide in Four Colorado Counties, which is now available to view online from our library. The report examines the growing rates of youth suicide in El Paso, La Plata, Mesa, and Pueblo counties, which […]
If quitting smoking is your new year’s resolution, the State of Colorado has new resources to help you. Colorado QuitLine is a tool that Coloradans can use to get free products and coaching. According to a news release from the Colorado Department of Health & Environment, QuitLine has recently been updated. New online resources are […]
Cañon City High School students don masks during the 1918-19 pandemic. Photo courtesy History Colorado. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the great Spanish influenza pandemic that claimed the lives of an estimated 50 million people worldwide — more people than died in combat in both World Wars combined. I have several relatives who […]
If you’re looking for resources and information on brain injuries, the Colorado Department of Human Services has a new website that may be of help. The MINDSOURCE Brain Injury Network, mindsourcecolorado.org, is a site for Coloradans with brain injury and their families and caregivers. “MINDSOURCE manages the Colorado Traumatic Brain Injury Trust Fund, provides training […]
Last month the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment launched a new awareness campaign, Responsibility Grows Here, for teaching parents and caregivers about the responsible use of marijuana, including information for pregnant and breastfeeding women, responsible use around children, and how to talk to youth about marijuana. From the CDPHE’s press release: Trusted adults […]
If you are one of the 1,276,946 members of Health First Colorado, the state’s Medicaid program, there are many resources available online to help you understand your benefits and services under the program. For an overview, see the Member Handbook, available in both English and Spanish. You can also view a benefits and services chart […]
Wondering what you can do to help reduce ozone and improve our summer air? The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Regional Air Quality Council have launched a new campaign that can help Coloradans take simple steps toward better summer air. In fact, that’s the name of the campaign and its new […]
It’s only the beginning of June, but with temperatures already into the 90s, it looks like it’s going to be a very hot summer! With hot temperatures come heat dangers, one of the most significant being the danger of a hot parked car. On a hot day, temperatures inside parked cars can rise to lethal […]
May 6-12, 2018 is National Drinking Water Week. From lead to fluoride, from private wells to public water systems, there are many consumer issues related to the water you drink. If you are interested in learning about drinking water in Colorado, start with the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s Drinking Water: Consumer Information […]
Today we often think of early settlers coming to Colorado seeking wealth, but in fact, just as many — if not more — were seeking health. Respiratory diseases, especially tuberculosis, were widespread in America and Europe in the nineteenth century. At that time, medical professionals did not understand that tuberculosis was communicable. Instead, they believed […]
It’s not a pleasant topic, but it’s certainly an important one for cities and towns to learn from. Exactly ten years ago, in March and April 2008, the city of Alamosa experienced a deadly Salmonella outbreak that caused at least 442 confirmed illnesses and, according to estimates, as many as 1,300 people – 15{66eaadba41c14e7e553ffe7a4ee73fbae213b19704eda0514b3dd79e37e4c0c5} of […]
This is National Poison Prevention Week, and if you work in the agriculture industry, one of the poisons that you will most frequently encounter is pesticides. If you are someone who handles or administers pesticides, or are an employer of those who do so, here are some resources from the State of Colorado that provide […]
Falls, car accidents, and sports injuries can all be causes of traumatic brain injury (TBI), which affects all ages. Statistics from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment show that the 15-24 age group has the highest number of hospitalizations for TBI, but people over 85 had the highest number of TBI-related deaths. Our […]
One of the most frequently accessed publications in our entire library collection is the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s 2017 Guide to Worker Safety and Health in the Marijuana Industry. As the industry grows (no pun intended) in our state and in many other parts of the nation, more and more people are […]
As you work to protect yourself from the flu this season, don’t forget about your pets and livestock. While animals don’t get our human strains of flu, there are separate strains that can affect different species: Avian influenza, or bird flu, most often affects waterfowl such as ducks and geese, but these birds can transmit […]
One quarter of all deaths in the United States occur from heart disease, and it remains the leading cause of death for both men and women. Yet there are many things you can do to help prevent heart disease and stay healthy. Each February the American Heart Association sponsors American Heart Month to bring awareness […]
January is National Radon Action Month and YOU should test your home for radon. It doesn’t matter whether you live in an old building or new construction; radon “can enter homes through cracks in the foundation or other openings and can accumulate unless properly mitigated,” says the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE). […]
Depending on federal budget actions, the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+), a low-cost health plan for qualifying children and pregnant women, could be eliminated. This month the Colorado General Assembly’s Joint Budget Committee approved short-term funding that extends CHP+ at least until the end of February. The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, […]
On New Year’s Day several new laws, passed during the 2016 and 2017 legislative sessions, went into effect. The new laws are: HB16-1387, Health Insurance for Protein Allergic Conditions SB17-065, Transparency in Direct Pay Health Care Prices SB17-088, Participating Provider Network Selection Criteria HB17-1220, Prevent Marijuana Diversion to Illegal Market HB17-1231, Market Conduct Examinations Insurance […]