Students Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Graduation Biostatistics Environment Worker Health
Miranda Dally, MS, research instructor and DrPH candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health’s Center for Health, Work and Environment and Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, was chosen to be the 2024 graduation student speaker. We sat down with Miranda to learn more about why she was selected, her future plans, and what her convocation speech might include.
Research Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Climate Health Worker Health
The many challenges and opportunities for improving health and safety for workers were in the spotlight April 4 at the 2024 Research Day Symposium, sponsored by the Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) in the Department of Environmental & Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health.
Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC
The Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) has been ranked #16 by U.S. News & World Report for graduate programs in public health. The rankings were announced publicly on April 9. Previously, ColoradoSPH had been ranked #17.
As a newer school of public health, founded in 2008, ColoradoSPH, has risen steadily through the ranks from #35 to #16 in just 15 short years. The rankings of more than 200 schools and programs of public health are based on expert opinions about program excellence and other statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.
ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC
Dear ColoradoSPH Community,
Over the past 2+ years, we prepared for our school’s Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) reaccreditation process that occurs every 7 years (this time 8 years due to the pandemic), with our last reaccreditation in 2016, accrediting the school into 2024.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to end its funding for a Colorado center that helps local public health organizations get their programs off the ground and prove they work. Colorado’s Democratic members of Congress sent a letter to the director of the CDC this week asking that the agency reconsider cutting funding to the Rocky Mountain Prevention Research Center.
Firearm Injury Prevention Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Gun Violence Prevention Injury & Violence Prevention
REMOTE (FEB 22): The Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has partnered with the Injury and Violence Prevention Center in the Colorado School of Public Health to publish the state’s first-ever resource bank regarding gun violence in Colorado.
Community Epidemiology Community and Practice Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Global Health
When Madiha Abdel-Maksoud, MD, PhD, MSPH, a physician and researcher, saw the latest data about high school students in Colorado and risky behavior, she knew she had to do something, not only as a public health professional but as a mother of a daughter who graduated from the Denver Public School (DPS) system.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Between reading, writing, and arithmetic, there are also disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and acts of violence at schools. While school districts have security and drills for these events, educators often have unanswered questions and are left feeling anxious and overwhelmed. Two Anschutz researchers wanted to change that, starting with gathering school staff’s ideas and addressing their questions about safety.
Alumni Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Global Health Health Advocacy
Dr. William Mundo didn’t know it at the time, but his career in public health and medicine sprang from the seeds planted in an unlikely setting: a snowy pre-dawn morning in a trailer on the outskirts of Leadville, Colorado.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Worker Health
If you offer your employees access to digital mental health applications, how do you know if the apps are actually helping them? Many employers understand their workforce’s need for mental health support. Nearly 60% of adults in the U.S. report having been concerned for either their own mental health or that of family and friends, increasing 9% since April of 20201. Poor employee mental health is associated with a $1 trillion annual global cost in productivity2.
Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) is pleased to announce Patricia (Patty) Gabow, MD, MACP, as the Spring 2024 convocation keynote speaker. As the former CEO of Denver Health, Gabow has been a champion of public health through her research, teaching, leadership, and advocacy for fifty years.
Community Epidemiology Community and Practice Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU Community Health Health Advocacy
Sixteen words sum up the mission of the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (OEDI) at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH). It is to “shape policies, practices, and programs that support a fair, diverse, and respectful environment for all individuals.”
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Maternal & Child Health Worker Health
The San Luis Valley sits between two major mountain ranges—the San Juans and the Sangre de Cristos—in south-central Colorado. As the upper headwater region for the Rio Grande River, the San Luis Valley is a fertile and important agricultural part of the state, supporting the majority of Colorado’s potato and buckwheat crop.
Community Community and Practice Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Workforce Development Community Health
If one goes in search of a stark public health problem, it’s difficult to avoid rates of hypertension in the Black community. The disease threatens all groups, but the percentage of Black adults with high blood pressure (at 59%) is by far the highest. In the relatively healthier state of Colorado, the incidence of high blood pressure among Blacks is much lower (at 34%), but it is still the highest by far among all groups in the state.
Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Worker Health
Women's health is not just a women's issue. It's a societal issue that affects local communities and the economy. While women have made major headway towards equality, many areas of their lives require additional support to be made truly equal to their male counterparts. One of those areas is in the workplace.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz AI/AN health Community Health
Members of the National Caucus of Native American State Legislators visited the Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health (CAIANH) in November to learn about the CAIANH’s work to better understand the health of Native peoples across the United States, to advance culturally oriented and community-driven solutions, and how this work has helped shape public policy.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
This holiday season, more than 55 million Americans are expected to travel for Thanksgiving alone, with nearly 5 million taking to the skies next week. US air travel has returned to pre-pandemic levels, and US airports are anticipating the highest number of Thanksgiving travelers since 2005. Masks are a rare sight not only in airports and on airplanes, but virtually everywhere else. But due, in part, to scientific advances and the structural, cultural, and societal changes that followed the emergence of COVID-19, we have a number of tools available to protect people from respiratory viruses. The outlook on respiratory disease this holiday season may be brighter than it has been in recent years.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Suicide Prevention Community Health Training Worker Health
Teachers and staff shoulder a significant burden of responsibility for emergency preparedness in pre-k-12 schools. While emergency drills, including active harmer (lockdown, lockout) drills, are designed to instill confidence, they can sometimes lead to fear, anxiety and confusion. Teachers are expected to lead the drills by directing and evacuating students, locking down classrooms, providing safety checks, and emotionally supporting students. Teachers often have unanswered questions and increased anxieties associated with drills and other emergency preparedness efforts. This underscores the importance of providing necessary resources to better support the school workforce, including psychological preparedness and other mental health supports, in addition to regular access to safety and security personnel
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The second annual Colorado School of Public Health Research Exchange began October 6 with an emphasis on numbers: dollars, percentages, poster presentation counts, and research award amounts. As the day unfolded, however, lively discussions turned to how statistics translate into the efforts of researchers to address the public health issues that define human lives.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Behind every exceptional leader lies a firm and ardent conviction. For Cathy Bradley, PhD, the newly minted, first permanent woman dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, it is a fundamental belief that health drives success. This belief is the compass by which she has built and steered a career dedicated to solving problems and removing social barriers in the sphere of public health, and that shall continue to guide her in this new venture as dean. For Bradley, there is no higher calling than the mission to fight the disparities that render our communities unequal.
Research Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
Across Colorado, thousands of students filing into classrooms this school year are sharing their space with new companions. These nearly silent classmates don’t occupy desks or pore over textbooks. But they are as focused on gathering information and contributing to a positive class environment as the most dedicated student.
Awards Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC
Each year, Colorado Public Health Association and ColoradoSPH honors exceptional individuals in the field of public health at the Public Health in the Rockies (PHiR) conference. The purpose of PHiR is to provide an opportunity for education, networking, and skill development of professionals in Colorado, Wyoming, and neighboring regions. As in past years, many ColoradoSPH students, faculty, and alumni received awards from CPHA and ColoradoSPH at the conference awards luncheon. We celebrate all who received these awards for their hard work in public health.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Climate Health Environment Worker Health
The Colorado School of Public Health on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is preparing to play a lead role in investigating and responding to the rapidly intensifying effects of global climate change.
The school is launching the nation’s first PhD program that focuses specifically on climate change and its multiple impacts on people’s health and the communities where they live. The inaugural class of the PhD in Climate & Human Health program is set for the Fall 2024 semester, said program director Katherine James, PhD, MSPH, MSCE, associate professor of environmental and occupational health and in the Center for Health, Work & Environment at ColoradoSPH.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
In May 2023, a public health emergency response spurred by the 3-year COVID-19 pandemic, came to an end in the United States. With that ending, many data feeds and indicators critical to COVID-19 planning and response also came to a halt. Many questions remain as communities across the nation settle into a longer-term relationship with the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the disease it causes. As the COVID pandemic made clear, public health officials need to be equipped with the best available information to optimize public health operations both now and in the future. To answer this call, researchers at the Colorado School of Public Health created and launched the Rocky Mountain COVID Data dashboard.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Climate Health Environment Worker Health
The Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) will soon be training researchers to address the impact of climate change on the health of workers. It’s newly established training program for doctoral students, Targeted Research Training Program in Climate and Worker Safety and Health, is the first of its kind in the United States.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health Environment Global Health Worker Health
The rice fields in the Mekong River Delta of southern Vietnam flood.
Extreme heat in the coffee plantations in the Central Highlands is becoming a regular weather pattern. Vietnam experienced a record-setting heat wave in April and May of this year.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Workforce Development Community Health Latino Health
A well-established pillar of Colorado’s healthcare system received powerful additional support in late April with bipartisan passage of Colorado SB23-002. The bill will allow Medicaid reimbursement for some services provided by community health workers (CHWs), who help to connect patients to vital healthcare and community services, provide education, and decrease barriers to care, among other tasks. CHWs often go by a variety titles, including health navigators and lay health workers.
Community Epidemiology Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Global Health
Dr. Stephen Berman, long-time director of the Center for Global Health in the Colorado School of Public Health, passed away from lymphoma earlier this year. His loss was felt deeply across the campus and his many friends and colleagues gathered at a tribute event held on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus on May 11, 2023. Six presenters covered the many dimensions of Dr. Berman’s career, offering colorful stories that captured his commitment to improving the health of children everywhere.
Community Students Community and Practice Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz RMPHTC Community Health Training
As an undergraduate at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Lexie King intended to study to be a nurse. Three years in, however, she changed her mind. She earned her degree in communications, with a minor in public health.
Community Epidemiology Awards Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC Biostatistics Community Health Environment Health Advocacy
Each year, the Colorado School of Public Health honors exceptional students, faculty, and staff at an annual awards ceremony coinciding with graduation.
Students Awards Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Health Systems Health Advocacy
It seems a simple proposition. The roughly 3,000 nonprofit hospitals in the United States receive tax-exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service. In return, they are expected to provide a “community benefit,” which could come in the form of providing financial assistance to patients, covering the cost of uncompensated care to the uninsured or supporting programs to connect underserved patients to the healthcare services they need.
Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Graduation Community Health
Ten years ago, Samantha Bertomen completed her undergraduate education with a degree in food and nutrition sciences. Even before starting her professional career in the field, though, she says she had her eye on a different option.
Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Global Health
In today’s global climate, more and more crises are occurring that not only involve natural hazards like tornadoes or floods, but also include conflict and mass displacement. Trained personnel are critical to the provision of appropriate responses to such complex humanitarian crises around the world. To address this growing need globally, two professors from two Colorado universities—the University of Denver and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus—have created an experiential ‘simulation’ model that prepares students for humanitarian work. In this model, classroom-based learning leads up to a broad-scale one-day live action exercise, set in a fictional place called “Korbelia” on the DU campus.
Community Epidemiology Awards Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Biostatistics Community Health Environment Health Advocacy
U.S. News and World Report has named the Colorado School of Public Health among the top 20 schools and programs of public health in the nation in its 2023-2024 rankings. ColoradoSPH is now ranked 17th out of 206 Master of Public Health (MPH) programs accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Cannabis Health Advocacy Health Policy
Today, a research team assembled by the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) in response to the 2021 Colorado House Bill HB21-1317, “Regulating Marijuana Concentrates,” delivered its mandated review to Colorado legislators on the scientific evidence related to the physical and mental health effects of high-concentration THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis products). This review was requested as the marketplace shifted towards high-concentration products. The health implications of this change are not well understood. In a comprehensive scoping review, the team screened approximately 66,000 studies and ultimately identified 452 published through late 2022 that are relevant to understanding the health effects of high-concentration cannabis products. The ColoradoSPH team also created a first-of-its-kind interactive and publicly available evidence map of the 452 cannabis studies, which makes the studies searchable and accessible.
Community Epidemiology Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
How is a randomized, controlled clinical trial designed, executed and analyzed? It’s probably not a stretch to assume that the question would stump most people stopped on the street.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Health Advocacy Health Policy
Walking into the Colorado State Capitol building feels like entering the living center of the state. The feeling is electric and exciting. I first experienced this while attending the Colorado Public Health Association’s 2023 annual Public Health Advocacy Day there. The CPHA Policy Committee organized the event to give public health professionals, students, and community members the chance to meet local legislators and learn about policy and advocacy.
Student and Alumni Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Raeven Clockston is an alumna of the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH), where she was a leader both in and out of the classroom. Her work towards anti-oppressive practices and leadership in student council has led her to her current position as Equity Specialist in the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at the ColoradoSPH.
Research Giving ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Climate Health Environment Worker Health
A collaborative group from Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) has been awarded $600,000 from the National Institutes of Health to support the first year of work for the newly-established Mountain West Alliance for Community Engagement-Climate and Health (ACE-CH) Hub, a community of public health researchers and community members working to identify evidence-based and community-driven action in the face of the climate crisis.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Global Health One Health
Under the best of circumstances, mosquitoes are no better than annoying pests. But many also carry viruses that cause widespread disease and death in large expanses of the world. A new study with contributions from the Colorado School of Public Health describes a novel path to early diagnosis of dengue, the most common mosquito-borne viral illness, in areas of the world where lab tests to confirm the disease are not available.
Community Veteran and Military Health Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Two worlds that are not always directly linked were recently brought together in a panel discussion hosted by the Colorado School of Public Health. The presentation, “National Security and the Impact on Public Health,” explored the often subtle ways that efforts to protect society from diseases, such as COVID-19, intersect with strategies to guard against political and ideological contagions that threaten the social fabric.
Press Coverage COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Both COVID and RSV can result in different types of cough, including dry, wet, wheezing, said Dan Olson, associate of epidemiology, to Fortune. While there is no exact way to differentiate the two conditions without testing, there are some potential tells, experts say.
Press Coverage COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
“We’re sort of at a steady, manageable level for the moment,” said Dean Jon Samet. “It’s too early to say” if the flu is done, he said.
Research Diabetes ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz AI/AN health
American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN) have traditional food and nutrition practices that support holistic health. However, these traditional practices have been interrupted by Western food systems, which has led to disproportionate rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D) among AI/AN communities. Nutrition education interventions are particularly effective when developed to meet the needs of specific communities and when they emphasize strengths-based, culturally relevant healthy dietary practices. A research brief in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, shares the results of a successful culturally adapted, online diabetes nutrition education program for AI/ANs. The implications of the findings have guided program changes for improved diabetes nutrition education.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Workforce Development Training Worker Health
On January 12, 2023, the Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH), along with the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention, concluded the first phase of its Recovery Friendly Workplace (RFW) peer learning series – a four-part virtual workshop for Colorado business leaders. Nominated participants represented a range of industries including healthcare, restaurants, hospitality, construction/utilities, local government, and education.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Global Health
Our deepest condolences to the family, friends, patients and colleagues of Dr. Stephen Berman, who passed away on January 17. Steve was a true champion for children, and this loss will be felt deeply by all who knew him. Services were held Sunday, January 22, at the Hebrew Educational Alliance, in Denver.
Press Coverage COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
“It’s not evenly distributed across the U.S.,” said Beth Carlton, professor of epidemiology. “It’s grown very rapidly in the Northeast, and there’s every reason to think it will do the same when it gets here.”
ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
As the sandhill cranes migrate to the San Luis Valley, nestled beneath the Sangre de Cristo mountains each year, so does Francesca Macaluso, MPH. Each spends their time in the valley among the wetlands and agricultural fields, tied deeply to the earth and the struggling aquifers below it.
Community Epidemiology Firearm Injury Prevention Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Gun Violence Prevention Injury & Violence Prevention
The Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is partnering with researchers from the Injury and Violence Prevention Center in the Colorado School of Public Health to create and maintain a resource bank of regularly updated and accurate materials regarding gun violence in Colorado.
Awards Community and Practice Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Erin Burk-Leaver has spent more than a decade advocating for and serving older adults. She is also committed to spurring that interest in others — and the Colorado School of Public Health has taken note.
Press Coverage Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Because laws are powerful mediators for structural stigma, they are critical levers for antistigma work, according to a new Health Affairs brief co-authored by Daniel Goldberg, associate professor of epidemiology.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Health Policy
Condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Phoebe Lindsey Barton, PhD, professor of health policy and the MSPH program director at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center from 1990 until her retirement in 2008. Phoebe passed away on November 9, 2022.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Climate Health Environment
Colorado School of Public Health Dean Dr. Jon Samet didn’t mince words as he spoke during a webinar sponsored by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) October 26 about climate change and the health risks it poses.
Press Coverage COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
COVID-19 positivity rates have been rising in Colorado since October, but with fewer people being tested, uncertainty remains. Beth Carlton, associate professor of environmental and occupational health and Jude Bayham, assistant professor of epidemiology at CSU, weigh in for the Denver Post.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Data and Health
Colorado School of Public Health Dean Dr. Jon Samet didn’t mince words as he spoke during a webinar sponsored by the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) October 26 about climate change and the health risks it poses.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The gleaming new Anschutz Health Sciences Building was an appropriate locale for a gathering of professionals and students intent on sharing and exploring the latest ideas and issues animating public health.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Training Worker Health
Leaders in occupational health and safety from across the U.S. have launched the new Society for Total Worker Health™. The Society for Total Worker Health is a non-profit member organization made up of individuals and partners dedicated to the advancement of worker health, safety, well-being, and productivity through Total Worker Health®.
Students Social Justice Student and Alumni Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
Two Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) students from the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz have been selected as part of the 2022 American Public Health Association (APHA) and Kaiser Permanente (KP)Community Health Scholars program. Makala Carrington and Shenazar (Shane) Esmundo are among the 19 candidates chosen for the competitive scholarships, awarded to graduates seeking either their DrPH or MPH degrees. The awards help to cover tuition expenses.
Alumni Student and Alumni Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
This year, two Master of Public Health graduates of the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Hue Phung and Kristina Brandveen, are among a dozen alumni selected from six participating schools to receive competitive fellowships from the American Public Health Association (APHA) and Kaiser Permanente (KP). The national Public Health Fellows Program, now in its second year, is designed to “support the development of diverse, underrepresented public health leaders who are committed to improving the health of our most vulnerable communities and pursuing health equity for all.”
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment One Health
A new paper in eLife Sciences explores the importance of using advanced genomic sequencing as a powerful tool to control schistosomiasis, the world’s second-leading parasitic disease.
Press Coverage COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
As fall approaches, COVID appears to be on a continuous decline in Colorado, defying trends set in the last two years. “Hospitalizations are down. Wastewater levels are down. Percent positivity (of COVID tests) is down. So as we head into the fall, we are in good shape,” said Dean Jon Samet.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
If you’re fully vaccinated, the return of polio to parts of the United States is essentially a non-event for you. “If you are unvaccinated, you are vulnerable to paralytic polio anywhere where poliovirus is circulating,” said Daniel Pastula, associate professor of epidemiology.
Press Coverage COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The CDC relaxed its COVID guidelines last week, leaving decision-making mainly to individuals who lack public health training. The lack of a coordinated public health response deprioritizes community health and worsens longstanding health disparities Daniel Goldberg, associate professor of epidemiology, explains.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Biostatistics
A new peer-reviewed paper presents the first data-driven sex-specific model of pediatric cranial bone development.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Cannabis Environment
Researchers from the Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) have received funding from the Institute for Cannabis Research (ICR) to study the potential exposure to heavy metals from smoking or vaping cannabis.
Press Coverage COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Colorado’s COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped 14% from last week. Cases are undercounted, meaning that there’s not a clear picture of how many people are truly infected, but the downward trend is still notable said Talia Quandelacy, assistant professor of epidemiology.
Press Coverage COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Colorado’s COVID-19 hospitalizations remain stuck in the same rough zone they’ve hovered in for the past six weeks. Normally, hospitalizations have started to drop about one week after cases began falling, said Talia Quandelacy, assistant professor of epidemiology.
Research Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz pregnancy Maternal & Child Health
Pregnant women who were exposed to multiple phthalates during pregnancy had an increased risk of preterm birth, according to new research by the National Institutes of Health. Phthalates are chemicals used in personal care products, such as cosmetics, as well as in solvents, detergents, and food packaging.
Community Mental Health Addiction Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
The Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) is responding to the national mental health crisis and substance use epidemic that has only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This emergency requires a strong joint effort between public health organizations and employers.
Students Awards Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
When Hannah Craig decided to take on the CU Anschutz Map the System competition, she didn’t have to look far for her topic.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC
Each year, the Colorado School of Public Health honors exceptional students, faculty, and staff at an awards ceremony coinciding with graduation. The following individuals have made outstanding contributions to public health and our school. Congratulations to this year's award winners!
Students Mental Health Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Suicide Prevention Community Health Maternal & Child Health
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that half of the nation’s adolescents have experienced a mental health disorder, such as depression, anxiety, or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at some time in their lives. Many young people receive treatment to prevent these and other issues from worsening and becoming chronic, but many others do not, leading to problems that persist into adulthood and have serious consequences, both for the individuals and for society.
Research COVID-19 ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado School of Public Health released an updated statewide modeling report which indicates COVID-19 transmission is on a relatively slow upward trend in Colorado as indicated by percent positivity, wastewater concentration, and hospitalizations. Omicron subvariant BA.2.12.1 is increasing in predominance and is likely driving the rise with its increased transmissibility over BA.2. This modeling report outlines a broad range of potential scenarios, as considerable uncertainty remains about BA.2.12.1.
Students Epidemiology Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz COE
I went to a quaint college nestled in the western foothills of Vermont named Castleton University. It was there that I pursued my fascination in all living things micro and molecular. After graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in cellular and molecular biology and chemistry in 2019, I took a job as a biology teacher at a small private high school in Vermont. While teaching, I became aware of my deep love for illuminating those around me with wonders of biology and, specifically, infectious diseases. I realized towards the end of my first year as a teacher that I wanted to harness this energy and pursue a life full of chasing infectious diseases and fighting the perils of their microbial afflictions by informing and supporting people around me.
And so, with the support of previous professors, I was encouraged to delve into the field of public health—a field foreign to me at the time. After much examination and research, I came to the conclusion that seeking a Master’s degree at a public health school would be the initial doorway to pursuing the field of epidemiology. With my new found ambitions, I settled on the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. ColoradoSPH’s program was robust and the beauty of the CU Anschutz campus backed by the majestic Colorado Rocky Mountains filled me with excitement and wonder.
Upon being accepted into the school, I was elated. However, those feelings began to mix with emotions of concern as I began to prepare for my journey westward while also hearing about the early signs of a potential pandemic, COVID-19.
COVID-19 ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado School of Public Health released an updated statewide modeling report estimating approximately 1 in 375 Coloradans are currently infected with SARS-CoV-2. While that number is low compared to previous times in the pandemic, the state is experiencing a slight increase in COVID-19 cases due to the increasing prevalence of BA.2 subvariants. Over the past month, BA.2 has become the dominant variant in the United States and Colorado, and there are now signs that SARS-CoV-2 infections may be increasing in Colorado as percent positivity and detection of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater have ticked upwards in recent weeks.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Workforce Development Community Health
In the abstract, the term “human trafficking” may conjure shadowy images of vulnerable individuals forced into sex work or people enduring long, dangerous journeys on the promise of steady jobs, only to be consigned to low-paying, abusive work. The reality is far more complex, as Patricia Valverde discovered three years ago.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Over half of older Americans near the end of life are diagnosed with mild dementia or cognitive impairment, often leaving them unable to participate in medical decision-making on end-of-life care such as feeding tube placement or cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. The responsibility for decision-making then falls to surrogate decision-makers, usually family members such as spouses or children. There is little evidence that end-of-life care is beneficial for quality or length of life for those with dementia, although it could have benefits for those with mild cognitive impairment. Previous studies have also shown that while surrogate decision-makers often have some understanding of their loved one’s preferences in terms of treatment, they have difficulty not approving treatment even when they believe the patient would prefer palliative care.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Responses to child maltreatment reports in the United States increased 8.4% from 2014 to 2018. Child maltreatment can include emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, neglect or exploitation. The link between parent or caregiver mental health and child maltreatment has been established by research; caregivers experiencing mental illness have an increased risk of child maltreatment and can negatively impact a child’s development and wellbeing over the life course. Individuals and families living under the stress of poverty experience the highest rates of mental illness, including trauma, stress, social exclusion, and family conflict. Mental health disorders also contribute to poverty, creating a cyclical pattern.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Each year, the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research tracks annual National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding and publishes rankings across schools of health disciplines, including schools of public health. In 2021, ColoradoSPH rose into the top 20 tier of schools, coming in at 18 in the rankings, reflecting an almost $20 million increase in federal funding. This was a large jump from 2020 when the school ranked 23rd with just over $10 million in NIH funding.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU Environment
A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends two frameworks for providing respiratory protection for the nation — one for workers and one for the public — a need made clear by the COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly frequent wildfires. The report makes the case that all types of workers, including essential and gig economy workers, should be covered by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or equivalent respiratory protection requirements when exposed to inhalation hazards in the workplace. It also calls for a coordinated system to ensure all members of the public, including children, have access to appropriate respiratory protective devices and guidance on their effective use.
Press Coverage Epidemiology Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
In the wake of the peak of the omicron variant, many are questioning if the recent decline in cases is signaling the end of COVID. Jon Samet, ColoradoSPH Dean warns the pandemic is far from over, with SARS-CoV-2 now present in animal reservoirs.
Research Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz AI/AN health Community Health
Urban dwelling American Indian and Alaska Native older adults face multiple layers of challenges related to social determinants of health that present barriers to healthy eating. However, the social and cultural value placed on sharing and supporting one another within these communities can help improve healthy food access for older adults, according to a new study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, published by Elsevier.
COVID-19 ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and Colorado School of Public Health released an updated statewide modeling report suggesting the current curve has begun to decline and should continue to do so in coming weeks, though Colorado is still experiencing a very high level of SARS-CoV-2 disease transmission in the state.
Press Coverage Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Despite the introduction of vaccines and better treatment for those with COVID-19, new cases continue to rise exponentially in Colorado. Beth Carlton, associate professor of epidemiology, warns of soon overwhelmed hospitals.
Community Diabetes Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
For more than 25 years, Dr. Dana Dabelea has devoted herself to studying a disease that has steadily solidified a foothold in the United States.
Community Alumni Awards Community and Practice Student and Alumni Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
As an undergraduate at the University of Oregon, Justice Onwordi learned the intricacies of human physiology. After earning her degree in 2018, she applied her skills as an exercise physiologist in the Denver metro area. She contemplated moving on to medical school or to a nurse practitioner program, but ultimately Onwordi determined that her professional path must go through public health.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
One million teenagers report suicide attempts and 1 in 5 teenagers considers suicide every year in the United States. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among adolescents ages 10-19 years of age. Because suicidal youths are more likely to confide in peers than adults, peer support is a critical piece of any mental health intervention for this age group. Social support has also been shown to directly impact mental health. Social media networks are a common source of communication and social support for teens, and therefore a potential place for mental health initiatives. A new study from the Colorado School of Public Health described the results of a peer advocate mental health digital intervention program pilot study for Ohio youth initiated by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and the Motivational Educational Entertainment Productions Inc team.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Syringe Services Programs (SSPs) reduce the transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C through the distribution of sterile needles to people who inject drugs. These programs also provide additional health services such as overdose prevention education, HIV and Hep-C testing, and naloxone provisions. These programs now operate in 39 states and Washington D.C., however, discrepancies remain in the approach that states have taken towards the possession or purchase of syringes. Thus, the relationship between SSPs and law enforcement is varied and can influence the operation of SSPs.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
More than a year and a half after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s no secret that responding to the disease has caused crushing stress among health care providers. To cite one of many examples, a survey of more than 1,100 industry workers reported that more than 90% experienced stress and three-quarters suffered from exhaustion and burnout as a result of the pandemic.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Climate Health Environment
Researchers from the Colorado School of Public Health and partner institutions will expand on a groundbreaking study examining the effects of contaminated drinking water on residents of El Paso County thanks to a $5 million grant from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
A November 2021 PNAS perspective reports the results of a 2020 workshop at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), convened by the Environmental Health Matters Initiative. The NASEM committee, chaired by Jon Samet, MD, MS, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, also included ColoradoSPH at CSU faculty and professor of mechanical engineering, John Volckens, PhD. The committee and workshop convened in the fall of 2020 to rapidly inform urgent issues and address the potential for airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The committee concluded that the virus is transmitted by aerosols, that transmission mitigation measures such as masks, social distancing, air filtration, and air ventilation are effective, and that layered transmission interventions should reflect the heterogeneity of factors driving inequitable social burdens of the pandemic.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
A new fellowship program created by Kaiser Permanente and the American Public Health Association is supporting tomorrow’s change makers, including Justice Onwordi, ColoradoSPH MPH graduate.
Community Awards Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
The Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health has been awarded a five-year, approximately $6 million dollar, cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to operate a Center of Excellence for Total Worker Health. Support of this program from the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will further advance Total Worker Health (TWH) as an emerging field of science and practice and address the needs of the 21st century of workforce through research, intervention, and outreach activities.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU Climate Health Environment
The World Health Organization updated its Global Air Quality Guidelines on Sept. 22 for the first time in 16 years. The new guidelines reflect research that shows the considerable impact that air pollution has on global health, said Dr. David Rojas, assistant professor of epidemiology at Colorado State University and the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH).
Rojas and ColoradoSPH Dean and Professor Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, served as advisors to the WHO and helped develop the new guidelines.
"These updated WHO Air Quality Guidelines are used throughout the world, offering global benchmarks and targets for those countries that still have high levels of air pollution. Reflecting advances in understanding of the risks of air pollution since the 2005 update, the new guidelines values are lower for most pollutants," said Samet.
Community COVID-19 Epidemiology Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado School of Public Health released an updated statewide modeling report showing Colorado is currently in its fifth wave of infections. The estimated effective reproductive number in Colorado is 1.1, indicating increasing infections, but that value is lower than it has been over the last month. One in 99 Coloradans are estimated to be currently infected—and 70% of Coloradans are estimated to be immune, by vaccination or by prior infection.
Community Community and Practice Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz AI/AN health Community Health
The National Academy of Medicine (NAM) has named Spero M. Manson as the recipient of the 2021 Rhoda and Bernard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health for his 43-year career dedicated to improving the mental health of American Indians and Alaska Natives — and bringing a culturally informed lens to the assessment, epidemiology, treatment, and prevention of mental health conditions. The award, which recognizes Manson’s achievements with a medal and $20,000, will be presented at the NAM’s virtual annual meeting on October 17, 2021. Manson, Pembina Chippewa, is a distinguished professor of public health and psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and The Colorado Trust Chair in American Indian Health at the Colorado School of Public Health.
Student and Alumni Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Raeven Clockston’s commitment to public health didn’t begin with reading books or sitting in classrooms. It started with her youthful observations of life in and around her Denver community.
Students Infectious disease Student and Alumni Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Over several years, June Homdayjanakul traveled tens of thousands of miles and explored many cultures, only to return to the community in which she grew up—Aurora. But coming full circle doesn’t mean she is standing still, much less moving backward. Far from it.
Students Student and Alumni Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
At a very early age, Syd Staggs felt isolated in their conservative Colorado community in a family that they describe as “traditional Catholic Italian-Americans.” Now 27, Syd recalls not having the words as a young kid to describe their gender identity, but it was clear they were different from other peers.
Press Coverage Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Cerise Hunt, PhD, Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at ColoradoSPH and co-founder of the Colorado Black Health Collaborative (CBHC), discusses the impact that Dr. Terri Richardson, primary care physician and co-founder of the CBHC, has had on the community during her 30-year career.
Community COVID-19 Epidemiology Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado School of Public Health released an updated statewide modeling report showing the projected impact of increased vaccine uptake in Colorado by Labor Day weekend. The models show that Colorado could still experience thousands more cases of severe, but avoidable, COVID-19 over the months ahead. Vaccination is the key to preventing these cases.
Alumni mHealth Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
Individuals and organizations the world over are intent on improving people’s health outcomes. Their work yields new pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and products to help consumers protect their skin, quit smoking, lose weight, and achieve scores of other positive outcomes.
Research Cancer ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
The American Cancer Society, the largest non-government, not-for-profit funding source of cancer research in the United States, has approved funding for 42 research grants nationwide totaling $33.8M, including one grant in Denver. Grant applications undergo a rigorous, independent, and highly competitive peer review process. The newly approved grants will fund investigators at 33 institutions across the United States, including the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Grant-funded projects will begin on July 1, 2021.
COVID-19 ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Ethics Health Systems
I’m not usually a fan of lotteries — they’re a tax on people who are bad at math, my math teacher once joked. But unlike a lottery, which requires buying a ticket, entry into the COVID-19 vaccination sweepstakes is automatic and free for everyone who gets the vaccine.
Research COVID-19 ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
More than a year after the coronavirus pandemic began, the United States at last appears to be gaining the upper hand in fighting the spread of COVID-19. That’s thanks largely in part to effective vaccines delivered to hundreds of millions of people. As of late May, half the U.S. population had received at least one vaccination dose; about 40% were fully vaccinated.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
In Colorado and around the world, the coronavirus pandemic has been a test of leadership. From mask mandates to vaccine distribution, governors, local officials and world leaders have struggled to achieve the necessary levels of cooperation and build public trust.
COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Global Health
The concept of global health addresses health care issues and concerns that transcend national boundaries and are best addressed by cooperative actions and solutions. The understanding of this concept has never been as important in human history as today with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
After 12 years, Dr. John Adgate is stepping down as Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health (EOH) at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH). He will remain a faculty member for the department and focus on research, teaching and mentoring students.
Research Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Global Health
One of the most common causes of pediatric emergency department and urgent care visits is acute respiratory infections. Around 55-57% children presenting in these settings are prescribed antibiotics, despite these infections having primarily viral causes. The overuse of antibiotics can have negative consequences such as antibiotic resistance, increased healthcare costs, and adverse drug events. Respiratory pathogen identification could lead to improved evaluation and management of acute respiratory infection in children; it could also lead to decreases in the overuse of antibiotics. New advances in rapid respiratory virus testing provide an opportunity for the identification of pathogens in short timeframes in the emergency department and urgent care setting. A new randomized trial examined whether rapid knowledge of the pathogen impacted the prescribing patterns of physicians in these settings.
Press Coverage Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
May Chu, PhD, clinical professor of epidemiology, explains that she will keep wearing her mask in certain situations because there isn't a reliable way to know who is vaccinated and because she has high-risk family members.
Community Students Scholarship Community and Practice Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The more than year-long COVID-19 pandemic brought racism and social and economic disparities into the spotlight in the United States, highlighting the long-overdue work that needs to be done to build a more equitable, diverse and inclusive society. With a first-ever scholarship fund created last fall, the Colorado School of Public Health took a step toward making that goal a reality.
Community Awards Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC
Each year, the Colorado School of Public Health honors exceptional students, faculty, and staff at an awards ceremony coinciding with graduation. The following individuals have made outstanding contributions to public health and our school. Congratulations to this year's award winners!
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
Dr. Jaime Butler-Dawson, from the Center for Health, Work, & Environment (CHWE), has received a Career Development Award from the National Institutes of Health. The three-year K01 grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences will provides support to examine the environmental determinants of kidney injury in female sugarcane workers and female community members in Guatemala.
Community COVID-19 Mental Health Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Worker Health
The Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health has partnered with the University of Colorado Helen and Arthur E. Johnson Depression Center to develop and launch the Workplace Mental Health Module, an online toolkit designed for employers wanting to raise awareness and improve the mental health of their employees.
COVID-19 has significantly impacted workers and the business community. Employees and business owners have experienced tremendous stress due to shutdowns, school closures, financial losses and family illness. Almost half of Americans are suffering from mental health issues due to the pandemic.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Health Systems Environment Health Advocacy
Dean Jonathan Samet, Professor Glen Mays, and Associate Professor Elizabeth Carlton share their concerns about state hospitalization metrics, while expressing optimism about the role that high vaccination rates could play.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
Charlene Barrientos, community engagement manager at the Colorado School of Public Health, stresses the importance of engaging community members and building trust to address vaccine hesitancy in Colorado's Latinx population.
Research Diabetes ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz AI/AN health
American Indian adults have a diabetes prevalence of 15%, the highest of any racial or ethnic group. Their likelihood of dying from diabetes complications is more than 50% over that of their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Health-related quality of life is a measurement of health that encompasses physical, psychological, and social aspects of health and it has been to shown to be negatively impacted by type 2 Diabetes. A recent systemic review showed that the presence of complications, hypertension, depression, and type of diet were associated with worse health-related quality of life, however, American Indians were not included in this analysis. A new study explores the relationship between psychosocial factors and health-related quality of life for American Indians by describing functional social support, emotional support, coping, resilience, post-traumatic stress disorder, and health-related quality of life. It also investigates the association between psychosocial factors and health-related quality of life among American Indians living with diabetes.
Community Epidemiology Firearm Injury Prevention Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Gun Violence Prevention Injury & Violence Prevention
In 2010, total U.S. traffic deaths fell to their lowest level since the 1950s – due in part to more motorists buying into “buckling up and embracing safety innovations.” Motor vehicle death rates have remained roughly steady since that time despite more people driving.
Over the same decades, however, firearm death rates have remained steady and now started to rise. Why?
Let’s start by unpacking what led to the decrease in traffic deaths. Spoiler alert: It wasn’t a single “magic bullet.” Rather, it was a combination of approaches under the “three E’s of injury prevention” — education, engineering and enactment.
Education includes teaching the public about safe driving (basic driving rules; “don’t drink and drive”; the #justdrive campaign to end distracted driving), and about safe behaviors (like using appropriate car seats for kids). Remember the crash test dummies from the 1980s in television spots about using seat belts? Traffic safety campaigns also involve community or cultural change, like the “friends don’t let friends drive drunk” slogan that also began in the 1980s.
Engineering means making a product or environment safer — and sometimes this approach can work well because it doesn’t rely on changing behavior (which we know can be hard). For traffic safety, engineering advances over the past decades have had a major impact on crash fatality rates. Car occupants are far more likely to survive a crash now thanks to innovations like air bags (invented in 1951), seat belts and crumple zones (the parts of the car designed to absorb impact and crumple in a crash). Newer technologies like automatic braking systems and blind spot detection may even reduce the likelihood of a crash even happening.
Engineering of the environment outside cars also helped reduce deaths, through things like rumble strips, highway guard rails, traffic lights (introduced in 1930) and urban design to reduce motor vehicle – pedestrian collisions. Social engineering has included the development of alternative transportation options, like Uber and Lyft, that may reduce drunk driving.
Enactment of laws was a third key component to reducing traffic deaths. In 1970, the Highway Safety Act established the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a national organization responsible for reducing deaths, injuries and economic losses from motor vehicle crashes. NHTSA oversees large educational campaigns as well as vehicle safety testing, ratings and recalls.
Federal and state laws set speed limits and policies around driver licensing and driving while impaired. A key component of enactment is enforcement — that is, how are laws actually implemented and enforced, such as through heightened patrolling for drunk driving during holiday periods.
So, what does all this mean for reducing firearm-related injuries and fatalities?
Well, the first takeaway should be that there’s not a single “magic bullet” here, either. It’s going to take a combination of approaches, as well as the research to understand which ones work and why.
We need educational efforts to reduce firearm injuries and deaths — things like campaigns about secure home firearm storage (to keep guns out of the hands of kids) and reducing firearm access in times of suicide risk, and violence interruption programs with trusted community messengers. Maybe “have a brave conversation” will become the new “friends don’t let friends drive drunk,” as we encourage friends and family to look out for those with suicide risk. And we need engineering approaches like biometric “smart guns” (which can only be fired by an authorized user) and storage devices like safes, quick-access lock boxes and trigger locks.
Yes, we will also need enactment of policies if we want to significantly reduce firearm injuries and deaths in the United States. But we need thoughtful conversations about those policies — and then research to evaluate their effect on a range of outcomes — rather than knee-jerk reactions (either pro or con). Beyond the policies most often debated, we should also be thinking about policies to encourage secure home firearm storage, facilitate temporary firearm transfers in times of suicide risk, reduce liability for firearm outlets that offer temporary storage to prevent suicide, or even establish a NHTSA-like entity for firearm injury.
Enacting firearm-related legislation alone won’t solve the problem of firearm-related injuries and deaths — nor will education, nor will engineering. We need them all — and we need the research to inform them all. We need to engage varied voices in these discussions. We need to move away from vilifying the “other side” and instead embrace the fact that all of us want to keep our friends and loved ones safe from harm.
We’ve been down this road before, with a comprehensive approach to traffic safety and reducing motor vehicle deaths. We can do it again, this time with firearm injury.
Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, is a practicing emergency physician and researcher at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she directs the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative. She also co-founded the Colorado Firearm Safety Coalition and gave a TEDx talk on firearm suicide prevention. This piece reflects her views, not those of her employers.
This article originally appeared in The Hill.
Awards Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz AI/AN health Community Health
Returning from a fly-fishing trip to Bristol Bay, Alaska, last July, Dr. Spero Manson stood at a baggage claim carousel at Denver International Airport. His phone rang. The caller, Dr. Jonathan Samet, dean of the Colorado School of Public Health, had good news. Manson was the recipient of a prestigious award for his work in health education.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
Researchers from the Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health have published a paper in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health studying the effectiveness of applying Total Worker Health (TWH) in an international context. The study, led by a team at CHWE, is the first to examine how a TWH framework operates outside of a western context in Latin America workforces.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Climate Health Environment Worker Health
Three groups from the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) have been awarded a $3 million 5-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study the effects of air pollution and climate on the kidney health of sugarcane workers in Guatemala. The award provides funding to identify how air pollutants contribute to chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu), a growing international epidemic.
Community Firearm Injury Prevention Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Gun Violence Prevention
An open letter to: City of Louisville City Council; State Representative Tracey Barnett; State Senator Sonja Jacquez Lewis; Representative Joe Neguse; Representative Jason Crow; Representative Dianne DeGuette; Representative Ed Perlmutter; Representative Lauren Bohbert; Representative Ken Buck; Representative Doug Lamborn; Senator Michael Bennet; Senator John Hickenlooper; and Governor Jared Polis. Dr. Katie Dickinson is a Boulder native, a current Louisville resident, and an Assistant Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
Assistant professor Neil Box and professor Lori Crane studied mole development in a group of children for more than 10 years. With a new grant from the Prevention Cancer Foundation, they will be able to build on this research.
Research Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU Climate Health Environment
Three atmospheric scientists and one epidemiologist from Colorado State University will interpret NASA data for public benefit as part of NASA’s Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team. The team’s goal is to translate information from NASA satellites, models and surface observations to help officials make decisions to protect public health.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Daniel Goldberg, JD, PhD, professor of epidemiology and family medicine, discusses the likelihood of large-scale accommodations for those with long COVID and what history can tell us.
Research COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU
Colorado State University researchers say the vast majority of people around the university are wearing face coverings, according to a recent study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado School of Public Health released an updated statewide modeling report showing that the effective reproduction number for SARS-CoV-2 statewide is just below one, and transmission control dropped from 83% to 76% over the last week. Currently 1 in 194 Coloradans are estimated to be infected.
Research Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
In the United States, approximately 2 million children under the age of 18 experience sports-related concussions annually. Concussions can have negative impacts on a child’s health, including physical, cognitive, emotional and sleep health. Between 2009 and 2014, all 50 states and the District of Columbia enacted concussion laws in an effort to raise awareness of symptoms and to reduce the risk of repeated concussions. These laws all include three elements: immediate removal from play, clearance by a health professional prior to a return to play, and mandatory concussion education for coaches, parents, and athletes. When these laws went into effect, an increase in concussions and concussion-related emergency visits occurred, most likely due to higher awareness and reporting. Over the following 2.6 years, rates of reported concussions decreased, suggesting improved concussion practices due to the enactment of the laws. Previous studies on the effectiveness of these laws have looked only at the existence of the concussion law. A new study investigated the association between multiple design elements of various state concussion laws and rates of new and recurrent sports-related concussions. Three design elements were examined: strength of law, number of law revisions, and speed of law adoption.
COVID-19 Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
It has been nearly one year since the first reported case of COVID-19 in Colorado. Since that time, the state and local communities have continued to grapple with fundamental problems, notably protecting public health while cushioning the economic blow of doing so.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU Community Health Environment
The ColoradoSPH at CSU faculty have stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide important research and essential work in understanding the virus, how to slow the spread, and how to help end the pandemic. This work has had local, national and international impact.
COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Health Systems Health Advocacy
The Colorado School of Public Health launched a new website that provides detailed, county-level data tied to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic. The Colorado Population Data Dashboard is designed to help local public health agencies (LPHAs), county commissioners, community leaders, and the general public make more informed short- and long-term decisions about protecting public health.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health Environment Health Advocacy Health Policy
Professors and faculty members at most research universities spend the bulk of their professional time in well-known academic pursuits: teaching, researching, collaborating with colleagues, and leading the next generation of experts in their respective fields. Less apparent are hundreds of hours some volunteer to present at conferences, provide testimony for policies, and collaborate on scientific committee work, publish papers, and review others’ work for publication.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Health Systems Health Advocacy
As the population ages, this number is projected to grow to 14 million by 2050 if no significant advances in prevention or treatment are made. Currently no cure exists for dementia and treatment options are limited in their effectiveness. Because of this, screening for dementia is not commonplace, despite the fact that early detection of dementia could allow for more effective treatment.
COVID-19 Alumni Student and Alumni Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
Dr. Cynthia Hazel is a public health expert. Her husband, Dr. Kweku Hazel, is a surgeon. Both understand that some people of color are hesitant to get COVID-19 vaccines. The Hazels are eager to show that vaccines are safe, while helping leaders more effectively reach out to Black people, immigrants and other underserved people. Photos by Cyrus McCrimmon for UCHealth.
Research Mental Health ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Worker Health
The early childhood education workforce has a significant impact on the development of language, motor, cognitive, and social-emotional skills in young children. The ability of these workers to foster this development in the children under their care is influenced by their own physical and mental health. The well-being of this workforce is often overlooked when considering the quality of the care that children receive. Early childhood education is an occupation with many stressors, including low wages, long hours, high job demands, increased risk of exposure to infectious diseases and environmental hazards such as cleaning supplies. These work conditions contribute to the disproportionately high mental and physical conditions experienced by the early education workforce, where high turnover rates are also seen. Those who work at Head Start programs, which provide free care to low-income families, have been shown to be particularly vulnerable to these demands.
Research Diabetes Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus is on the rise. Lifestyle modifications such as weight loss, increased physical activity, and dietary change have all been shown to decrease rates of incident diabetes; however, some people will still progress from prediabetes to overt diabetes despite achieving weight loss, physical activity goals, or dietary changes. This pattern was observed in the Diabetes Prevention Program, a randomized trial that included an intensive lifestyle intervention arm. An understanding of how personal characteristics affect how an individual reacts to lifestyle modifications could assist in targeting diabetes prevention. A recent study from the Colorado School of Public Health examined how genetic risk for diabetes modifies the association of successful lifestyles changes with incident diabetes.
Research Mental Health Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Suicide Prevention Injury & Violence Prevention
Suicides are the second leading cause of death among 15-44-year-olds and the tenth overall leading cause of death in the United States. Suicide prevention efforts include consideration of whether an at-risk individual has access to lethal means and whether an individual has any psychiatric disorder such as mood disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, or substance abuse disorders. A psychiatric disorder diagnosis is a known risk for factor for suicide. Previous studies that examined specific means of suicide focused on demographic factors such as gender, race, urban/rural designation, age, or health status, and whether those factors are associated with specific lethal means. A recent study from the Colorado School of Public Health examined whether the choice of means by which a person dies by suicide is associated with specific psychiatric diagnoses.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Data and Health
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado School of Public Health released an updated statewide modeling report and updated regional modelsshowing that public health protocols before the Thanksgiving holiday have helped to slow the spread of the SARS-CoV-2.
Research COVID-19 ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU Environment
Devin Kadis, a fourth-year student at Colorado State University, tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, in August 2020. It’s been a journey, which unfortunately is not yet over.
Community COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Food Safety
The science is clear. The riskiest places for the spread of the coronavirus are indoor spaces where people are not wearing masks. Indoor restaurants are, alas, ideal locations for the spread of infections.
COVID-19 Mental Health Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
During the month of May when the pandemic was starting to take hold, researchers from the Center for Health, Work & Environment (CHWE) at the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) performed a study to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the well-being of workers in Colorado. The team evaluated changes to employees’ work and home life resulting from COVID-19 and individual perceptions of workplace safety and health climates. These climates reflect employee perceptions of how committed their employer is to their safety and health. They are commonly used as an indicator of organizational safety and health cultures.
Community COVID-19 Vaccinations Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
The last few weeks have brought a key tool in the fight against coronavirus: Moderna recently announced that a vaccine in Phase 3 trials was nearly 95 percent effective, exceeding even the most optimistic projections. Pfizer and BioNTech have also made similar announcements.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Data and Health
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) have released an updated modeling report.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
ColoradoSPH at CSU faculty member Jude Bayham, PhD, uses SafeGraph data to explain how increased mobility has led to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
Research COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU
What’s interesting about public health is when it’s working efficiently you don’t know it’s there. We take for granted our clean water and air, that the food we eat, the parks our children play in, and our work environments, are safe, and importantly that infectious diseases are controlled through vaccination programs, proper hygiene, and vector control. When a public health problem overwhelms the system like in the coronavirus pandemic, public health becomes front and center, we realize the importance of this system built to prevent and protect ourselves and our communities.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Data and Health
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado School of Public Health released an updated modeling reportthat shows infections and hospitalizations are continuing to increase across the state. The model estimates that currently one out of every 49 residents in the state is infected with SARS-CoV-2, by far the highest prevalence since the virus arrived in Colorado.
Earlier this week, many counties in Colorado moved to stricter levels on the state’s COVID-19 dial, and more are moving up over the weekend.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Data and Health
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and the Colorado School of Public Health released an updated modeling report showing hospitalizations from SARS-CoV-2 are increasing more sharply than last week’s projections. Keeping hospitals at or below demand capacity will require substantial and rapid action to prevent transmission. People should only interact with members of their own household, avoid gatherings, stay home when they are sick, wash their hands, physical distance, and wear a mask.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
This summer, as COVID-19 continued its spread across the U.S., the National Academies brought together engineers, virologists, public health experts, and others for a meeting to dive into the rapidly evolving science of COVID-19 airborne transmission. Can the virus be transmitted by speaking or breathing? How long do particles in the air stay infectious? And how far can they travel? What questions have we yet to ask?
Students Scholarship Student and Alumni Equity Diversity and Inclusion ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC
While watching events unfold across the country over recent months, Professor Dawn Comstock was left feeling like she needed to do something tangible to address the ongoing systemic racial and ethic disparities. That’s when she decided to help establish a new scholarship fund to accelerate the Colorado School of Public Health’s efforts to increase the diversity and inclusive excellence of the school’s student body.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Climate Health Environment
Immediate actions are needed to limit the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving climate change that helps fuel wildfires, and ultimately affects human physical and psychological health according to a new report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Community COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Superspreader events — where a person with COVID-19 inadvertently infects multiple other people at the same time and place — are likely to increase as we head into fall and winter.
Community COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
On September 14, Dr. Rachel Herlihy joined the Colorado School of Public Health and its Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine Residency Program to deliver the annual "State of the State" update from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Community Cancer Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
July 1, 2020 marked the start of another year of funding for the Colorado Cancer Screening Program (CCSP) for Patient Navigation but just like most things in 2020…it’s not just another year for the decade long program.
CCSP is a Program of the University of Colorado Cancer Center with faculty and staff leadership from the Colorado School of Public Health. CCSP supports the safety net clinics in Colorado to increase colorectal cancer screening and also expanded to lung cancer and hereditary cancer screening.
Keeping the funding for cancer prevention and control in Colorado was was harder this year amidst a pandemic. CCSP is funded through the Cancer Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Grants Disease Program (CCPD). In the 2019/2020 legislative session, as a state of fiscal emergency was declared, the program budget could have been dramatically reduced or completed defunded. For several years, CCSP has had to educate the public and legislature on the importance of cancer screening and advocate for funding as the CCPD funding source expanded to a broader portfolio of diseases or focus areas than when the grants program was established.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
ColoradoSPH Dana Dabelea, professor of epidemiology and pediatrics, talking about new results show that fat mass can be associated with childhood obesity later in life.
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
May Chu, a clinical professor in epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health, comments on the need for researchers to show vaccine efficiency to combat hesitancy.
Research Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
By mid-March, Clinical Professor of Epidemiology May Chu could already see that that personal protective equipment (PPE) was going to be a huge issue in the fight against COVID-19. Shortages were already emerging, and medical equipment supply chains made it clear that those shortages would last for a while. Chu discussed the predicament with officers at the Open Philanthropy Project, and by April, the conversations turned into a $250,000 dollar gift to support fast-track, urgent research overseen by Chu related to PPE for healthcare workers.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC Data and Health
The Colorado School of Public Health’s COVID-19 modeling team has developed and launched an interactive online application that shows a variety of data that affect epidemic modeling. The new interactive app lets people see the possible course of COVID-19 under a variety of scenarios, and project the COVID-19 epidemic curve from the comfort of their homes.
Using interactive sliders on a website, users are able to see how the four key interventions to control the spread of COVID-19 can impact the future course of the virus in Colorado. Users can alter the percent of the population wearing masks, introduce contact tracing, improve case detection and isolation, and see how changes in social distancing can impact the future course of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Training Worker Health
The Center for Health, Work & Environment at the Colorado School of Public Health has been awarded a $9 million five-year training and research grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve worker health, safety and well-being. The award from the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provides continued support for the Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center (MAP ERC), under the direction of University of Colorado Distinguished Professor Lee Newman, MD, MA and Colorado State University Professor Stephen Reynolds, PhD.
Research Women's Health Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
According to a new study, high school girls’ lacrosse players who may, but are not required to, wear flexible headgear are at a higher risk of getting a concussion from a stick or ball impact than boys’ lacrosse players, who are required to wear a hard shell helmet with a full face mask.
Research Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
A new study from faculty at the Colorado School of Public Health at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus looks at the relationship between opioid use and driving among older adults.
The findings published today in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.
“We chose to focus on older adults because they face an increased risk of experiencing chronic pain and are commonly prescribed opioid medication as a treatment,” said Emmy Betz, MD, MDH, emergency physician, and researcher at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. “However, it’s known that the side effects of opioid medications can compromise driving abilities, and we wanted to find out more about the current relationship between the two among an older population.”
The researchers examined data from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety’s Longitudinal Research on Aging Drivers (LongROAD) study, one of the largest and most comprehensive databases available on senior drivers incorporating 2,990 participants being followed for five years. Data presented the opportunity to examine opioid use in a large cohort of older drivers (65 to 79 years old). More specifically, the goal of the researchers was to answer three questions through a cross-sectional analysis of data:
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz S4A Health Systems Maternal & Child Health
The Colorado School of Public Health’s (ColoradoSPH) Department of Health Systems, Management & Policy and the University of Colorado (CU) School of Medicine’s Prevention Research Center for Family & Child Health (PRC), has been awarded a three-year, $500,000 grant under Systems for Action, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, to study the alignment of health care and social services with evidence-based nurse-home visiting to enhance maternal and child health.
The three-year study will examine cross-sector collaboration between health care and social services with Nurse-Family Partnership ® (NFP) – a national evidence-based home-visiting program designed to improve the health and development of first-time, low-income mothers and their babies. The study will measure changes in collaboration over time, explore associations between NFP nurse collaboration with other healthcare and social service providers and program and health measures, and assess the variation in NFP financing mechanisms.
This project will be led by Venice Ng Williams, PhD, MPH (Post-doctoral Researcher at the PRC and ColoradoSPH alumna) and Greg Tung, PhD, MPH (Associate Professor at ColoradoSPH), in collaboration with the Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office and Jade Woodard, child maltreatment expert and Executive Director of a state-wide nonprofit - Illuminate Colorado. Mandy Allison, MD, MSPH, a practicing Pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Co-Director of the PRC, and Associate Professor with CU School of Medicine’s Adult & Child Consortium for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science will contribute as co-investigator. David Olds, PhD, Founder of Nurse-Family Partnership, Professor of Pediatrics at CU School of Medicine, and Co-Director of the PRC will serve as an advisor on the study.
An earlier study, soon to be published, led by Dr. Williams shows that the degree to which NFP agencies are structurally integrated with other health care and social service providers and NFP nurse coordination with different provider types is associated with improved program outcomes. According to Dr. Williams, “Care coordination with substance use treatment providers can positively affect client retention and the health of low-income, first-time mothers in NFP, but this coordination is driven by physical integration of space, technology, finances, and other resources.”
“We hope the outcomes of this study will help facilitate better-aligned policies and practices in evidence-based nurse home-visiting that will address social barriers to health, facilitate care coordination, and advance health equity across the United States especially under the current state of events.”
Systems for Action is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that aims to build a “culture of health” by testing new ways of connecting the nation’s fragmented medical, social, and public health systems.
NOTE: Support for this research is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.
COVID-19 Mental Health Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU ColoradoSPH at UNC Data and Health AI/AN health Biostatistics Health Advocacy Maternal & Child Health Latino Health
Wearing a mask or face covering in the US has become about more than just slowing the spread of COVID-19 — some experts say it's a political statement, signalling another layer in the deep divisions within America.
COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
As much of the nation emerges from the cultural hibernation caused by the coronavirus, with varying degrees of concern and glee, American sports are now thrusting themselves headlong into the recovery effort.
Research Diabetes Epidemiology ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Maternal & Child Health
Despite the increased availability of diabetes technology, new therapies and more aggressive glycemic targets, today’s youth and young adults with diabetes in the United States are not demonstrating improved glycemic control compared to their counterparts from years past. Most notably, many age groups have worse glycemic control compared to youth and young adults from 2002-2007. Researchers revealed these data today at the American Diabetes Association’s® (ADA’s) 80th Virtual Scientific Sessions in a study entitled “Trends in Glycemic Control among Youth with Diabetes:
The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study.” The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth (SEARCH) study began in 2000 with funding from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). It represents the largest, most diverse study of diabetes in youth in the U.S. Currently, SEARCH has more than 27,000 participants across racial and ethnic backgrounds from 10 different states visiting one of five study centers in the country (California, Colorado, Ohio, South Carolina, Washington).
“This large, active registry and cohort study of youth diagnosed with diabetes before the age of 20 enables researchers to make assessments of prevalence, annual incidence, and trends by age, race/ethnicity, sex, and diabetes type,” said SEARCH principal investigator and study co-author Dana Dabelea, MD, PhD, director of the Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity and Diabetes (LEAD) Center and the Conrad M. Riley Endowed Professor at the Colorado School of Public Health. “The SEARCH findings have contributed to a better understanding of the complex and heterogeneous nature of diabetes in youth.”
In the current analysis, researchers examined trends in glycemic control in 6,492 SEARCH participants who had diabetes for more than one year. Participants’ visit data was categorized into three time periods: 2002-2007, 2008-2013, and 2014-2019. In addition, participants were categorized into three groups based upon their duration of diabetes (1-4 years, 5-9 years, and more than 10 years), as well as by age group (10-14 years old, 15-19 years old, 20-24 years old, and 25 and older). Stratified multivariable regression models were used to test differences in hemoglobin A1c (A1c) over time. Adjustments were made for site, age, sex, race/ethnicity, health insurance status, and disease duration.
Results of the study indicated:
Press Coverage ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
As thousands of people poured into the streets around the country to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, a microscopic menace was almost certainly there too, eager to propagate and spread through the jostling and shouting crowds that gathered for hours on end, day after day.
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
In Colorado, Senate Bill 181 (SB19-181) is changing the way oil and gas development is regulated, and one of the main effects of the bill is a large shift towards increased local control over siting decisions. In a first of its kind study, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded researchers in Colorado a $730,000 grant to examine the impact of the bill and whether or not shifting oil and gas decision-making to the local level will lead to fairer outcomes for marginalized communities.
“Poor communities and communities of color persistently face higher risks to their health and well-being. Recent events have shown that this is true for a wide range of risks. Some of these risks are linked to policies that affect where environmental hazards like oil and gas operations are cited,” said Katie Dickinson, PhD, assistant professor of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, and principal investigator in the study.
The new study conducted by the Colorado School of Public Health at the Anschutz Medical Campus in partnership with the University of Colorado Denver and Colorado School of Mines will look at how the bill is impacting Colorado’s towns and cities, and how its effects may differ for individuals and communities across racial and class lines.
“Disadvantaged communities are disproportionately impacted by pollution and do not have equal access to environmental goods,” Dickinson adds. “Being able to contribute to a framework for decision-making around oil and gas siting, that also takes into account a community’s social and environmental disadvantages, is key to protecting the health and wellbeing of our most vulnerable citizens.”
More specifically, the research is aimed at answering three questions:
1) Do socially disadvantaged communities tend to be closer to oil and gas development than communities that have more resources?
2) Do these disadvantaged communities have equal access to information about the risks and benefits of oil and gas development that could affect where they choose to live and if they choose to get involved politically?
3) Will increasing local government control over oil and gas siting lead to more equitable siting decisions and broader access to those decision-making activities?
“Our innovative framework examines geographical patterns of development alongside the decision-making processes that goes into oil and gas development, bridging two main areas of environmental justice research,” said Deserai Crow, PhD, associate professor at the School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver, and co-principal investigator. “Our project offers methodological innovation by using multiple datasets at different spatial scales, which is especially important for rural areas where capturing proximity of people to increasingly intensive oil and gas operations has been challenging in past studies.”
To answer the first question, the researchers will analyze large geospatial datasets to assess the distribution of oil and gas impacts, triangulating between multiple datasets and analyses at different levels of spatial aggregation to evaluate how these methodological choices affect results. The second question will be addressed using a household survey in purposefully selected Colorado case study sites. To investigate the third question, the researchers will use a mixed-methods analysis of local decision maker surveys, policy documents, and in-depth interviews, focusing specifically on policy and rulemaking changes following the April 2019 passage of SB181.
“Everyone deserves equal protection from environmental risks and opportunities to participate in decision-making processes that affect local environmental and health outcomes. In Colorado, this means that communities should be meaningfully involved in decision-making around issues that affect their local environments such as oil and gas development, especially given the far-reaching economic, social and environmental impact of the industry. Our goal is to provide useful information for local communities, Colorado state-level policymakers, and national leaders who are engaged in oil and gas decision-making,” Dickinson adds.
Students Mental Health Infectious disease Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Community Health
A DrPH candidate at the Colorado School of Public Health (CSPH), Community and Behavioral Health Program, Jennifer Jewell works full-time and raises two children. She understands the need to adapt. After a seven-year break from academia, Jewell returned to school full-time to pursue her passion—psychiatric epidemiology—a field that did not exist when she completed her master’s degree in 2013.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) today released additional modeling results from an expert group of public health scientists led by the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH). The state is also seeking feedback on draft guidance for places of worship, personal recreation, and outdoor industries by Wednesday at noon. Updated guidance for short-term rentals goes into effect today.
The latest Colorado modeling report is available to the public, as are the presentation slides from today’s media briefing. All modeling reports are available on the Colorado School of Public Health’s COVID-19 website.
The report provides an estimate of the degree of distancing that Coloradans have achieved so far. It also provides projections based on various policy scenarios around physical distancing, mask-wearing, and improved case detection and containment. The models are based on Colorado data and assumptions.
Key findings from today’s report:
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
On April 20, Colorado’s coronavirus curve was still on an upward trajectory, with some 10,000 cumulative cases reported and nearly 450 deaths. That day, the state’s Democratic first-term governor, Jared Polis, stepped in front of American and Colorado flags in the ornate Palm Room of the governor’s mansion and announced his state would be among the first to reopen its economy.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) released additional modeling results from an expert group of public health scientists today.
Awards Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Each year, the Colorado School of Public Health honors outstanding students, faculty, and staff at an awards brunch coinciding with graduation. We may be working from home this year, but we won’t let that stop us from celebrating all of the people who have contributed to making ColoradoSPH an amazing place to learn, research, and work. “I am incredibly proud of the work we are all doing to extend our reach, strengthen public health partnerships, and expand our education and training activities,” said Dean Jonathan Samet. “We could not do this work without the commitment and dedication of our outstanding faculty, staff, students, and community partners.”
Research ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz S4A Health Advocacy
When Glen Mays came to the Colorado School of Public Health in 2019 to chair the Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy, he brought an entire research program with him. Five years ago, while at the University of Kentucky, Mays created Systems for Action, a signature research program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Mays and the Systems for Action team, now housed on the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, conduct extensive research and also select and administer research grants to a handful of external organizations each year.
Community COVID-19 Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment Worker Health
Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that some manufacturing in the state would be allowed to resume on May 8; but if the state and the county disagree, the more restrictive order is the one that matters. And although some counties may go slower than the state in reopening business, no one may go faster, according to Sonia Angell, the head of the state’s department of public health.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU Biostatistics
A new modeling report released today by Colorado public health scientists estimates just how much Coloradans have changed their behaviors since the start of the pandemic – and how those behaviors may now be shifting with the state’s new Safer at Home orders.
Community COVID-19 Epidemiology Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
As the world begins to open once again after the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to consider how to do so safely in order to minimize further spread of the virus. One possible idea—being considered by countries including Chile, Germany, Italy, the UK, and the United States—is to have an immunity passport: a physical or digital document confirming that a person has become immune to SARS-CoV-2. While immunity certifications are typically discussed in the context of allowing a person to return to work or school, they are also being considered in the context of travel as a way to help stop the spread of the novel coronavirus from regions with high infection rates to those that have not been as severely impacted by the global pandemic. And while this does make sense in theory, the idea of immunity passports raises several ethical questions, including who will have access to the passports and antibody testing, what privileges the passport would provide, and what happens when you effectively create two different classes of people based on immunity to a virus. Here’s what travelers should know and consider.
COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
May marks a new phase of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Across the country, retail stores, restaurants, and other businesses are beginning to reopen. According to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation, just over half of states had eased their public-health restrictions in one way or another as of the start of this week, with more states to follow soon.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU
When Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) needed to respond to the rapidly worsening COVID-19 pandemic, they needed data and projections of the pandemic’s course based upon Colorado data. A team was quickly assembled by the Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) to collaborate with CDPHE on epidemic modeling—the basic approach for generating the needed information for decision-making. In March, CDPHE asked ColoradoSPH Dean Jonathan Samet, MD, MS, four questions: when will infections peak in Colorado, how soon will we reach ICU bed capacity, how many hospital beds will be needed when we do peak, and how will social distancing policies impact those numbers?
Research Epidemiology Firearm Injury Prevention ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Gun Violence Prevention Injury & Violence Prevention
A new study conducted in seven Front Range emergency departments demonstrated success in helping parents make their homes safer when a teen is distressed.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz ColoradoSPH at CSU Environment
In the state of Colorado’s response to COVID-19, among its first priorities is protecting frontline medical workers by providing them with enough personal protective equipment – face shields, gowns, and masks that filter out viral particles.
COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
With the recent news that two Californians died of COVID-19 in February, three weeks earlier than the United States' first known death from the disease, it has become clear that the coronavirus was spreading in the United States long before it was detected by testing.
Community COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
Dozens of antibody tests for the novel coronavirus have become available in recent weeks. And early results from studies of such serological assays in the U.S. and around the world have swept headlines. Despite optimism about these tests possibly becoming the key to a return to normal life, experts say the reality is complicated and depends on how results are used.
COVID-19 Students Epidemiology Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Environment
Since the first COVID-19 case was reported in Colorado on March 5, more than 150 ColoradoSPH students have volunteered their time to support health agencies, labs, and local health organizations.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Latino Health
Latino residents, who make up about 20% of Colorado’s population, are becoming sick with the coronavirus at a disproportionately high rate, accounting for almost one-third of the state’s cases. And at least in Denver, they are hospitalized more than any other racial or ethnic group, according to data from the state and city public health departments. The numbers point to a pattern that people of color — including black Coloradans who are dying at a higher rate than their share of the population — are seeing elevated infection rates.
Advocates worry about increased risks to people of color, but it’s difficult to analyze all contributing factors without widespread testing, tracing and more data on individual cases, said Dr. Lisa DeCamp of the Latino Research and Policy Center at the Colorado School of Public Health.
“We are concerned about the number of people infected in Colorado and across the country,” she said. “We don’t have much information on the baseline.”
Read the full article at The Denver Post.
Community Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
This year’s National Public Health Week was different for many reasons. For one, we’re in a time when public health is actually on the forefront of everyone’s minds. For another, it’s not hard to make the argument that we’re experiencing public health year, and shouldn’t limit our celebration to only one week. And finally, this year we were forced to celebrate from the safety of our computer screens—NPHW 2020 went digital.
Community COVID-19 Mental Health Epidemiology Firearm Injury Prevention Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Suicide Prevention Gun Violence Prevention Injury & Violence Prevention
I live and work in Colorado, a beautiful state that can look to an outsider like a year-round playground of sunshine and skiing. But my state has a big problem: suicide rates that are among the highest in the country.
Community COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Ethics
As we appear to be reaching the peak of the coronavirus outbreak in some parts of the U.S., public health officials have started thinking about what happens next. Having widespread, accurate testing for COVID-19 is necessary in order to make it possible for essential workers to return to their jobs, and eventually, reopen society. But how will we keep track of who has developed antibodies after surviving a case of COVID-19 and should be permitted to go out in public? One option — which has already been implemented by researchers in Germany, and is being considered by the United Kingdom and Italy — is to have some form of documentation verifying a person’s immunity to the virus.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The CCTV footage from a Dutch business park shows a man in a black cap pouring the contents of a white container at the base of a cellular radio tower. Flames burst out as the man jogs back to his Toyota to flee into the evening.
COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Data and Health
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) received additional modeling information from an expert group of public health scientists today.
Community COVID-19 Epidemiology Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Health Systems Health Advocacy
Perhaps by the time you read these words, Colorado’s count of COVID-19 cases will, one hopes, have plateaued or even be falling. There will be mounting political pressure to open Colorado and the country back up. With the exceptions of the intrepid health care workers, farm and grocery workers, warehouse workers, delivery people, municipal employees, and staff deemed essential, we will have been cooped up for more than a month.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Climate Health Environment
In major cities around the globe, the sky often bears a brown haze. While air quality in the United States has improved in recent decades, industrial pollution remains a persistent public health hazard, stemming from any number of sources — vehicles, boilers, power plants, construction equipment, boats, and commercial cooking facilities, to name just a few. The people who live nearby are chronically exposed to contaminated air, and this exposure can compromise their lungs and hearts. Under these conditions, the rate of chronic illnesses increases, and so does the likelihood of developing a serious respiratory disease like Covid-19.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Health Systems Health Advocacy
Tornadoes in Atlanta, flooding in Detroit, dire hurricane predictions for the Gulf Coast, and wildfires in the country’s interior: 2020’s extreme weather season has already begun. Agencies around the country are rushing to prepare for these potential disasters, despite already being in disaster mode.
COVID-19 Student and Alumni ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Climate Health Environment
Professor John Volckens’ 2,000-square-foot lab on the campus of Colorado State University is normally a place for experiments on air quality, pollution sensors, and how breathable particles can trigger disease.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz
The COVID-19 crisis in Colorado could lead to 941,312 infections by May 7, peak hospitalization of 57,086 on May 14, and 33,277 deaths by June 1 — depending on collective physical distancing, according to projections presented to Gov. Jared Polis that state health officials made public Sunday afternoon.
Community COVID-19 Infectious disease Community and Practice ColoradoSPH at CU Anschutz Data and Health
This press release was issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment..
UCHealth
April 19, 2024
“Timeliness of care makes a big difference in outcomes,” said Dr. Evelinn Borrayo, associate director in the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement at the University of Colorado Cancer Center and professor in the Department of Community & Behavioral Health at the Colorado School of Public Health, who leads the five-year trial. “Timely treatment improves survivorship, quality of life and mental health.”
Mirage News
April 17, 2024
The Colorado School of Public Health (ColoradoSPH) has been ranked #16 by U.S. News & World Report for graduate programs in public health. The rankings were announced publicly on April 9. Previously, ColoradoSPH had been ranked #17. As a newer school of public health, founded in 2008, ColoradoSPH, has risen steadily through the ranks from #35 to #16 in just 15 short years. The rankings of more than 200 schools and programs of public health are based on expert opinions about program excellence and other statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.
9 News
April 12, 2024
“People need to be aware that their risk associated with drinking PFAs in drinking water is still likely quite low, given we don’t have those high, high levels of contamination. The EPA standard is designed to really take that down to be most protective of public health,” said Ned Calonge, associate dean for public health practice, and a professor of epidemiology at the Colorado School of Public Health.
5280
April 02, 2024
Kristine Burrows has dedicated a big chunk of her young life to old age. She earned a master’s degree with a focus on leadership and healthy aging from the Colorado School of Public Health in 2018, launched a statewide day program for older adults with disabilities through the Lakewood chapter of national nonprofit Easterseals, and eventually worked as director of aging, care, and connections for the Jewish Family Service of Colorado.
Teryn Ferrell
