Development of Arapahoe County Public Health

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2023

As a result of political outcomes from the response to COVID-19, the boards of county commissioners that comprised Tri-County Health Department voted to disband the 70-year-old, multi-county health department. The department was the largest in Colorado, served more than 1.6 million people, and covered more than 2,800 square miles. Once it was clear that the partnership would not continue, the Arapahoe County Board of Commissioners quickly established an internal project team of department heads and other county leaders to develop a new, single-county public health department to serve its population of more than 650,000 across nearly 800 square miles. With the help of a public health organizational consultant, the county built the governance, legal, fiscal, IT, and human resources infrastructure of the new department within 12 months. The first few public health staff built policies, processes, and programs necessary for implementation. Once allowable by Colorado law, a board of health was appointed, a public health director was hired, approximately 160 staff were recruited, hired and onboarded, and more than $12.5 million of external funding was secured. Throughout the process, the county kept multiple audiences apprised through strategic communications. The new department successfully and seamlessly launched January 3, 2023.