 of detergent chemicals into the San Juan River. SJBHU alerts the public and begins testing water for safety, and ultimately determines that the contamination is thoroughly diluted by spring runoff with no long-term effects on the environment.
Now: SJBPH responded to the Gold King Mine spill in the Animas River in August of 2015, evaluating public health risk for all types of river users and communicating common-sense practices to stay safe when using the Animas River. Since the spill, SJBPH has collected over 350 samples of river water and sediment and conducted more than 100 private well tests in the Animas Valley to study levels of heavy metals and other possible contamination.
1975: Public alerts issued by SJBHU about rabies prevention after a Pagosa Springs girl is bitten by a skunk.
Now: SJBPH closely monitors for rabies in the region and coordinates with partners including veterinarians, healthcare providers, municipalities, and others to share information about rabies prevention, as well as precautions to protect animal and human health.
2002: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that the Rocky Mountain Region has the highest suicide rate in the country, and Montezuma and La Plata counties are even higher.
Now: With a regional suicide rate still above the state and national average, San Juan Basin Public Health’s positive youth development and suicide prevention efforts are important as ever. The Thriving Youth Programs focus on empowering youth to make healthier choices and increase resilience in their lives. The Suicide Prevention program is working to decrease the rates of suicide mortality and attempts for all individuals in Archuleta, La Plata, and San Juan counties through a community-based initiative that engages numerous organizations, agencies, and individuals.
The examination of parallels between past and current day services provided by SJBPH reveals an agency that has been both responsive to the public health needs of local residents as well as forward-thinking in its focus on prevention. The programs and services provided by SJBPH reflect both the traditional public health needs such as immunizations and restaurant inspections, as well as those in response to the modern-day health challenges such as positive youth development and suicide prevention programs.
The agency’s current-day mission is to protect human and environmental health and inspire well-being in the communities we serve. Interestingly, this could have served as the mission in 1948, at the agency’s inception, and more than likely will be able to appropriately represent the work of the agency in decades to come. Much of the focus of public health work has withstood the test of time; to help all individuals reach their highest potential of health. SJBPH’s look back in history reinforces the relevance of this year’s Public Health Week theme, Changing the Future Together.