Adams County officially opened the doors to its five new health department offices Jan. 3 but officials celebrated the new department Jan. 24.

“Building a Health Department from the ground up is a monumental task, but with the dedication and hard work of our team, we were able to accomplish it in just nine months,” said County Manager Noel Bernal. “It required diligent planning, strong leadership, and a relentless focus on our collective goal: onboarding nearly 200 employees, launching five locations, and investing in this new department through a $27 million budget. This herculean undertaking is a testament to our commitment and to providing quality public health services for our community.”

The new department is responsible for promoting and protecting the health of all residents in Adams County through a variety of programs.

Adams County Health debuted its new website at https://adamscountyhealthdepartment.org/ on Dec. 23 and officially launched on Jan. 1, opening the doors to five locations on Jan. 3.

“But we were focused on onboarding over 200 employees on Jan. 3 and delivering services and programs immediately,” Public Information Officer William Porter said. “We wanted to have this celebration later and invite not just the County Commissioners but the community partners for the huge administrative lift and cooperation needed to make this possible.”

The new department has five offices, in Brighton, Commerce City, Denver and Westminster. The department’s administrative offices will be located at the County Government Center, 4430 S. Adams Parkway in Brighton.

The offices at 30 S. 20th Ave. in Brighton and 7190 Colorado Blvd. in Commerce City will focus on nutritional help and administering the Women and Infant Children food program. The Commerce City office will also be the location for County Vital Records and for environmental health services.

The offices at 7000 Broadway in Denver and 1401 W. 122nd Ave in Westminster will host sexual health services. The Westminster office will also be the location for immunization services.

“Investing in public health is not just a moral imperative, it is an investment in the future of our society,” said Executive Director Dr. Kelly Weidenbach. “We are excited to launch this new department and are confident it will have a positive impact on the health and well-being of our residents for decades to come.”

Specific needs

The Adams County Board of Commission ended its partnership with Tri-County Health Department in October 2021 and began work designing a new health department to provide services to 520,000 residents and businesses in Adams.

“This new structure will give us the opportunity to focus on the specific needs of our community for our residents and invest dollars where we think we need it most,” Commission Chair Steve O’Dorisio said at the grand opening ceremony. “For too long, Adams County was part of a health department that was a one size fits all approach. Now we can conduct targeted outreach and education for our folks. We can invest in programs and services specifically designed to address the health concerns of our community.”

The department will focus on a wide range of public health issues, including disease prevention and control, maternal and child health, mental and behavioral health, food access and environmental health. The department will also work closely with community partners to address specific health concerns and improve overall health outcomes for residents.