Every two years the City and County of Denver produces a status report on the health of the residents of Denver. The 2010 Denver Community Health Assessment status report will be published in early 2012 and updates data presented in the 2008 Health Status Report.  The report will identify the major causes of death, disability and illness in Denver. An important goal will be to identify, quantify and localize health disparities in Denver (disparities by income, race and ethnicity, educational level, and geographic area of Denver). Data play a critical role in public health. This report is a part of an ongoing process to use health data to identify problems, design interventions, and evaluate the effectiveness of those interventions.  This report utilized data from the 2010 Census, Denver Public Health, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver Environmental Health, and many community health organizations.

The Denver Community Health Assessment is a collaborative effort between Denver Public Health and Denver Environmental Health. 

The next step in the process is to use the Community Health Assessment as the basis for the development of an action plan to improve the health of the residents of Denver (Denver's Public Health Improvement Plan).  In the next year, Denver Public Health and Denver Environmental Health will work with community members, governmental and non-profit agencies, health care providers, businesses, educators, and community-based organizations to identify key areas to focus public health efforts.  Finally, we will work with stakeholders to develop specific interventions (policies, programs, education) for the priority areas.

Stay tuned for the release of the 2010 report.  If you have further questions, please contact Emily McCormick at Emily.McCormick@dhha.org or 303-602-3604.