Jefferson County Public Health recognizes community members
Jefferson
County, Colorado--Public Health is what we as a
society do collectively to prevent illness and premature death and promote
health in our communities. Each year, during National Public Health Week, April
4-10, 2016, Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH) honors some of the many
people it works with throughout the year that help to make our county
healthy. While they may not have made public health their profession, the
work they do, the partnerships they provide and their enthusiasm for protecting
the health of Jefferson County residents qualifies them as the 2015 Public
Health Champions. An award ceremony hosted by JCPH, the Jefferson County Board
of Health and the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners was held on
March 30, 2016. JCPH is pleased to
announce the following 2015 Public Health Champions:
·
Ensuring Safe
Science Classrooms & Laboratories for Children in Jeffco Schools
Kimberly MacDonnell,
Karen Minteer and Jenelle Vierzbicki
Jeffco
Schools Kimberly MacDonnell and her colleagues Karen Minteer and Jenelle
Vierzbicki are Public Health Champions for their work ensuring that Jeffco
Schools’ science classrooms and laboratories are safe. The State of Colorado
issued rules and regulations back in 1990 to address safety issues in science
classrooms and laboratories. The rules
and regulations which Jeffco Schools are mandated to meet were amended in 2002,
updated in 2006, and amended again in 2015. These public health champions
actively participated in the 2015 Rules and Regulations Governing Schools
revisions. They attended scheduled meetings and added valuable experience and
input.
As Director of Environmental Services for Jeffco Schools,
Kim MacDonnell knows that science classrooms can be a unique challenge.
Kim and her team evaluate the potential hazards of evolving curriculum,
provide training and resources to staff, maintain safety equipment, assess
chemical storage areas, manage spills, and properly dispose of experimental
leftovers. Kim
also sees to it that communications with JCPH Environmental Health Services is
consistent and regular.
Karen
Minteer is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager. Her background in teaching high school
chemistry is especially valuable in understanding the challenges in school
laboratory settings. Kim is able to offer tips and tools to teaching staff that
can be incorporated quickly have a huge impact on safety.
Jenelle
Vierzbicki is a Certified Safety Professional with a wealth of knowledge in
accident prevention. Her years of experience and background in risk
assessment are key in developing best-practice recommendations for science
experiment preparation and safety. Jenelle helps to ensure that
Jeffco Schools continually strives to improve safety.
Kim
and her team have been a wonderful resource to Jefferson County Public Health
when it comes to achieving and maintaining long term compliance with safety
regulations at Jeffco Schools. Their commitment to public health & child
safety makes them 2015 Public Health Champions.
Congratulations Kim, Karen and Jenelle!
·
Reducing
the Toll of Tobacco in our Communities through Youth Engagement
Breathe
Easy (BE) Team students Brittany Willis, Tristin Roman, Morgan Lester, Jessie
Jennett and Lakewood High School BE Team sponsor Kim Morrow
In 2015, four Jefferson County youth passionately pursued
tobacco prevention efforts within their schools and their communities by
immersing themselves in local Breathe Easy (BE) Teams. Supported by their high
schools and Jefferson County Public Health’s (JCPH) Tobacco Prevention
Initiative, BE Teams continue to make significant gains in shaping tobacco-free
norms, changing local community policy and reducing the environmental impact of
tobacco in local communities. Brittany Willis, a sophomore at Golden High
School; Tristin Roman, a senior at Lakewood High School; Morgan Lester, a
junior at Lakewood High School; Jessie Jennett, a senior at Lakewood High
School and Kim Morrow a counselor and sponsor of the BE Team at Lakewood High
School are all 2015 Public Health Champions for their work to reduce the toll
of tobacco through youth engagement.
During the
Spring of 2015, BE Teams led students from other area schools in a Kick Butt’s
Day Cigarette Butt Pick-Up at Crown Hill and Discovery Park. Together, youth collected
almost 6,500 cigarette butts in 45 minutes, but the work didn’t stop there.
These Public Health Champions were so moved to create a healthier, tobacco-free
community that they testified before Wheat Ridge City Council to lend support
for a smoke and vapor-free parks ordinance in Wheat Ridge. In addition, they
organized numerous tobacco prevention events in their schools and field trips
to survey tobacco retailers within 1,000 feet from Jeffco schools. Both
Brittany and Tristin have volunteered time at the Health Department to work on
various youth-related tobacco prevention issues. Their concerted efforts helped
raise awareness about the negative impact tobacco has on youth and their
community and the benefits of smoke and vapor-free parks and other public
areas. Kim Morrow has provided remarkable support and encouragement to youth
and has contributed greatly to the team’s success. Her consistent willingness
to volunteer time and energy as well as her excellent leadership skills are to
be applauded. Thank you and congratulations to Brittany, Tristin, Morgan,
Jessie, and Kim, for their meaningful contributions to tobacco prevention.
Cheryl Yeske, RN, Care Manager
Cheryl Yeske, RN, Care Manager at Lutheran Medical
Center is a public health champion for her work advocating for the health and
safety of Jefferson County newborns and their parents. This Public Health
Champion does an amazing job of assessing the needs of new parents including
risk factors that make them vulnerable when returning home with a newborn. As an
RN and care manager, Cheryl has the opportunity to build meaningful and
trusting relationships with her patients. She works to connect moms with home
visitations from a public health nurse, mental health treatment, substance
abuse counseling, tobacco prevention, the WIC program and referrals to Medicaid
and other resources as needed. Cheryl’s primary concern is that mothers and
their newborns have a safe and supportive start and she is there to help build
a safety network around them. She acts as a liason between JCPH nurse home
visitors and Lutheran Medical Center.
Cheryl has been an
advocate of the Nurse Family Partnership and Prenatal Plus programs for many
years and makes referrals regularly. Both of these programs assist families as
they begin their parenting journeys with the support of a caring public health
nurse visiting them in their home. Cheryl sends valuable information to nurse
home visitation nurses and assists with developing care plans for mom and baby.
She is meticulous and thorough in her care management. Cheryl’s ability to identify risk factors and
resources available to moms going home from the hospital improves the lives of
many of Jefferson County’s youngest and most vulnerable and makes her a
Jefferson County 2015 Public Health Champion.
·
Increasing
Physical Activity through the Built Environment
Rose Chavez, Healthy Places Initiative Coordinator, and the City of
Arvada
Jefferson County Public Health
is proud to honor Rose Chavez, Healthy Places Coordinator, and the City of
Arvada, as Public Health Champions for their work to create healthy and
thriving communities through the Healthy Places Initiative.
This three-year initiative, funded by the
Colorado Health Foundation, began in the Spring of 2013 and is being led by a
stakeholder committee made up of a mix of community residents, city staff,
Jeffco Schools, businesses and faith leaders. The initiative is working to increase healthy
communities in three neighborhoods in Arvada and will focus on community
engagement and community-driven approaches to select infrastructure
improvements in a variety of settings.
The Healthy Places Initiative will help Arvada improve access and
connectivity to a variety of important destinations, making it easier to walk,
bike, play and engage in daily activities that encourage movement and
connection wi th the community. Arvada
and its partners are successfully integrating health into a variety of planning
documents to ensure healthy community design, programs, and infrastructure
changes are sustained and encouraged.
Congratulations
to Rose Chavez and the City of Arvada for your contribution to the
public’s health in 2015. Rose is also an active member of the Jefferson County
Health Improvement Network’s Active Living Coalition.
·
Increasing
Physical Activity, Healthy Eating and Psychosocial Well-Being through the
Jefferson County Community Health Improvement Network
The
Jefferson County Community Health Improvement Network has made significant
strides towards creating a healthier Jefferson County using a collective impact
framework to coordinate health improvement efforts throughout the county. In
2015, Jefferson County Public Health engaged over 200 partners from mulitiple
sectors to work together towards a common goal: to increase physical activity,
healthy eating and psychosocial well-being.
To organize these efforts, six coalitions, also known as CoINs, were
formed, each focusing on a particular area. These include the Active Living
Coalition, the Food Access Coalition, the Healthy Beverage Coalition, the
Health in Early Childhood Collaborative, the School Wellness Coalition and the
Preventive Care and Behavioral Health Resources Coalition. While we thank and
appreciate everyone who contributes to this network of community coalitions,
certain individuals stand out this year as champions for their leadership. The following community members are Public
Health Champions for their work within the Jeffco Community Health Improvement
Network:
o
Supporting
Local Food Access and Participating on the Jefferson County Food Policy Council
- Jacki
Paone
Jefferson County Public Health
is proud to honor Jacki Paone, Director of the Colorado State University Extension
office in Jefferson County,
as a Public Health Champion for her work to support local food access.
Jacki’s commitment to build and sustain partnerships across
a variety of departments and agencies, and her energy and enthusiasm to align
resources at CSU Extension, to support local food access, has moved food
systems work in Jefferson County to a new level. Examples of this are her
co-facilitation of the Healthy Food For Jeffco Kids Network, her continued
support and commitment to the newly formed Jefferson County Food Policy
Council, her leadership on the East Central Jeffco Food Assessment, and her
integration of food systems work into her job at Extension.
Additionally, Jacki Paone is committed to providing
opportunities for dialogue and capacity building on food system issues. This
was demonstrated by her leadership and facilitation of the Mark Winne food policy
council training held in April 2015. In
addition, Jacki is always willing to meet and brainstorm with partners about
how to integrate healthy food access, physical activity, and other healthy
behaviors into youth programming. Jacki and her staff continually support local
food growers by offering programs such as “Building Farmers,” “Top Ten
Vegetables to Grow in Colorado,” “The Thrill of Starting Seeds,” “Understanding
Pests and Disease,” “Container Gardening,” "Cottage Food Safety" and
more. All this, while also providing
fresh local produce from the Extension’s demonstration garden to local food
pantries. Congratulations and thank you to Jacki Paone for your considerable contributions
to the public’s health in 2015.
o
Increasing Awareness of and Access to
Healthy Beverages for Jefferson County Families
Traci Jervis and Jesse Greaves-Smith
Traci Jervis and Jesse Greaves-Smith are public health
champions for their work increasing awareness of and access to healthy
beverages for all Jefferson County families. These two champions are also
accepting on behalf of everyone on the Healthy Beverage Coalition. Traci has been instrumental in helping
launch the Healthy Beverage Coalition.
As a Jeffco resident, mother, and public health student, Traci knows how
important access to healthy beverages is in our communities and is passionate
about the work of the coalition. Traci shared at the bi-annual Jeffco Network
meeting about the launch of the Healthy Beverage Coalition, and is a current
active and involved member.
Jesse Greaves-Smith has a decade
of experience redesigning summer camp experiences for the Denver Area Boy Scout
Council. As a director of Colorado Adventure Point, he uses scouting ideals and
experiential methods, refined through the lens of educational research, to
create a new version of what learning can look like for all youth. Jesse joined the Healthy Beverage Coalition
to work towards real results with a wide group of people who also believe that
when it comes to health, we can do better for all kids. Recently, Jesse has partnered with the Healthy
Beverage Coalition to conduct a vending assessment at Adventure Point, ensuring
that the environment supports positive food choices for the thousands of youth
that pass through that facility. Jesse
is also an active member of the School Wellness Coalition. Congratulations and a huge thank you to
Traci, Jesse and all of the Healthy Beverage Coalition members.
o
Supporting
School Wellness in Jeffco Schools through the School Wellness Coalition
Kyle
Conrad, Cynthia Farrar, and Leslie
Feuerborn
Kyle Conrad, Cynthia
Farrar, and Leslie Feuerborn are all public health champions for their work on
the Jeffco School Wellness Coalition.
These champions are also accepting on behalf of everyone who has worked
hard all year as part of the Coalition.
The School Wellness Coalition focused their efforts on two initiatives
this year: improving drinking water access and advocating for water bottle
refill stations at schools; and, coordinating efforts to provide safer routes
to schools for Jefferson County students.
Kyle Conrad is the Girls Scouts of
Colorado North Jefferson County Volunteer Support Specialist. Her work for the Girl Scouts over the past 5
years has included supporting community gardens and bringing local foods into
Colorado schools. Her work on the Jeffco Wellness Coalition has included
designing and facilitating the creation of a training video now in use at
Jeffco Schools that teaches volunteers to assess the availability of drinking
water fountains and water bottle refill stations. The video stars girls scouts
and has been a valuable resource for the Coalition as it reaches out to schools
to do water assessments.
Cynthia Farrar has worked in
public and community health settings in the Jefferson County area for over 25
years and has generously brought this experience to the School Wellness
Coalition. Cynthia currently provides health education through three Metro
Community Provider Network (MCPN) School-based Health Centers for children and
teens. In addition, she has supervised twelve teams of AmeriCorps members in
her work. Cynthia has a breadth of
experience with classroom and small group health education and excels at
maximizing resources to help students adopt and maintain healthy behaviors.
Each year, her programs and staff provide nearly 1,000 classroom education
sessions, and she has influenced youth health and safety behaviors for
thousands of students in her past 15 years of work in the MCPN School-based
Health Centers.
And, Public Health Champion,
Leslie Feuerborn is the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Safe Routes
to School Program Manager and an active member of the School Wellness
Coalition. Leslie has worked in
different capacities to encourage healthy eating, active living and injury
reduction for almost 40 years in Colorado. Her current work includes guiding
communities in building Safe Routes to School coalitions to enable and
encourage more school children to walk and bicycle safely to and from school.
Leslie has been instrumental in helping the coalition set up goals for a
coordinated approach to improving the infrastructure around schools to make
walking and wheeling to school safer and more appealing. She has also
spearheaded efforts encouraging municipalities to work together to apply for
CDOT funding for these important built environment improvements.
Congratulations Kyle, Cynthia, and Leslie for your work supporting
school wellness in Jefferson County.
o
Improving
collaboration among Early Childhood wellness programs in Jefferson County - Patricia
Bolton
Patricia Bolton, Executive Director of the Triad Early
Childhood Council is a champion for her work improving the health of children
through the Early Childhood Council serving Jefferson, Clear Creek, and Gilpin
counties and the newly formed Health in Early Childhood Collaborative. Pat has
worked in the early care and education field for more than 30 years and is also
Director of Child Care Innovations at Red Rocks Community College. In this
capacity, she manages programs that include a variety of early childhood
education training and support initiatives, child care subsidies for families
in crisis, and child care licensing. As Executive Director of the Triad Early
Childhood Council, Pat works to increase quality, access, and quality of early
childhood services across the domains of early learning, health, mental health,
and family support.
In 2015, Pat collaborated with Jefferson County Public
Health and the University of Colorado to develop the Healthy Preschool
Partnership. This partnership aims to increase reach and sustainability of
evidence -based practices to improve nutrition and increase physical activity
in licensed childcare facilities with a focus on working with low-income
facilities. Pat has been a critical partner and supporter in the development of
the Health in Early Childhood Collaborative and has provided the infrastructure
to house this group within the TRIAD Early Childhood Council. Pat truly
understands the impact the social determinants of health have on early
childhood and works with families to address the whole family system and its
psychosocial well-being. Pat is also an ordained minister and former registered
nurse. Her extensive work in the early care and education field has included
operation of a licensed family childcare home, serving as president of state
and local family childcare associations, as well as involvement on local,
state, and national task forces, advisory committees, and boards. Thank you and
congratulations Pat on being a 2015 Public Health Champion for your work
improving the health of so many of Jefferson County’s children.
o
Supporting
the Creation of a Coalition to Connect Preventive Care and Behavioral Health
Resources in Jefferson County
Corina
Lindley, Monica Buhlig and Carol Salzmann
Next, we would like to highlight partners instrumental in
the creation of our newest Jeffco Community Health Improvement Coalition, the
Preventive Care & Behavioral Health Resources Coalition. This coalition is
working toward documenting and networking care resources throughout the county
in order to ensure better access to care for all types of health and wellness
needs. This coalition is also planning a county-wide stigma reduction campaign
to reduce discrimination against those with behavioral and mental health
conditions. Centura Health’s Corina Lindley, Vice President of Community Health
and Mission and her colleague Monica Buhlig, Group Director of Community Health Improvement and
Lutheran Medical Center’s Carol Salzmann, Vice President of Community Development
and Executive Director of Lutheran Medical Center Foundation are 2015 Public
Health Champions for helping to make the formation of this coalition
possible.
As representatives of the county’s
two hospitals, these champions have also worked to coordinate their health
assessments and improvement plans with Jeffco Community Health Improvement
Network plans and inititatives—and have agreed to continued and expanded
coordination in as we all move toward aligning our efforts to improving the
community’s access to—and coordination of—care—including both preventive care
and behavioral health resources. In
addition to their contribution to the Jefferson County Community Health
Improvement Plan and the implementation of the Preventive Health and Behavioral
Health Resources Coalition, both
hospitals are members of the Colorado Healthy Hospital Compact. As such, they are building healthier nutrition
environments and have agreed to offer healthy food options to patients and
their families, visitors and staff. Congratulations and thank you to Corina Lindley, Monica Buhlig and Carol Salzmann.
Banana Bobs 
