Silver Thread Public Health District

About the Program

Category: Health (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

The Silver Thread Public Health District is Colorado’s first new Public Health department since the early 1950’s. Hinsdale and Mineral Counties are 2 of the smallest counties in the state and in 2014 they began discussing the feasibility of merging their existing Public Health Departments in an effort to be more economically frugal to its constituents and maximize resources in an often underserved part of rural Colorado. Early 2014, both sets of County Commissioners met to discuss the need for sustainability in one of the 2 counties that struggled to keep their Public Health department going. The idea was to share services and consider merging into a combined district, which seemed like a straightforward idea but proved to be anything but simple. Hinsdale and Mineral County each share similar demographics with 850 and 780 total county populations respectively, with significant seasonal influx during the summer, and economically challenged living conditions for year-round citizens. The counties are separated by 2 mountain passes and an hour drive on sometimes treacherous mountain roads. Being the first new district since the initiation of the Colorado Public Health Act of 2009 and going back to early 1950’s since the last district was formed in the books, there were few examples of how to navigate this process, thus creating a lot of work and determination by County Commissioners, the Public Health Director and an array of state level support in order to complete this merger. The new district was officially signed into place August 17, 2016 after a long road of legislative, financial and logistical work. The Silver Thread Public Health District defies jurisdictional boundaries and overcomes barriers to providing Public Health services to two of Colorado’s smallest counties on the map, and this is our story.