Douglas County has made a commitment to remain part of the Tri-County Health Department though December 31, 2022. In the interim, the County is exploring options and opportunities related to the delivery of public health services for the County’s residents. Those options and opportunities will be provided to the Board of County Commissioners to guide their decision on how they wish to ensure that public health services meet the needs of County residents. As a parallel process to developing options for public health services for County residents, the County seeks a Community Health Assessment and a Public Health Improvement Plan (PHIP) based on that assessment, specific to Douglas County and its public health needs. The current Tri-County Public Health Improvement Plan covers Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas Counties for the period 2019-2024. There is likely valuable information in this district plan relevant to the development of a Douglas County Plan.
Guidance for the assessment and plan development process is available in CHAPS, the Colorado Health Assessment and Planning System developed by the Office of Planning, Partnerships, and Improvement, CDPHE (the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment), which is now the Office of Public Health Practice, Planning and Local Partnerships. Using the CHAPS System provides a standard mechanism for assisting local or district public health agencies in meeting assessment and planning requirements of the Public Health Act of 2008.
Additionally, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) has a framework for community health improvement that includes resources for community health assessment/community health improvement plans.
Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) is a community-driven strategic planning process for improving community health. Facilitated by public health leaders, this framework helps communities apply strategic thinking to prioritize public health issues and identify resources to address them.
