Broomfield joins Health Week observance

 Broomfield’s Public Health Division will join Colorado in observing 2006 National Public Health Week, beginning Monday, April 3. 

This year’s Public Health Week will spotlight the people of public health through Sunday, April 9.  “The employees of the Broomfield Public Health and Environment Division are dedicated to protecting the public and environmental health of the City and County of Broomfield,” said John Pickle, Broomfield public health officer. 

“We work to provide a wide variety of services – from   preventing disease outbreaks and protecting against avoidable injuries to promoting healthy eating habits and the importance of regular physical activity. Our scope aims to keep Broomfield’s water, air and soil clean and help prepare local residents for a large-scale disease outbreak should one occur.  There are few groups of people who are as dedicated to what they do as the staffs of public health agencies across Colorado,” Pickle declared. 

Pickle noted that “Public health employees have a very special dedication to their jobs.  They care about their responsibilities whether those duties involve making sure children are able to obtain all of the immunizations their parents want them to have, or doing inspections to make certain Broomfield’s restaurants are clean and the food they serve is safe.  I am proud to have joined Broomfield's HHS and to lead this public health and environment staff."

There are 1,034 state health employees, and local public health agencies across the state employ 2,984 employees. The public health employees in Colorado include public health nurses, environmental scientists and specialists; environmental engineers; health planners, statistical analysts and researchers; epidemiologists; infection control and disease investigators; licensure, inspection and regulatory specialists, including persons who inspect restaurants; public health educators; laboratory professionals and laboratory specialists; public health nutritionists; physicians; veterinarians and animal-control specialists; data analysts; administrative workers; program directors; support staff; information officers; and computer specialists. 

Public health employees also issue birth and death certificates; provide vaccinations required for international travel; inspect child care centers; inspect public pools and spas; supervise cleanup of sites where illegal methamphetamine labs have been located; inspect body art facilities where body tattoos and piercings are provided; cleanup outdated, dangerous chemicals in schools and college chemistry laboratories; collaborate in land use planning; and provide parenting education and breastfeeding support to expectant and new mothers. 

They conduct intake for Medicaid, Medicare and the Child Health Plan Plus insurance programs; provide services for children with special needs; provide testing and conduct programs to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis; provide dental care and work with Colorado communities to encourage adding fluoride to drinking water; encourage people to stop using tobacco products or not to start; and  participate in developing emergency preparedness and disaster recovery programs to deal with threats as diverse as anthrax exposure; a flu pandemic; blizzards and the aftermath of a major hurricane.