Colorado’s strong culture of fitness and physical activity along with the efforts of its public health officials have helped the residents of the state to be among the healthiest in the US. In fact, CDC statistics showed that Colorado had the highest percentage of people that participate in the recommended amount of rigorous exercise of any state in the nation as of 2013. Colorado’s public health officials are building on the state’s strengths with research, public policy, and the implementation of programs designed to improve the health of its residents overall.
The flagship priorities in Colorado include preventing obesity and mitigating mental health issues and substance abuse. In fact, in 2013 the state legislature appropriated $19.8 million to create a response system for individuals experiencing behavioral health emergencies.
The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) has a wide array of programs to protect and improve the health of the state’s residents. Its environmental health section addresses problems ranging from mitigating radon exposure to cleaning up uranium mill tailings sites.
The CDPHE has been very active in responding to public health crises and has worked closely with the CDC to address two serious outbreaks of pediatric illnesses during 2014. Epidemiologists helped to identify victims of an outbreak of enterovirus-D68 that had infected a number of children in the Denver area. Also, the CDPHE issued a Health Alert Network Broadcast to healthcare providers in September 2014 to alert them of nine cases of an acute neurological illness that had affected children and teenagers.
Stakeholders throughout Colorado work together to improve public health in the state, and 10 organizations collaborate on public health issues as part of the Public Health Alliance of Colorado. Members range from state and local public health officials to public administrators and health educators.
A Look at the Salaries of Public Health Professionals in Denver
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment compares the salaries for a number of types of public health professionals located in the Denver area in 2014. While the salaries for these positions can differ greatly, individuals with advanced degrees such as a Master of Public Health usually earn salaries delineated in the experienced category.
A Statewide Analysis of Public Health Salaries in Colorado
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides a full, detailed analysis of the hourly and annual salaries of public health officials in Colorado for 2014.
*Salaries are greater than $90 an hour or $187,199 a year. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics does not provide data on earnings beyond these thresholds.
